Atos 10
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 10
Cole: Breaking Down Our Prejudice - The ancient Greeks divided up the human race into two categories: Greeks and barbarians. The barbarian was literally a man who could not speak Greek, and so his words sounded to the Greek ear like “bar bar.” One Greek historian asked rhetorically, “How can men who can only bark ever rule the world?” Prejudice is not eradicated with brilliance, since Aristotle believed that the world’s climate maintained the difference between Greeks and barbarians. He explained that those who lived in the cold lands to the north had plenty of courage and spirit, but little skill and intelligence. Those who lived in the warm south had plenty of skill, intelligence, and culture, but little spirit and courage. Only the Greeks lived in a climate designed by nature to produce the perfectly blended character (Aristotle, Politics [7:7:2], cited by William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit [Baker], pp. 40-41). 1. We all are prone to prejudice. 2. God is gracious to gently break us of our prejudice so that He can work through us. 3. God’s purpose is to spread the gospel through us so that He will be glorified among the nations. 4. When God confronts our prejudice, we must yield in obedience to Him. 5. When we yield to the Lord and put to death our prejudice, He will use us mightily in His service. Breaking Down Our Prejudice (Acts 10:1-33) QUESTION - What does the Bible say about what foods we should eat (kosher)? Are there foods a Christian should avoid? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - Leviticus chapter 11 lists the dietary restrictions God gave to the nation of Israel. The dietary laws included prohibitions against eating pork, shrimp, shellfish and many types of seafood, most insects, scavenger birds, and various other animals. The dietary rules were never intended to apply to anyone other than the Israelites. The purpose of the food laws was to make the Israelites distinct from all other nations. After this purpose had ended, Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19+). Later, God gave the apostle Peter a vision that implied formerly unclean animals could be eaten: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15+). When Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4+; Galatians 3:24-26+; Ephesians 2:15+). This includes the laws regarding clean and unclean foods. Romans 14:1-23+ teaches us that not everyone is mature enough in the faith to accept the fact that all foods are clean. As a result, if we are with someone who would be offended by our eating “unclean” food, we should give up our right to do so as to not offend the other person. We have the right to eat whatever we want, but we do not have the right to offend other people, even if they are wrong. For the Christian in this age, though, we have freedom to eat whatever we wish as long as it does not cause someone else to stumble in his/her faith. In the New Covenant of grace, the Bible is far more concerned with how much we eat than what foods Christians eat. Physical appetites are an analogy of our ability to control ourselves. If we are unable to control our eating habits, we are probably also unable to control other habits such as those of the mind (lust, covetousness, unrighteous hatred/anger) and unable to keep our mouths from gossip or strife. As Christians, we are not to let our appetites control us; rather, we are to control them (Deuteronomy 21:20; Proverbs 23:2; 2 Peter 1:5-7; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 2 Corinthians 10:5). GotQuestions.org Related Resources from Gotquestions.org Why did the Old Testament Law command against the eating of pork? What does it mean to give glory to God whether you eat or drink (1 Corinthians 10:31)? Acts 10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. KJV Acts 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. three times Genesis 41:32; John 21:17; 2 Cor 13:1 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE SHEET VISION: PART THREE This happened three times - What happened three times? Clearly it was the same vision and same interchange which was repeated. The implication is that Peter remained unconvinced after the first vision which would account for the need to repeat this action three times. This is how God overcame Peter's scruples. On the other hand, Cornelius had no scruples and was glad to socialize with Jews. Peter was being prepared to enter Cornelius' dwelling, something heretofore he would have been loathe to do! God is able to break down our walls of prejudice. Do you have any prejudices (racial or otherwise) which God's Spirit needs to demolish? If you are struggling with letting the walls fall down (re: prejudice), perhaps you might benefit from the pithy words of the great Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte who said All so like ourselves. For, how we also bundle up whole nations of men and throw them into that same unclean sheet. Whole churches that we know nothing about but their bad names that we have given them, are in our sheet of excommunication also. All the other denominations of Christians in our land are common and unclean to us. Every party outside our own party in the political state also. We have no language contemptuous enough wherewith to describe their wicked ways and their self-seeking schemes. They are four-footed beasts and creeping things. Indeed, there are very few men alive, and especially those who live near us, who are not sometimes in the sheet of our scorn; unless it is one here and one there of our own family, or school, or party. And they also come under our scorn and our contempt the moment they have a mind of their own, and interests of their own, and affections and ambitions of their own. (Whyte's Dictionary of Bible Characters - Cornelius) Comment - And if you need a little added motivation to let the walls of prejudice in your heart fall down, take four minutes and listen to this old Maranatha chorus Let the Walls Fall Down. Then surrender your pride to the Spirit, welcoming Him to do His work in your heart! You will be filled with His supernatural love, joy and peace when the walls fall down! (PS: If you enjoyed "Let the Walls Fall Down" click here for over 30 minutes of similar Maranatha choruses from the "Praise Band.") Kent Hughes goes on to add "We too write off whole churches simply by what we have heard about them. We too shut out whole ethnic groups because of a bad experience with one person or family. We too mentally excommunicate those who do not agree with us on one secondary issue or another. Our sheets easily fill with educational, racial, cultural, and spiritual rejects, and we cry, “By no means, Lord—they are not my type!” The result, of course, is a Christianity that grows solely on homogeneous lines. We then only seek to win our own kind, and thousands never come to grace who, humanly speaking, would have if they were given the chance. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that, like Peter, we can have these unacceptable attitudes even while generally being in fellowship with Christ. Remember, Peter was praying when he had this vision. He had a beautiful attitude toward God but a lousy one toward the world! If we do not respond to Christ’s prodding and let him change our heart attitudes, our relationships with people will suffer—and eventually our relationship with God as well." (See Acts (ESV Edition): The Church Afire) Robertson agrees that Peter remained unconvinced after one vision commenting that "Here is a striking illustration of obstinacy on the part of one who acknowledges the voice of God to him when the command of the Lord crosses one’s preferences and prejudices. There are abundant examples today of precisely this thing. In a real sense Peter was maintaining a pose of piety beyond the will of the Lord. Peter was defiling what God had cleansed." (Acts 10 Commentary) The phrase three times of course recalls Peter's three denials that he knew Jesus (cf Lk 22:34, after the third denial = Mt 26:74). Some commentators say in this present pericope, Peter refused to obey three times, but Luke only describes one specific refusal in Acts 10:14 explaining that he had never eaten anything unclean and unholy before. The three part sheet vision also recalls another, and perhaps more relevant event that occurred three times in John 21 where Jesus asks Peter three times if he loved Him (Jn 21:15, 16, 17 agapao...phileo, agapao...phileo, phileo...phileo). To each of Peter's affirmative replies, Jesus spoke of feeding His sheep - "Tend My lambs" (Jn 21:15), "Shepherd My sheep" (Jn 21:16) and "Tend My sheep." (Jn 21:17). (See in depth notes on John 21:15-25) In John 10:16 Jesus had clearly declared "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold (i.e., Gentiles); I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd (i.e., the Church, cf Eph 2:16+)." This was in a very real sense a prophecy that the Gentiles would be gathered into the Kingdom of God under Christ the Chief Shepherd. And here in Acts 10-11, God is leading Peter to fulfill Jesus' prophecy by taking the Gospel to the Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima. How wonderful is God's word in one section which perfectly integrates with His words in this parallel section. Rich Cathers makes an interesting comment - A principle in Scripture is that “truth” is determined by two or more witnesses. (Dt 19:15NKJV) “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established." You will see this in places where a dream is repeated twice. When Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams, it was significant that the theme of the two dreams was repeated. Joseph told Pharaoh: (Ge 41:32NKJV) "And the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice because the thing isestablished by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass." (Sermon Notes) And immediately the object was taken up into the sky - God's revelation was accomplished. Now it was Peter's turn to respond! Immediately (2117)(euthus) when used as adverb means immediately, right away, at once. The use of euthus with the meaning of immediately. This is a key word in the Gospel of Mark as evidenced by 11 uses in the first chapter (Mark 1:3, 10, 12, 18, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, 42, 43)! Luke's uses euthus - Lk. 3:4; Lk. 3:5; Lk. 6:49; Acts 8:21; Acts 9:11; Acts 10:16; Acts 13:10 F F Bruce comments - The divine cleansing of food in the vision is a parable of the divine cleansing of human beings in the incident to which the vision leads up. It did not take Peter long to understand this: “God has taught me,” he says later in the present narrative, “to call no human being profane or unclean” (Acts 10:30). Within the framework of the vision it is food that God has cleansed by dominical pronouncement, but in the wider narrative it is men and women, even Gentiles, whose hearts he has cleansed by faith (cf. Acts 15:9). Yet the cleansing of food is not wholly parabolic: there is a connection between the abrogation of the levitical food restrictions and the removal of the barrier between believing Jews and Gentiles, for it was in large measure the Gentiles’ eating of food which was “unclean” (not kosher) by Jewish law that made association with them a source of “defilement” for Jews (cf. Acts 10:28). (NICNT - Acts) Kent
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Cole adds that dikaios "means to be of sound mind, especially in the sense of not being impulsive. The sensible man is not swayed to extremes by his fluctuating emotions. He doesn’t give in to impulses that would be sinful or harmful. He is level-headed. He lives in light of his priorities and commitments. (Breaking Down Our Prejudice Acts 10:1-33) Righteous (1342)(dikaios from dike = right, just) defines that which is in accordance with high standards of rectitude. It is that which is in right relation to another and so in reference to persons defines the one who is morally and ethically righteous, upright or just. Righteous in this context does not mean Cornelius is justified or declared righteous by faith because he has not yet heard the Gospel from Peter. But as far as men go, Cornelius' behavior is characterized by accepted standards of morality or justice. He's the kind of man you would like to have as your neighbor and soon he will be a believer. Well spoken (3140)(martureo) means the Jews bore witness or testified to the character of Cornelius. Was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you - As Luke had described in Acts 10:3-6+ except now he adds "holy" to angel. This would have been the "clincher" for Peter as he now clearly realized that God was moving in some manner that he did not yet fully comprehend. This fact would encourage his unhesitating obedience. Divinely directed (5537)(chrematizo from chrema = an affair, business, sum of money, Acts 4:37, 8:18, 24:26, property Mt 19:22) in the NT means to impart a divine message (an injunction or warning). Chrematizo in this sense speaks of a divine oracle or declaration (Lk 2:26+), as well as a divine warning (Heb 12:25, 8:5, Mt 2:12, 22). In a second usage in the NT chrematizo means to bear a title and so to be called as in Acts 11:26 where "the disciples were first called Christians". (used with this sense in Ro 7:3). In the Greek papyri chrematizo meant to transact business, of official pronouncements by magistrates and of a royal reply to a petition as well as an answer of an oracle or as describing a revelation from a deity. Josephus uses chrematizo in the sense of to receive a response from God.
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Cole - whenever a man is seeking after God, it is because God is working to draw that man to Himself (Rom. 3:10; John 6:44, 65). Cornelius has not yet come across the line of salvation, but his fear of God and his good deeds show that God is drawing him toward that point. Before Peter’s sermon is over, he crosses the line and gets saved. God works differently with different people. He saves some right out of the cesspool of sin. They are wallowing in it, not seeking after God, when He dramatically enters their lives and rescues them. At that moment, they turn from their sins to follow Christ. But with others, like Cornelius, God puts the hunger in their hearts to know Him. They begin to seek Him and they try to please Him with their lives. But they’re still sinners and they do not get saved until they hear the gospel and believe in Jesus Christ. Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) Everett Harrison explains fears...does right...welcome to Him - "The meaning is not that such persons are thereby saved (cf. Acts 11:14) but rather that they are suitable candidates for salvation. Such preparation betokens a spiritual earnestness that will result in faith as the gospel is heard and received (Interpreting Acts: The Expanding Church) Some have taught this verse teaches universalism, that all will be saved, but that is absurd because in this same context Peter explains they need to believe in Jesus (Acts 10:43). Acts 11:14 said they needed to hear Peter's gospel message in order to be saved. Is universalism / universal salvation biblical? Every nation - This statement clearly opens the door of salvation for Gentile nations, not just the nation of Israel. Samuel Stone put Peter's words beautifully in the hymn The Church's One Foundation The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy Bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth, Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
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Cole says "Believing in the name of Jesus does not refer to a general, vague sort of belief. Rather, it is specific and personal. To believe in Jesus means that I believe He is the Lord who gave Himself on the cross for my sins. I believe the promise of God, that whoever believes on Him receives eternal life as God’s gift, not based on any human merit, but only on God’s free grace. To believe in Jesus means that I no longer rely on anything in myself to commend myself to God. Rather, I trust only in what Jesus did on the cross as my hope for forgiveness of sins and eternal life." Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) A T
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Cole - Peter’s sermon offers several applications for us. First, people need to understand the basic facts about the life and ministry of Jesus before they can make an intelligent decision to repent and believe in Him. If they have never read the Gospels, they may need to start there to gain enough information to respond to Christ. Second, we need to stay focused on the person and work of Christ when we talk to people about spiritual things. It’s easy to get distracted and talk about evolution or predestination or some moral or social issue. Keep bringing the conversation back to who Jesus is and what He did on the cross. Jesus is the issue! Third, we have not adequately proclaimed the gospel if we leave out the lordship of Jesus and the solemn fact of the coming judgment. Peter lets his audience know that Jesus is Lord whether they acknowledge Him as such or not, and that He is the coming Judge of everyone. Unless people realize that they have been in rebellion against the rightful Lord of the universe and that they will stand before Him as guilty someday, they have no reason to repent and flee to the cross for forgiveness. If we skim over the bad news in an attempt not to offend someone, they might “try” Jesus to see if He makes them happier. But if He “doesn’t work,” they will turn to something else. They won’t have what it takes to endure hardship or persecution. Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) Acts 10:42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. KJV Acts 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. He ordered us to preach to the people Acts 1:8; Acts 4:19,20; 5:20,29-32; Mt 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; Luke 24:47,48; John 21:21,22 that this is the One Acts 17:31; Mt 25:31-46; John 5:22-29; Ro 14:9,10; 2 Cor 5:10; 2 Ti 4:1,8; 1 Peter 4:5; Rev 1:7; 20:11-15; 22:12 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries HERE COMES THE JUDGE!
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Cole - The point for us is that if God has saved us from our sins, then He has appointed us as witnesses to others of the salvation that is available through Jesus Christ. God’s method is not to proclaim the gospel through the angels or to shout it from heaven. His method is to use His people to tell others. Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) THOUGHT - ARE YOU PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL IN YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE? And He ordered us to preach to the people (cf Mt. 28:19; Mk 16:15; Lk 24:47) - Like a Commanding General, Jesus issued orders to preach the Gospel (Acts 1:8, Mt 28:19,20, Mk 16:15, 16), that Jesus was not dead but alive and that His victory over death was available to every person who seeks Him. In fact when the Jewish religious leaders gave "strict orders not to continue teaching in this name (NOTE HOW THEY EVEN REFUSE TO PRONOUNCE THE NAME "JESUS!")" (Acts 5:28) "Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29+) Ordered (3853)(paraggello from para = beside, alongside, near by, at the side of + aggelos = messenger, angello/aggello = to announce) means to hand on or pass on an announcement from one to another who is at one's side, such as to what must be done, usually with the idea of a command or charge. Paraggello often was used in the context of a military command and demanded that the subordinate obey the order from the superior (2Ti 4:1-note) and required unhesitating and unqualified obedience. (cp Lk 5:14, 8:29, Lk 9:21KJV, Acts 1:4, 4:18; 5:28KJV; Acts 15:5KJV; 1Th 4:11). It is like a mandate (an authoritative command) or a call to obedience from one in authority.
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Cole - Dr. A. C. Gaebelein, a Bible teacher who lived early in the 20th century, was holding evangelistic meetings at a YMCA. As you know, the Y used to be distinctly Christian in focus. One day the director of the Y showed Gaebelein a card that he was in the habit of handing out. It read, “I promise faithfully henceforth to lead a religious and Christian life.” There was a place to sign one’s name. The man said, “How do you like that? Isn’t that a pretty good way of putting it?” Dr. Gaebelein replied, “How on earth can a dead man live any kind of a life? What is the use of putting a card like that into the hands of a dead sinner and having him sign it and say, ‘I promise faithfully henceforth to lead a religious and Christian life’? You cannot live a life for God until you receive a life from God.” (Told by H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies [Loizeaux Brothers], p. 102.) Salvation does not come to anyone through his or her efforts to live the Christian life. Even good, religious people need the forgiveness that Jesus offers. He will be either your Judge or your Savior. He offers salvation to everyone who will believe in Him. Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. KJV Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. the Holy Spirit Acts 2:2-4; 4:31; 8:15-17; 11:15; 19:6 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE HOLY SPIRIT INTERRUPTS PETER'S SERMON! While Peter was still speaking these words - Unable to finish his sermon, Peter is interrupted by God! Swindoll quipped "Like many preachers, Peter never actually finished his sermon." The Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message - First note that Holy Spirit falling indicates that the Gentiles had believed the Gospel (which was clearly explained in the preceding verses and was sufficient for salvation). It is as if they moment they heard those glorious grace-filled words forgiveness of sins, they believed in Jesus! Then the Holy Spirit came on them indicating they were baptized by the Spirit. Notice that the salvation experience of these Gentiles was a inner transaction, involving the Spirit of God and Gospel of God, resulting in an immediate transformation in their hearts. They were not told to "pray a prayer," not told to "ask Jesus into their hearts," not told to raise their hands if they received Jesus, not told to walk an aisle if they have made a commitment of faith. Spurgeon exclaimed "“Oh that the Spirit of God would in the same manner interrupt us!”
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Cole - Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the believer at the moment of salvation (Rom. 8:9; Gal. 3:2). This is not something that we feel experientially, but rather a fact that God’s Word declares. As a believer learns to walk in the Spirit, over time the deeds of the flesh will diminish and the fruit of the Spirit will increase (Gal. 5:16-23), thus making the Spirit’s presence evident. Lesson 26: Salvation for All Who Believe (Acts 10:34-48) Listening is in the present tense (Peter had their continual attention riveted on his message) and they not only heard, but the heeded, which is the only profitable "listening." The hearts of these Gentile hearers was "good soil" just as Jesus had described in Luke 8 (note repetition of hear/heard and believe)... “Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. 13 “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while (NOT SAVING BELIEF - IT DID NOT "HOLD FAST!"), and in time of temptation fall away. 14 “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity (INDICATING THEY DID NOT BELIEVE). 15 “But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. (FAITH ALONE SAVES BUT THE FAITH TRULY SAVES IS NOT ALONE!) (Luke 8:12-15+) The message - The Gospel spoken by Peter. Larkin comments that "In our day Western society is increasingly turning its back on its rational, cognitive heritage in favor of high-impact, “high-touch” experience. Some Christians engaged in crosscultural mission hail this mindlessness as a liberation that permits us to frame a truly contextual gospel free of Western rationalism. Yet at the very beginning of crosscultural mission, Peter neither depended on power encounter nor denigrated the cognitive. In fact, the Word and the Spirit were interdependent. And so must it ever be. (The Mission Is Inaugurated Through Peter Acts 9:32-11:18) Related Resources: What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? When / How do we receive the Holy Spirit? Is there a second blessing subsequent to salvation? Barton - NO "WINDY" WITNESSES! Peter's brief and powerful sermon contains a concise statement of the gospel: Jesus' perfect life of servanthood, his death on the cross, his resurrection—personally witnessed and experienced by Peter—his fulfillment of the Scriptures, and the necessity of personal faith in him. A sermon or witness for Christ does not need to be long to be effective. It should be Spirit-led and should center simply on Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. WORDS OF POWER Peter's words—heartfelt, accurate, urgent—would have been powerless without the Holy Spirit, who was working in the lives of these assembled Gentiles. This is a good reminder that successful preaching or witnessing does not depend on flashy rhetoric, biblical expertise, or heart-tugging stories. Those can be helpful, but it is the Spirit who does the real convicting and convincing. It is his power that changes minds, hearts, and wills. We are merely tools. Use your gifts, but trust in the power of the Spirit. (See Acts - Page 182) Acts 10:45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. KJV Acts 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. All the circumcised believers Acts 10:23; 11:3,15-18; Gal 3:13,14 the Gentiles also Gal 2:15; Eph 2:11; 3:5-8; Col 2:13,14 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE "GENTILE PENTECOST" WITNESSED BY JEWISH BELIEVERS All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed - Acts 11:12 says Peter brought six brethren and here we they are called Circumcised believers indicating they were Jews who had placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Surely part of the astonishment of these Jewish believers was due to the fact that (1) the experience of these Gentile believers was essentially the same (minus sound like wind and like flames of fire on their heads) as had been experienced by the Jews on Pentecost and (2) that obviously the Church was not to be exclusively Jewish. Keep in mind this is several years after Pentecost and the church was almost entirely Jewish up to this point. The events in Caesarea obviously signaled a significant change in the minds of these Jewish believers. Swindoll - God sent a clear message to all who witnessed the event: Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Nothing other than complete, authentic belief is required. Knowledge of the Law is good, but not necessary. Circumcision is good, but not required. Biblical and theological knowledge is good, but not essential. Only trusting in Christ brings forgiveness of sins. Vincent on circumcised believers - From this point Luke distinguishes Christians into two classes—those of the circumcision and those of the uncircumcision; calling the former, Jews, and the latter Gentiles or Greeks.