Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And looking intently on him and becoming afraid, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now send some men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is lodging with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 And when the angel who was speaking to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 And on the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance 11 and *saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.” 16 And this happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But rise up, go down and accompany them without taking issue at all, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. Acts 10: 1-23 LSB
Acts 10: 1-23
5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 And Jesus *said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not good enough for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this man, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. Matthew 8: 5-13
V. 1 A centurion - War is the sad reality of a fallen world, and this requires a class of men called warriors. A centurion is a man of war, a man who also keeps the peace in the interim, who trains at engaging other men, and is over 100 other warriors as the name implies. Jesus talks to a centurion in the gospel of Matthew, and He doesn't tell him, "go and be a soldier no more", no, He marvels at the man's faith. In order to have a country you have to have borders, in order to have borders you have to have men who will defend those. Might does not make right though, so you may find yourself, as a Christian member of the military, having to refuse an order, or having to stop some of your fellow soldiers from raping and pillaging. From war comes the martial arts, which also become competition and sport, whether people using force to get a ball from one end of a field to another, making plays as a team, a unit, trying to impose their will by a shared discipline of hits, uniformity and putting into reality what they drilled for weeks in practice, or man to man in a ring. I have a mixed opinion on combat sports, and many differ with me, but where I would find the arenas of the Roman gladiators wrong, where men have to kill other men in order for there to be a winner, I find a certain beauty in the disciplines of boxing, MMA and the grappling sports. As long as there is war there will be competitions among those in the military and even outside, to see whose style is the best and or who is the best within each style. I think we need more real soldiers today, not just men who sign up fro free college, not men who don't go all the way to retirement yet find a loop hole to get military disability because they want extra money. I have met many of those unfortunately, who claim PTSD though they didn't see combat, who got a stomach ache because of military food, yet are still taking a monthly check even though they haven't eaten military food for years. I once met a woman who was drawing one of these checks because her feet hurt, and she blamed it on having to stand behind a counter in the military, even though her hobby was running. We need people who are devoted to patriotism and integrity, men who refuse to watch the suffering of women and children, and who will get between them and danger. I believe that when the Bible talks of David being a man of bloodshed, the negative comes not from legitimate wars, from self defense or defense of his people, but from his raids and the murder of Uriah.
…53After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. 54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” 55And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him.… Matthew 27: 53-55
1You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well. 3Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.…
…4A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him. 5Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6The hardworking farmer should be the first to partake of the crops.… 2 Timothy 2: 1-6
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Now everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27
James Montgomery Boice rightly states that "The tenth chapter of Acts is one of the most important chapters in Acts, perhaps also one of the most important chapters in the Bible. It is so important because it tells how a gospel that was originally thought of in exclusively Jewish terms came by the intervention and revelation of God to be practically as well as theoretically a gospel for the whole world. Gentiles should be especially thankful for this chapter, since it is because of this revelation that they are able to come to God as Gentiles. (Acts: An Expositional Commentary)
This chapter describes God's flinging open the door of His Church to Gentile believers and thus marking a key transition point in the spread of the Gospel in the Book of Acts. As noted in Acts 9, it is clear that God's Spirit was moving Peter step by step (from Lydda to Joppa to Caesarea) toward fulfillment of Acts 1:8 and the taking of the Gospel to the Gentiles. So in Acts 8 we see the conversion an Ethiopian eunuch, a son of Ham, in Acts 9, the conversion of Saul, a son of Shem, and, in Acts 10, Cornelius, a son of Japheth. These represent the three divisions of humanity after the flood (cf Genesis 6:10). - PA
V. 2 A devout man - We left off prior to this with Peter staying with a tanner, an unusual house for a Jew to receive hospitality. Now we come to a gentile centurion, and centurions were to be picked solely on the basis of merit, so he was a man well respected in his circles, able to take and give instructions, a trusted individual. He is also a believer, praying to the God of the Hebrews, a proselyte so to speak. The signs of his devoutness are that 1 he fears God with all his household, 2 gives alms to the people, and prays continually. He is a gentile who is more of a Jew than many who think they are due to their birth lineage. He is a man of means who sees it as an opportunity to care for the poor. Some will point out the poor, but have no intent of lifting a finger. This is a man of integrity.
Cornelius reminds us of the Ethiopian eunuch regarding whom John MacArthur wrote "The eunuch is a classic example of one who lived up to the light he had. God then gave him the full revelation of Jesus Christ through Philip’s ministry." (Acts Commentary) In Acts 10 God gives visions to a saved Jew and an unsaved Gentile in order to reach the Gentile man through the Jewish man! - PA
…6Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and tear off every yoke? 7Isn’t it to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your home, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.… Isaiah 58: 6-8
…9Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning. 10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. 11For through wisdom your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.…
12If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences. Proverbs 9: 9-12
…5“Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6 Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it. 7“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “She has kept this perfume in preparation for the day of My burial.… John 12: 5-7
Vs. 4-6 Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God - Ah, a sweet smelling savor. We wonder why we don't get very far with God in our Christian walk, yet we pray so little, or our prayers are so petty and uninformed by Scripture. The angel has him send men to Joppa to get Peter, whose heart the Lord is also preparing.
16At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name. 17“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.… Malachi 3: 16-17
…2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4
Vs. 7-8 And a devout soldier - This is interesting, they have some spiritual community here as well. It reminds us of the tax collectors and soldiers and who came to see John the Baptist. They ask him what they should do, and he tells them how to be good soldiers, God fearing men.
…12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered. 14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”… Luke 3: 12-14
Vs. 9-10 About the sixth hour to pray - It is in seeking God where we tend to meet Him; prayer is a big part of both of these men's lives, and it should be for the Christian. Prayer is not where I impose my will upon God, but where I come seeking His will in the situations I bring before Him. It is where that faith that comes from hearing His word grows, the acknowledgement that I need something outside of me, that problems are too big for me, but nothing is too great for the Almighty.
1In the sixth year, on the fifth day of the sixth month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; and there the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me. 2Then I looked and saw a figure like that of a man. From His waist down His appearance was like fire, and from His waist up He was as bright as the gleam of amber. 3He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. Then the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and carried me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes jealousy was seated.… Ezekiel 8: 1-3
Trance is an abnormal state of wakefulness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli but is nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim, or is selectively responsive in following the directions of the person who has induced the trance. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with hypnosis, meditation, magic, flow, and prayer. It may also be related to the earlier generic term, altered states of consciousness.
Holman Bible Dictionary - Trance is descriptive of an experience in which a person received a revelation by supernatural means ( Acts 10:10 ; Acts 11:5 ; Acts 22:17 ). In these instances, the author of Acts, in reference to the experiences of Peter and Paul, seemed to be interested in showing that the trance was only a vehicle for a revelation from God. Luke illustrated that the trances that Peter and Paul experienced “happened” to them and were not self induced. The distinctions between “trance,” “dream” and “vision” are not always clear. - PA
V. 11 And saw heaven opened up - Others have received similar visions or experiences in the Bible, but it is always beyond a normal dream, and it has much affect upon the course of their life after.
…2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows. 3And I know that this man— whether in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to Paradise. The things he heard were too sacred for words, things that man is not permitted to tell.… 2 Corinthians 12: 2-4
Some like Kent Hughes have suggested that "The four corners of the sheet in the vision correspond to the four points of the compass—north, south, east, and west." While we cannot be dogmatic that is a possibility as the Gospel would eventually go to Gentiles (and Jews) in the four "corners" of the world. - PA
Vs. 12-16 What God has cleansed no longer consider defiled - So obviously the animals being let down in the sheet are those that a Jew would know to be unclean. They would be fit for neither consumption nor sacrifice. So you may be wondering, "why were they unclean to begin with"? Well, God chose a people and set them apart to Himself, and a great example of this was when the Israelites came up from Egypt to enter the promised land. The people living in the land (Canaanites) there made images of animals, ate more of a variety of animals, and Israel was instructed not to commit the sins of the people there, especially their idolatry. So this special diet given to Israel set them apart, a physical picture of being holy unto the Lord. It also made it easier for them to keep from becoming stained by the world around them. They could not partake in the feasts of their surrounding pagan neighbors, and this made them a peculiar sort of people as well, a people who were meant to be a light, a people who could be asked, "why do you do this, why do you only believe in one God?" We teach our children today about being equally yoked. It is not a matter of ethnicity. I don't care how much melanin the man my daughter wants to marry has or does not have, but I do care about whether he has been made clean, that he is a godly man, and that this is evidenced by the fruit of the Holy Spirit in his life. Now Peter is pretty hard core about this so like always it has to be 3 times, like before the cock crowed and how many times Jesus asked him, "Simon Peter, do you love Me".
Crawling creatures - Peter would have been mindful of the words of Moses...
Whatever crawls on its belly, and whatever walks on all fours, whatever has many feet, in respect to every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are detestable. 43 ‘Do not render yourselves detestable through any of the swarming things that swarm; and you shall not make yourselves unclean with them so that you become unclean. 44 ‘For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 ‘For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’” (Lev 11:42-45+)
…9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.… 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11
Vs. 17-20 For I have sent them Myself - God had sent these men, and Peter is already staying with a tanner, so it seems as though the Lord has been gently guiding him this way all along. There was also his time with the Samaritans, who Jews considered to be half-breeds, prior to this. Like J Mac says, Peter is a bigot who God is slowly working this out of. I know people who call themselves Christians today who say they don't eat pork, or are vegetarians, and that's fine if they want to eat that way, but there are no spiritual implications, and it is gross if you direct other to as if there is.
…3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, 5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.… 1 Timothy 4: 3-5
Vs. 21-23 Was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house - He is kind of at the halfway house to this, ah, a Jew in a Gentile home, who would of thunk?
To come to his house and hear a message from you - In Acts 10:20 Peter had been commanded by the Spirit to accompany them and now he sees that the "them" is Gentiles and the destination is a Gentile house. The purpose is that Cornelius might hear a message from Peter. While neither the three envoys (cf Acts 10:4-6, 7-8) nor Peter knew exactly what his message was to be, clearly Peter is progressively gaining more insight into his vision of clean and unclean, albeit not yet completely grasping the full significance. Step by step the divine drama is unfolding.
Matthew Henry on hear a message from you - they know not what words, but they are such as he may hear from thee, and not from any one else so well.'' Faith comes by hearing (Ro 10:17). When Peter repeats this, he tells us more fully, they are words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved, Acts 11:14.
Larkin comments that "Obedience to the Spirit will lead to understanding. Understanding demands further obedience. God by his word was breaking down prejudicial barriers as his witnesses obeyed. What breakthroughs does God want to bring about through us as we obey?" (The Mission Is Inaugurated Through Peter Acts 9:32-11:18)
…27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.… Galatians 3: 27-29
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