A Study of Acts: Gentiles Hear Good News
Acts 10:34-46 - Salvation and eternal life is for everyone who believes and repents!
“Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 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. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 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. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”
Acts 10:34-48 NASB1995
Peter begins a mini-sermon by telling Cornelius and the others gathered that he now knows that God is not one to show partiality, but that every nation that fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. Peter then tells the story of Jesus and how the disciples were witnesses to His ministry, miracles, crucifixion, death and resurrection. Jesus ordered the apostles to preach to the people; apparently, the group didn’t grasp the true meaning of this for several years, because now this is the first time the Gospel is preached to Gentiles. This commentary from Enduring Word shows the long hostility (on both sides) that had to be overcome in this house in Caesarea:
In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality: This is the foundation for Peter’s understanding that the gospel should now go forth to Gentiles. This statement goes completely against the prevailing Jewish thought at that time that God certainly did show partiality, towards the Jews and against the Gentiles. In essence, many Jews of Peter’s day thought that God loved the Jews while hating the Gentiles.
According to William Barclay, it was common for a Jewish man to begin the day with a prayer thanking God that he was not a slave, a Gentile, or a woman. A basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstances, such as giving directions if they were asked. But it went even as far as refusing to help a Gentile woman at the time of her greatest need – when she was giving birth – because the result would only be to bring another Gentile into the world.
If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral for the Jew and consider them dead. It was thought that to even enter the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Ancient Jewish writings tell us of a Gentile woman who came to a rabbi. She confessed that she was a sinner and asked to be admitted to the Jewish faith. “Rabbi,” she said, “bring me near.” The Rabbi refused and simply shut the door in her face.
But the Gentiles could give as bad as they got from the Jews. Gentiles despised Jews as weird traditionalists, and believed that they were evil plotters who worshipped pigs. After all, they thought, Jews refused to eat pork, so they must worship pigs!
All of this changed with the spread of the gospel. Christianity was the first religion to disregard racial, cultural and national limitations.
When the Jews showed this kind of partiality they were not being faithful to God’s heart as revealed in the Old Testament. The idea that God shows no partiality is also stated in Deuteronomy 10:17 and 2 Chronicles 19:7: For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe (Deuteronomy 10:17).
Sadly, the isolationist tendencies of people of the Jewish faith has not been kind to them in history. People (meaning Gentiles, of many persuasions) have created conspiracy theories around them (like the example in the Enduring Word commentary), which leads to virulent anti-semitism, which is then followed by mass pogroms and ultimate instruments of evil like the Holocaust. On the other hand, small groups of Orthodox Jews in Israel have attacked Christian sites and pilgrims and called them an abomination (a quick search of news reports will show many examples). If there’s one constant in this fallen world, it is hatred of “the other”. I love this example from Precept Austin on how one’s pedigree or exclusive background is not recognized by strangers nor does God show partiality to Boston elites or anyone else:
There’s a wonderful story about a Chicago bank that once asked for a letter of recommendation on a young Bostonian being considered for employment. The Boston investment house could not say enough about the young man. His father, they wrote, was a Cabot; his mother was a Lowell. Further back was a happy blend of Saltonstalls, Peabodys, and other of Boston’s first families. His recommendation was given without hesitation.
Several days later, the Chicago bank sent a note saying the information supplied was altogether inadequate. It read: “We are not contemplating using the young man for breeding purposes. Just for work.”
Neither is God a respecter of persons but accepts those from every family, nation, and race who fear Him and work for His kingdom (Acts 10:34-35). (Kathleen Peterson)
Here’s more excellent commentary from Enduring Word about what Peter shares about Jesus:
Whom they killed by hanging on a tree…Him God raised up on the third day: Notably, Peter’s preaching to the Gentiles was essentially the same as his preaching to the Jews. He presented the person and work of Jesus Christ, with an emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus and our responsibility before God in light of these things.
Peter didn’t have one sermon for one group and another sermon for another. All people needed to be saved by coming to a living faith in a living Jesus Christ.
Peter’s sermon was a wonderful (if brief and perhaps condensed by Luke) explanation of the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth:
Jesus was baptized in identification with humanity.
Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power.
Jesus went about doing good and healing, delivering those oppressed by the devil.
Jesus did this with the power of God, for God was with Him.
Jesus did these things in the presence of eyewitnesses.
Jesus was crucified.
Jesus was raised from the dead, resurrected in view of many witnesses.
Jesus commanded His followers to preach the message of who He is and what He did.
Jesus is ordained by God to be Judge of the entire world.
Jesus is the one foretold by the prophets.
Even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead: “Peter stresses eating and drinking with Christ because that is a way of saying that Christ’s was a real resurrection.” (James Montgomery Boice)
He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead: “The apostle was not long in his address before he came to the doctrine of the judgment of all men by Jesus Christ. He says that he was commanded to preach it, and therefore he did preach it.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins: The brief sermon concluded with an understanding of the broadness of God’s promise of salvation. Note it carefully: Whoever believes! Jew or Gentile; slave or free; white or black; good or wicked; rich or poor – whoever believes.
What Good News! Peter summarizes the story very effectively!
This painting is by Michel des Gobelins Corneille and is from the late 16th century. It rather inaccurately shows Peter pouring a little bit of water over Cornelius, probably reflecting the Reformation ideas of infant baptism rather than immersion.
While Peter is still preaching, the Holy Spirit comes over those who were listening to the message. Peter’s companions are astonished to hear these Gentiles exalting God and speaking in tongues. Peter senses what is happening and cedes the floor to the Holy Spirit, saying that this demonstrates that no one can refuse the water for baptism for those who believe. Note that the Holy Spirit fills the hearts of Cornelius and his friends and family BEFORE they are baptized and they are not circumcised. This commentary from Enduring Word is, once again, quite good:
Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished: The Jewish Christians present were amazed. They may have understood that God was now starting to love the Gentiles, but who would have thought God would fill Gentiles with the Holy Spirit in the same manner and degree as the Jews?
Peter made the point clearly when he noted that they received the Holy Spirit just as we have. It wasn’t just that God loved or blessed the Gentiles that astonished them. It was that God loved and blessed the Gentiles just as He loved and blessed the Jews, and He did it while they were still Gentiles.
He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord: This showed their full acceptance into the community of those who followed Jesus. Their baptism showed they were accepted as Gentile followers of Jesus.
This entrance of Gentiles into the church was not a new plan, but something promised long before. The Old Testament looked for the day when a light would shine in the darkness of the Gentile world: Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:1-3)
God promised Abraham and his descendants that the blessing that came through him would extend to all nations (Genesis 12:1-4). Here, we see Jesus – the greatest blessing from Abraham – extended to the nations.
Remember Jesus’ promise of other sheep, not of this fold in John 10:16. Jesus also promised, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself (John 12:32).
The first Gentile Jesus dealt with in His public ministry was a Roman centurion from Capernaum. When Jesus healed that centurion’s servant, He declared that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven(Matthew 8:5-13).
We should also see that Cornelius was an undoubtedly good man; yet he needed Jesus. Even good people, who are respectful towards God, still need to come to Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and put all their trust in who Jesus is and what He did for them.
A couple of takeaways from this commentary:
The group receives the Holy Spirit while they were still Gentiles; they did not have to follow Jewish rituals. Unfortunately, Peter forgets this lesson later in Acts.
The first Gentile that Jesus dealt with was the Roman Centurion who asked for healing of his servant. This Centurion was never baptized, but he demonstrated more faith in Jesus than most of His disciples. In “The Chosen” season 4, this Centurion is known by the people of Capernaum and his faith in Jesus is demonstrated in a beautiful and tear-provoking sequence of events. I believe that he was likely saved.
We can be good like Cornelius, but that doesn’t save us. We need to put our trust in Jesus and come to Him as our Lord and Savior. This free gift of salvation is available for Boston Brahmins (see the anecdote above), for people in poor neighborhoods and ghettos or on the street, for people of all colors and creeds and professions, for Taylor Swift and for her fans or non-fans, and for you and me. God sees the heart! We should do likewise.
One last story is appropriate about not judging others by first impressions (although sometimes stories like this do have a bad outcome because of our fallen nature). This is from Precept Austin:
The following story appeared in the newsletter Our America;
"Dodie Gadient, a schoolteacher for thirteen years, decided to travel across America and see the sights she had taught about. Traveling alone in a truck with camper in tow, she launched out. One afternoon rounding a curve on I-5 near Sacramento in rush-hour traffic, a water pump blew on her truck. She was tired, exasperated, scared, and alone. In spite of the traffic jam she caused, no one seemed interested in helping.
"Leaning up against the trailer, she prayed, 'Please God, send me an angel . . . preferably one with mechanical experience.'
Within four minutes, a huge Harley drove up, ridden by an enormous man sporting long, black hair, a beard and tattooed arms. With an incredible air of confidence, he jumped off and, without even glancing at Dodie, went to work on the truck. Within another few minutes, he flagged down a larger truck, attached a tow chain to the frame of the disabled Chevy, and whisked the whole 56-foot rig off the freeway onto a side street, where he calmly continued to work on the water pump.
"The intimidated schoolteacher was too dumbfounded to talk. Especially when she read the paralyzing words on the back of his leather jacket: 'Hell's Angels -- California'. As he finished the task, she finally got up the courage to say, 'Thanks so much,' and carry on a brief conversation. Noticing her surprise at the whole ordeal, he looked her straight in the eye and mumbled, 'Don't judge a book by its cover. You may not know who you're talking to.' With that, he smiled, closed the hood of the truck, and straddled his Harley. With a wave, he was gone as fast as he had appeared."
Given half a chance, people often crawl out of the boxes into which we've relegated them." - Larry D. Wright.
My next devotional goes into the eleventh chapter of Acts (Acts 11:1-18) - Peter has some explaining to do in Jerusalem.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Today I pray the lyrics to “The Church’s One Foundation” by Samuel Stone as my thankful prayer for the gift of salvation:
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.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on 10/14/2024 to review commentary for Acts 10:34-46.