Acts

Chapter 10
1~~There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius {name suggests a Roman aristocrat}, a centurion of the band called the Italian band.

2~~A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave many alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

{Note: Here when Luke uses 'eusebes' for devout he means an unbeliever positive at God consciousness. And, it was very unusual for a Roman to contribute to the Jews.}

3~~He saw in a vision {a pre-canon period revelation}, surprisingly about the ninth hour of the day {at 3pm a time of Jewish prayer} an angel of God coming in face to fact to him, and saying unto him, "Cornelius."

{Note: The way 'Cornelius' was said, this must be a military angel of the same rank as Cornelius.}

4~~And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, "YES SIR!" {He was afraid but ready and willing to take instruction from God.} And he said unto him, "Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial before God." {Point to God consciousness}

5~~"And now send men to Joppa {30 miles south a smaller seaport the Jews prefer over Caesarea} and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter."

6~~"He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side."

7~~ And when the angel which spoke to Cornelius departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout {meaning a faithful and reliable soldier and also one of positive volition at the point of God consciousness} soldier of them that waited on him continually.

8~~ And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

9~~On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray approaching the sixth hour {noon}.

{Note: As the men were nearing Peter, he went up into the rooftop garden to pray - probably because the smell of the tannery was less there!}

10~~And he {Peter} became very hungry and had a strong desire to eat. But while they {the cooks} made ready, he fell into a trance.

11~~ And saw heaven opened, and a certain food locker descending to him and inside was a great table cloth and it was tied up at the four corners, and it was lowered to the earth.

{Note: A trance is different from a vision in that emotions are involved. Peter was hungry and his emotions were heightened thinking of food. A trance was a method in which God spoke to men in the pre-canon period.}

12~~Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

{Note: wrapped in a tablecloth inside the food chest were all the foods that were dangerous to eat in the Jewish age because of their means of preparing food. So Peter was seeing in front of him all the animals (foods) that were prohibited by the Mosaic Law to eat.}

13~~And there came a voice to him, "RISE, Peter! KILL and EAT."

{Note: This was a command not an offer}

14~~ But Peter said, "NO! Lord . . . for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean."

{Note: Peter is not yet oriented to the doctrine of the progressive revelation of God's Plan. He does not realize yet that Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law and it no longer applied in the Church Age.}

15~~And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, is NOT COMMON!"

16~~ This was done thrice. And the food locker was received up again into heaven.

{Note: Peter was not a very fast learner. The voice had to use repetition to get the point across to Peter. Peter probably only heard it for the FIRST time the THIRD time!}

17~~Now while Peter was perplexed and confused in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.

{Note: God's timing is perfect. He has given Peter time to stew over what has been presented to him and now in come Cornelius's men to Simon the tanner's front gate. There are no doorbells so they have to shout over the gate.}

18~~ And shouted and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, was lodged there.

19~~While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, "Behold, three men seek you."

{Note: This does demonstrate Peter's ability to concentrate. He was on the roof yet it did not register in his brain he was being asked after. The Holy Spirit had to tell him.}

20~~ "Arise, therefore, and get yourself down, and go with
them . . . doubting nothing . . . for I have sent them."

{Note: Peter is still very legalistic. He wants to follow the Mosaic Law but he is already living in the house of a tanner, which is prohibited by Jewish Law. Now he is puzzling over the meaning of the vision of eating prohibited foods and now he is to accompany Gentiles and Romans at that! But the Holy Spirit has made it clear they are sent by God.}

21~~ Then Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek. What is the reason wherefore you are come?"

22~~ And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just {positive volition and human good . . . a moral unbeliever} man, and one that fears God {standing in awe of God}, and is of good report among all the nation of the Jews {a Roman so moral he is in good stand by the Mosaic Law}, was warned from God by an Holy angel to send for you to his house, and to hear words from the immediate source of you."

{Note: The ultimate source would be God. The Greek is very specific.}

23~~Having called them in, he lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

{Verses 24-48 the historical account of the Gentile Pentecost}
24~~ And the morrow after, they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius kept on eagerly anticipating them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

25~~And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and kneeled down at his feet and worshipped him.

{Note: Cornelius was a Roman Centurion and gave Peter the highest honor attributed only to Emperors and other VIP's - a kneeling salute as opposed to the normal fist to the chest salute. Peter would not have recognized this salute and apparently thought Cornelius confused Peter with an angel or deity in human form.}

26~~But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up! I myself am also a man."

27~~And as he {Peter} talked with him {Cornelius}, he {Peter} went in, and found many that were assembled together.

28~~And he said unto them, "You know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or associate with one of another nation. But God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."

{Note: Peter entered the room and saw immediately that it was filled with Romans and Greeks by their dress. Jewish legalistic taboo had prohibited socializing with Gentiles (even though this was one of God's purposes for the Jews - to evangelize the gentiles).}

29~~"Therefore came I unto you without talking back, as soon as I was sent for. I ask therefore for what intent you have sent for me?"

30-31~~And Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was observing the afternoon prayer hour {3pm} I kept on praying in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31~~and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.' "

32~~ "Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the seaside. Who {Peter}, when he comes, shall speak unto you."

33~~"Immediately therefore I sent to you and you have well done that you have come {Military man giving a well done!}. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded you of God."

34~~ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said {idiom for a speech follows}, "Of a truth {clarification} I perceive that God is no respecter of persons."

{Note: Means God cares not whether or not you are Jew or Gentile.}

35~~"But in every nation he that fears Him {positive volition at the point of God consciousness} and acquires righteousness is accepted with Him."

{Note: All believers in this dispensation share Christ's righteousness.}

36~~ "The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He {Jesus} is Lord of all)!"

{Note: ' Peace' here is not World Peace but inner peace. This is the removal of the barrier between Man and God. Christ died on the cross for us. When we believe in Him we 'share His righteousness'. We are worthy to be in the presence of God because of Who and What Christ is . . . not who and what WE are!}

37~~"That Word you know {they had been evangelized before} which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached . . .38~~how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Who {Jesus} went about doing {divine} good, and healing all that were oppressed of demons for God kept on being with Him."

39~~"And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem . . . Whom they {the Jews} slew and hanged on the wood {A 'Roman' form of punishment - the cross}."

40~~ "Him {Jesus} God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly 41~~not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before {in eternity past} under God . . . to US {Peter gets excited thinking about this}, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead."

{Note: Christ in his resurrected body could eat and drink but did not need to.}

42~~"And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He, Who was ordained of God {Plan of God the Father} to be the Judge of quick and dead."

43~~"To Him {Jesus . . . the Messiah} give all the prophets witness, that through His Name {person} whosoever {unlimited atonement} believes in Him shall receive payment of sins {everlasting life}."

{Note: Peter is now realizing that Jesus was the One foretold by ALL the prophets in the Old Testament.}

44~~While Peter yet spoke these words {right in the middle of his speech}, the Holy Spirit suddenly and immediately fell on all them which heard the word.

{Note: ALL these Gentiles had positive volition at the point of God Consciousness. All they want to hear was HOW to be saved. Peter explained it to them and in a spit second, in the middle of his speech, they all became New Testament Saints.}

{Note: This is the Gentile Pentecost and is the pattern for our 'being indwelled with the Holy Spirit' in the Church Age. Believe and you are immediately indwelled.}

45~~And they of the circumcision which believed were absolutely amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit.

{Note: ALL the Jews that went with Peter could not believe that Gentiles could receive the Holy Spirit!}

46-47~~ For they heard them speak with tongues {preaching the gospel in foreign languages}, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47~~"Can any man resist water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?"

{Note: Big point here. These people are ALREADY SAVED. Water baptism is not a part of salvation - it is a ritual for believers who understand the concepts of Positional Truth. Under water is a picture of us in our sins with Christ on the cross - Retroactive Positional Truth. Up from the water is a picture of Current Positional Truth - in Union with Christ - sharing his eternal life, son-ship, etc.}.

48~~And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. They requested then that he stay with them certain days.

{Note: From the text, it is reasonable to think they were saved, taught some doctrine about positional truth, were baptized, and now wanted more Bible doctrine. All good signs that they will take in doctrine and someday maybe become mature believers.}

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