The Proclamation of Redemption

Acts 13:13-41

At Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."

16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. 18 Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. 19 And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.

20 "After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.' 23 From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus— 24 after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John was finishing his course, he said, 'Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.'

26 "Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. 27 For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. 28 And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. 29 Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. 30 But God raised Him from the dead. 31 He was seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. 32 And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers. 33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

'You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.'

34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus:
I will give you the sure mercies of David.'

35 Therefore He also says in another Psalm:
You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'

36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; 37 but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. 38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:

41 'Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.'"

The gospel was the purchase of redemption as recorded in the gospels of the apostles.  Now  in Acts we find the proclamation of God’s redemption of His people at last!  In Genesis chapters 1-11 we saw the need of redemption, in Genesis chapter 12 to Malachi ending the Old Testament we see the channel of redemption through the chosen nation of Israel to bring redeeming grace to be given to all nations as promised to Abraham, and the gospel accounts tell us of the purchase of redemption by Jesus the Messiah sacrificing Himself while simultaneously acting as our High Priest to minister the forgiveness of salvation with an eternal sacrifice never needing to be repeated as the yearly sacrifices were before His arrival and once for all atoning death.  Later in the epistles we will read of the explanation of redemption as the Spirit of God moves some apostles to flesh out all of these things further for our understanding and then in Revelation we will find a veiled unveiling of the consummation of redemption to be realized for all in Christ at the end of time marked by the final judgment and our eternal presence before the Lord and Lamb in the power and presence of the Spi of God forevermore.  What a hope we realize as this all unfolds before us!  It begins to be made known to the end of the world (Acts 1:8) as the commission is put to feet (Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 10:14-15) and Paul spoke in this passage where he spoke to the Jewish rulers of the synagogue in Antioch on the sabbath day.  He was asked for the reason of the hope within him (1 Peter 3:15) and responded gladly with an overview of the channel of redemption in the call out of bondage and provision of the promised land given by covenant to them.  He recounted the following time nearly equal to that time in bondage in the time of the judges given to guide Israel until they demanded a king who misled them.  Then the LORD gave them David the son of Jesse, “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” to rule them and who was a branch of righteousness through whose lineage the Messiah Jesus Christ, their Savior, would come to them as the fulfillment of the promise to them.  This was precursored by the coming of John who first preached the baptism of repentance before His coming among them as Immanuel a a way to make straight the ways of their hearts to receive Him through faith.  

Paul summarized it all by telling them plainly as sons of Abraham of the promise that this Jesus came to fulfill these scriptures which they turned a deaf ear to so they would fear God and understand they had as a people put Him to death on the cross as if cursed when He was taking their curse and consequences of sin upon Himself as that eternal sacrifice to cover their sins, including that one as it was also written.  Then God raised Him from the dead!  This resurrected Savior was seen by many and was an established fact, not a fictitious story concocted by the followers of this Rabbi who was also the Son of God and not merely a man.  Paul reminded them of Psalm 2:7 showing Jesus was God’s Son and the eternal covenant through Him of Isaiah 55:3 as he explained this redemption to them.  He further demonstrated the resurrection and eternal life ot the Son of Man and God from Psalm 16:10 with the hope of eternal life and joy in His presence as a result of salvation from God’s wrath on their sin in Psalm 16:11 as unfulfilled before in David who also died and remained dead but with this hope to anticipate to come.  All they had to do in light of God’s plan of redemption was to believe Him and His work for forgiveness of sins and justification by faith in His righteousness (Isaiah 53:11) apart from their own perceptions of attaining standing of the Law by attempting to keep the rules to earn it which is impossible.  He left whom with the warning of disbelief and rejection of these things as it was written in Habakkuk 1:5; they were urged not to make that mistake of disbelieving the gospel which was their only hope and a certain way to make peace with God in reconciliation by His own hand.  This same challenge and hope through Israel as the channel of redemption is presented to all people in ever nation in the Lord Jesus the Christ and in no other.  This passage explains The Proclamation of Redemption as it was written long before Jesus came to earth as a man to deliver us from sin’s consequences.  May all who read these things proclaiming redemption understand and accept them as true and eternally profitable. 

Listening to God’s Leading

Acts 13:1-12

1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

Preaching in Cyprus

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time."

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

As God’s servants served the Lord and fasted, they heard the prompting of the Lord by His Spirit to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the ministry prepared for them.  They laid their hands on them in prayer to dedicate them to that work and then sent them on the way to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever He would lead them.  The disciples listened to God as He led them to send off others as He led them also.  We in the universal and local church are to continue to send out missionaries at home and far away to other countries that the gospel may be preached to all nations and language groups of people until all have had a chance to hear the saving grace from God’s wrath on their sin and reconciliation with the Living God and Creator of us all.  There is absolutely no disrespect of persons in God’s eyes by race or nationality and there must therefore be none in our own sight or minds to hinder this calling of God’s leading to bear witness to the gospel of grace to even our greatest enemy or nation.  These thoughts of superiority or jud must certainly be put out of sight and mind.  Then the ones we commission to spread the words of this life may do as Barnabas and Saul with John as well as they went to Cypres and preached the word of Godmin the synagogue of the Jews there.  They then went on as their footsteps were guided by the Spirit to Paphos to silence the enemy (Psalm 8:2) who was set against the gospel they spoke to all there.  This one sorcerer was put straight by the messengers of God to call that one out as the enemy who sought to deceive and trick people as a false prophet and a son of the devil himself in his opposition to destroy the followers of God who have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17) and His good news to set the prisoners free (Isaiah 42:1, 7).  Because this deceiver misled those hearing the gospel he was blinded that he might later see the error of his ways and repent to believe and receive Christ.  The provincial governor then believed after the lies were remo by the power and wisdom of God as he heard spoken to him by these faithful servants of the Lord.  The teaching of the Lord was hea from scripture which in its entirety is the gospel pointing to Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and Lord of all come as a man to take on our sins as no mortal can.  Are we listening to God’s leading by His Spirit to meet those needing and prepared to hear that they might also be set free from the bondage of sin by the work of Christ Jesus and by no effort of their own besides repentance and faith to believe and receive Him and His words of this life (Acts 5:20)?  Go and make disciples by speaking the gospel and bringing others into the family of God through Him and teach them all these things that they might do the same (2 Timothy 2:2).  Go in His grace and peace as you listen to God’s leading.

God’s Call, Commission, and Sending to Serve

Acts 12:1-25 

Herod's Violence to the Church

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Peter Freed from Prison

5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. 7 Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise quickly!" And his chains fell off his hands. 8 Then the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and tie on your sandals"; and so he did. And he said to him, "Put on your garment and follow me." 9 So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, "You are beside yourself!" Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, "It is his angel."

16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.

18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.  And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

Herod's Violent Death

20 Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king's country.

21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

Barnabas and Saul Appointed

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.

Here was God’s call and commission to Peter and the other apostles and disciples to go into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20) with the good news as they were sent to serve Him in being ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 6:20) of Christ to continue proclaiming His work and word to the world, no matter the circumstances or consequences.  The immediate consequence seemed to be Peter’s death after James was killed and he imprisoned to be lined up as the next in line as Herod sought to gain favor with the Jews he ruled by killing the followers of their Messiah whom they had rejected.  Ah, but the church prayed constantly for Peter and God answered with an angelic messenger to set the apostle free from the bonds holding him in the bondage of the world in that jail cell of hate and rejection.  After Peter was taken through the prison gates to the street outside he realized that what had seemed a dream was the hand of God bringing him out to continue his commission to preach the gospel of peace with God and freedom from the bondage of sin which imprisons us all from birth apart from His intervention of salvation through His own suffering and death on our behalf.  If He sets us free, then we are free indeed (John 8:36, Romans 8:2-3, 11)!  No jail can imprison us in the guilt and bondage of sin’s cords of death to God anymore.  We are eternally led out of that prison not by an angel but by the Angel of the LORD (Exodus 3:2, 4, 6) who is the divine Christ, the long-awaited Messiah sent to free us eternally from our imprisonment inherited through Adam.  He leads us through the prison gates of His wrath on our sin and the just consequences of spiritual death into the gates of splendor leading us to stand at last before Him face to face (Job 19:25-27) to worship in forgiveness as freed men and women forever (Revelation 22:3-4)!  Peter was set free in Christ and then free from man’s prison to continue his call and commission to go to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8) with this exceedingly good news.  First he returned to the others who disbelieved that he was free and outside their door once more, having been convinced that he was locked away until his execution like James before him.  How they must have marveled when they finally believed the news and went to the door themselves to see him as living proof of God’s deliverance!  The Roman guards were executed instead because they could not explain the release of Peter and were held accountable instead of giving the glory to God whom they also refused to believe.  That ruler Herod allowed himself to be worshipped in place of God and dropped dead in return by God’s judgment.  “But the word of God grew and multiplied,” as it is recorded for us.  God’s word is not stopped by mere men, no matter how much opposition of violence and disbelief of rejection are sown in hate of Jesus Christ whom they try to destroy as their master (Revelation 12:17) moves them to do.  We leave the passage with a side note of Barnabas and Saul confusing their own work according tot their call to serve Christ as they were likewise sent into the world.  May we realize the call and commission is for us all who are in Christ as His called out ones to serve in this gospel as we sow His word of grace until we see His face.  Amen. 

Full of Faith and the Holy Spirit

Acts 11:19-30

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. 26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Relief to Judea

27 And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30 This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Following the murder of Stephen and the gift of repentance to eternal life given to both Jew and Gentile, the good news of this life exploded across the country by the propellant of persecution for the name of Christ Jesus.  The scattered disciples of the Lord apart from Peter still preached only to Jews wherever they went but there were some Jewish believers from Cyprus and Cyrene who told the foreign-born Greek speaking Jews the gospel as well.  These were not seen as full Jews by those in Israel but because their lineage was Jewish they were allowed to hear the gospel without much dispute.  The naysayers had not yet heard and understood the testimony of Peter and his vision of the cleansing of God (Acts 11:9) over all nations to hear the gospel and adopt them into the same family of God in Christ by the gospel of redeeming grace offered to all who had and exercised the faith of Abraham who is the father of all (Acts 11:18, Romans 4:16-17) Christian believers.  When the gospel was preached to those in between the Jews and Gentiles here, the result was astounding as many heard the word preached with the power and wisdom of the Spirit and believed.  God’s hand was mightily shown through these faithful men who bore witness to the word and work of Jesus Christ that was the only work needed for salvation (John 6:29).  When the church at Jerusalem, the head of the Christ followers, heard this news they all were encouraged and sent out the early disciple Barnabas (Acts 4:36, 9:27) to Antioch who had taken Saul named Paul under his wing to preach the gospel earlier.  This faithful man found the converts and encouraged them as true to the meaning of his name.  Barnabas urged them to continue in their sanctification with purpose in their hearts to learn from the scriptures to continue to know and grow in the Lord Jesus Christ.  The result of this discipleship was more hearing and believing the gospel who also received Jesus as Lord and Savior by faith through repentance to life everlasting.  Barnabas then fetched Saul from his home town of Taraus to teach them further as he was gifted and the believers there so identified as Christ’s that they were called Christians for the first time instead of just believers and followers of the way (Acts 9:2, 24:14).  They looked and acted like Christ and were therefore identified as His; are we also identified as Christians known by our love (John 13:35, 1 John 2:5-6) and unwavering testimony of the truth of God’s word of grace in the work of Christ alone for salvation?  Another way these demonstrated their sincere faith and love was recorded here where they met the urgent needs (Titus 3:14) in Judea according to their own individual ability to give whatever they could to help.  We also are known as true believers in Christ as we meet the needs of the saints in Himmas well as to others as our alms of gospel grace.  This is what it means to be full of God’s Spirit and of faith lived out in response.  May we always run the race of our calling in this direction as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24 and Philippians 3:14 to encourage us as Barnabas encouraged him and others in the Lord.  Let us be full of the Spirit of God and faith founded on the Rock as we bear witness to the good news of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. 

Gift of Repentance to Life

Acts 11:1-18

Peter Defends God's Grace

1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!"

4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' 8 But I said, 'Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.' 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

Peter gave an answer, an apology in the true sense of the word, of God’s grace of eternal life in Christ which is the gift granted to people from every nation for repentance leading to life.  Both the faith and repentance are gifts given by the Lord as we receive His word in written and bodily forms shown to us in the scriptures and in Jesus (John 1:1, 12, 14) Himself as the gift of such marvelous grace leading to peace with God in and through His righteousness.  When Peter was confronted by the Jewish believers about the law of circumcision being a religious requirement and for the Jews only to be of God, the apostle set them straight with his apologetic response to explain from scripture the call of God to His own out of all nations and not just Israel.  He spoke of how these Gentiles (ἔθνος - ethnos, heathens, nations) had heard and received the word of God when preached and taught to them.  The religious ones tried to hold to their traditions in contradiction to God’s word and work as they scolded Peter for not only associating with them, but also eating with them contrary to their parasitical laws while ignoring God’s work (Acts 10:28) and call!  They confused the Old Testament prohibitions against taking on the false gods and practices of the nations with the foods and associations alone, missing the fact that it was the immorality and idolatry that God was concerned about.  The LORD had promised to draw people from all nations to salvation from His wrath brought on by the inherited sin of Adam and of themselves and never meant to keep those He called out of the offer of salvation in Christ from them (Romans 4:16-17).  Therefore, Peter had to explain God’s work in them as a testimony or apology of the reasons and results of His work among the non-Jewish believers.  He told the story of God’s vision as a waking dream given him to teach how we all should not call those unclean whom God had made clean by the forgiveness and grace of the work of Christ to deliverance from sin’s penalty given to as many as the Lord Jesus calls (Acts 2:39, Ephesians 2:12-13) out of every tribe and people and nation.  Just as God told Peter, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” from what were considered unclean animals according to ceremonial law, so he was told to not call common or unclean what He has made clean.  This applied to the food as an analogy to explain the cleansing power of the blood of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to cover all sin and bring all whom He calls to Himself and calls righteous in the righteousness of Christ and not of themselves; not in what they eat or what nation they hail from.  Their identity and acceptance in Christ makes them citizens of heaven (Ephesians 2:19-20, Philippians 3:20) as a new nation in Christ to themselves also being able to go beyond the ceremonial law as an unnecessary fetter in the freedom of faith in their identity in Him by grace.  The proof was settled in the testimony of God sealing the Gentiles with the Holy Spirit of God promised to His people in Isaiah 59:21 and Ezekiel 36:26-27 to prove they are His people (Ezekiel 36:28).  Only those who have His Spirit are of God (Romans 8:9) and so these outside of Israel were grafted in by faith and sealed with the Spirit of promise (Acts 1:4, Galatians 3:14, Ephesians 1:13-14) as His own.  Then the doubts of these legalists were silenced in light of God’s work to demonstrate that the grace of God to salvation had been granted to the other nations as well as their own as promised to and through their father Abraham.  This gift of repentance to life by God-given faith is the heart of the gospel we testify of to the world with a good apologetic defense (Psalm 119:46, 1 Peter 3:15) of the truth. 

Remission of Sins to all who Believe

Acts 10:24-48 

Peter Meets Cornelius

24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. 28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"

30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.' 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

Preaching to Cornelius' Household

34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. 35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. 36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all— 37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, 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 went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was 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 killed by hanging on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And 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. 43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Here we find that the message of the gospel is remission of sins to all who believe, no matter what nation or people group they physically belong to.  As God’s chosen nation to be a channel of His redemption to all nations, the Jews began to imagine that they alone had the right to the promised Christ as if He was only the Messiah of that one nation and people, but events played out beyond that mindset here with Cornelius in Caesarea.  God showed Peter that he should not call any man common or unclean like the food in his vision, but that he should see people as God does in Christ who came to buy back all who are drawn to Him out of all nations through repentance and faith to believe and receive Him as God’s work of righteousness and redemption by grace.  He therefore entered the house of the non-Jew and spoke a conversation leading to conversion as was promised to many through Abraham before the nation of Israel existed through his physical descendants; it was Abraham’s spiritual descendants of the same faith as his own who God had promised the kingdom to, not just that of Jacob’s nation called Israel (Galatians 3:6-7, 8-9).  The entirety of all whom He would call by the faith that looks on that tree of cursing, the cross, was the foundation of the gospel revealed in God’s time (Galatians 4:4-5) to bring redemption through the reconciling work of the only righteous one able to do,the work to earn a place in His grace from here into eternity.  The call of God to Cornelius was answered bungle calling Peter to go and tell him this good news for him as a gentile as much as if he were a Jew.  This was a radical step for Peter to go against his established religious upbringing and the danger it brought to him in opposition to those religious leaders even among those converted of his own people.  God commanded and the apostle was obedient in trusting faith like Abraham against all odds and what appeared to be common sense.  This is trust in Christ, to believe and receive Him above all religious beliefs that contradict God’s word as it is written and revealed by Jesus as He walked this world and the apostles and disciples who He entrusted to carry on the teaching and preaching of this good news for all the world (Matthew 24:14, John 3:16, Romans 9:17-18, 1 Thessalonians 1:8) to hear.  Peter understood this call now and preached salvation from sin’s penalty to this man and all his household to hear and believe to conversion.  He was a witness of all Jesus had said and done and saw Him hung on a cursed tree (Galatians 3:13-14), raised up on the third day, and ascended back to heaven with this commission to all His followers to tell to the world that some might hear and enter that narrow road and only door to heaven (Luke 13:23-24, John 10:9) who is Christ the Lord over all nations of all creation.  Peter preached Jesus as the Judge of the world and its Savior as told in veiled ways from the beginning by the prophets that faith in Him, in God’s work, would bring deliverance from sin and death and the punishment of the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41, Jude 1:6) for their full knowledge in rebelling against God.  We were deceived through Eve and accountable through Adam by that evil one and have the chance given by God for redemption which they do not have, so we should be grateful with godly fear and awe with thanksgiving leading to repentance and willing obedience.  That was the gospel preached to the man of the world in which we all come from that we might enter the next by faith and grace into the very presence of the Almighty and the Lamb of God sacrificed from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8) to redeem us as His own valued people.  Hearing these words and drawn by God, Cornelius and all other who heard and were convicted to faith believed, received, and were sealed with the Holy Spirit of God Himself within them (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14).  This same Spirit is fully in every regenerated believer as the proof of eternal own by God that cannot be lost, forfeited, or taken away.  It is eternal life we have been given and hold to.  Trust Him, only trust Him as Cornelius and the others did.  There is remission of sins to all who so believe and receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Your eternal existence depend on it! 

Hearing the Call

Acts 10:1-23

Cornelius Sends a Delegation

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?"

So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do." 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter's Vision

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Summoned to Caesarea

17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate. 18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."  21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"

22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you." 23 Then he invited them in and lodged them.  On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Here we find two examples of hearing God’s call.  The first was to the Caesarean centurion Cornelius who heard God’s call to go and find Peter in Joppa and bring him back as an answer to his faithful devotion in prayer with the fear of God and giving to meet the needs of the poor.  He was devout but without the assurance of hope found only in Jesus Christ, so the Lord called him in a vision with an angelic messenger to go have this man brought to his home in Caesarea to hear the word of the Lord through Peter the apostle and spokesman of God.   Cornelius listened to God’s call just like Peter heard and listened when God told him men were coming to take him away to Caesarea to speak to this non-Jewish man about Jesus Christ.  Cornelius Was willing to obey right away but Peter hesitated because Jews did not associate with the other nations and he still imagined that the gospel was only for the people of God contained within the nation of Israel alone.  God gave the apostle a waking dream and observed God showing him unclean animals according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11:4, 20:25) based on the ceremonial laws of the scriptures given to him as a Jew.  He was hungry before this trancelike state and wanted to eat the unclean animals but refused because of the law he lived by.  But God told him to take and eat of them.  The Lord said, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat” as the call to accept and enjoy what God cleanses (Romans 14:14, 1 Timothy 4:4) and provides to partake of.  This was a visual lesson to teach Peter not to call the gentiles unclean as Jewish tradition had made the call through Abraham to all nations (Genesis 26:4, Galatians 3:8).  God cleanses us all by the same blood of Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for all His children from ever nation, people, and language group (Revelation 5:9) as acceptable in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:5-6)!  The message to Peter and to all the Jewish believers was, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”  This was the vision given Peter which moved him to go, doubting nothing, to answer God’s call that he might answer God’s call to Cornelius through his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ in obedience to God’s election and calling on himself.  Therefore,when the men came from Cornelius Peter willingly went the following morning after a good night’s rest for the journey and even brought along other brothers in the Lord that they might see God’s call in action beginning among the nations, just as their Master had done in Samaria with the woman at the well (John 4:9, 25-26, 42) who also told others.  Do we listen and heed God’s call to the nations without judging who may hear or who from which nation or religion or social background is worthy to hear the gospel?  We are allied and commissioned (Matthew 28:19-20) to go tell everyone. 

Death-Defying Acts

Acts 9:23-43

Saul Escapes Death

23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. 24 But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket.

Saul at Jerusalem

26 And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, and did not believe that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. 29 And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. 30 When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

The Church Prospers

31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

Aeneas Healed

32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately. 35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Restored to Life

36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.

After Saul preached Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, proving that Jesus is the Christ and showing from scripture that He is the Son of God, he escaped a death threat attempted against him by being let down in a basket out of a window (2 Corinthians 11:32-33) in the cover of night.  When he made it to Jerusalem to join up with the other disciples, Saul met with resistance and was not trusted because he had persecuted and sent believers to their death before his conversion which the disciples were still questioning.  It was not until faithful Barnabas told them the work of God to save Saul and how He had used him to speak the gospel words of life to those opposing Jesus that they finally accepted Saul.  Barnabas told them how the Lord came as the Light of Life (John 1:4, 8:12) to Saul as he was on his way of destruction to cause more destruction in the church and forever change the trajectory and goal of Saul’s life.  He relayed to them the power of God using Saul’s background and abilities in the scriptures to reason and prove Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ of God and God’s divine Son with boldne to the Hellenistic Jews and how they came after Saul to kill him now.  After they accepted him he continued to preach and teach these words of life showing the identity and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the church had a period of rest from his former persecution while they all were built up in the truth and prospered in their sanctification under this umbrella of God’s grace.  As the disciples feared God and found comfort in these acts of the Holy Spirit, the church multiplied in number and depth in face of these death-defying acts of faith.  The Spirit of God also used Peter to heal people along the way and turn them to faith in seeing that God’s Spirit was working through him and the other apostles to bring them to repentance and faith (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21) to salvation in Christ by their words and deeds.  Even beloved Dorcas (Tabitha) who died was given her life back by the power of the resurrected Christ at their hands and many more beloved on the Lord as they witnessed the continued acts as Jesus had done while among them before His death and ascension back into heaven to rejoin His Father and reign over the world from the throne of grace.  All these death-defying acts of the apostles in the working of God’s Spirit led many to faith and conversion by the conversation and faithfulness of the followers of Christ who lived and witnessed by the acts of the Holy Spirit as recorded throughout this book of the Acts of the Apostles which were really the Acts of the Spirit of God in forming and growing His church.  May we join in these death-defying acts with faithful boldness (Philippians 1:20) in proclaiming the gospel as well in reflecting on the faithfulness recorded here for our edification and example.