Daily Scripture Reading Acts 10:9-31
The Great Commission tells us to make disciples of all the nations. This means Christians need to spread out all over the globe and proclaim the good news of Jesus to every nation and in every language.
However, many nations and people groups harbor animosity and ill-will to other people groups. Therefore, in order to share the gospel all over the world, some Christians meed to humble themselves and be friendly to a nation that their society considers to be an enemy. Furthermore, it is often necessary for those who are not saved to humble themselves and listen to a salvation message from someone their society considers to be an adversary.
This is not new. This need to overcome barriers has been a necessity from the very beginning of the church. Today’s passage contains an example we can follow of Peter and Cornelius humbling themselves to reach across cultural barriers in order to deliver and receive the good news of Jesus Christ.
The tenth chapter of Acts opens with some information about Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a man who feared the One and Only true God. One day he saw a vision in which an angel told him to summon Peter from Joppa. Cornelius sent two servants and a devout soldier to Joppa to do as the angel had instructed.
Acts 10:9 ¶ 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.
The pronoun “they” refers to the soldier and two servants who had been sent by Cornelius to summon Peter.
We know from Acts 9:43 that Peter was staying in the city of Joppa with a tanner named Simon. Joppa was on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
Acts 10:10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance
Acts 10:11 and saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
Acts 10:12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky.
Notice the words “all kinds”. When the Israelites went to Mount Sinai around 1450 BC, after escaping slavery in Egypt, they received the Mosaic Law. The Law included detailed instructions regarding which animals they were allowed to eat and which were prohibited because they were unclean. The term “all kinds” indicates there were unclean animals on the sheet.
Acts 10:13 And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, slaughter and eat!”
The seventh chapter of Mark tells us Jesus declared all foods clean; thus, it would not have been a sin for Peter to eat anything that was on the sheet, including any unclean animals.
Acts 10:14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.”
Peter grew up before Jesus declared all foods clean; thus, Peter grew up avoiding the unclean foods. At this point he still had never deviated from that practice.
Acts 10:15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.”
The phrase “What God has cleansed” is a reference to Jesus declaring all foods cleaned as recorded in Mark 7.
Acts 10:16 And this happened three times and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
Acts 10:17 ¶ 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;
Note the word “perplexed”. I assume Peter understood that all foods were clean, but that he was perplexed about why this vision was occurring at this point in time.
Acts 10:18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there.
Acts 10:19 And while Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
Acts 10:20 But rise up, go down and accompany them without taking issue at all, for I have sent them Myself.”
Acts 10:21 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?”
Acts 10:22 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.”
We know from Acts 10:1 that Cornelius lived in Caesarea.
Caesarea was 30 miles / 50 km from Joppa. That journey would have taken a full day.
Acts 10:23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging. ¶ And on the next day he rose up and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
We see the phrase “on the next day”. Since the journey took a full day, they started in the morning.
This verse tells us Peter did not go alone, some brothers from Joppa went with him.
Acts 10:24 And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
In this verse we see the phrase “on the following day”. The distance from Joppa to Caesarea was great enough that Peter did not actually enter Caesarea until the second day of traveling.
Pay attention to who was with Cornelius. He had gathered relatives and close friends.
Acts 10:25 And when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.
Don’t miss the significance of this. Cornelius was a Roman military officer, but he fell at the feet of a Jew. Even though Cornelius had standing in Roman society and authority over the Jews, he understood that he was less than God; thus, he felt like he was less than God’s messenger.
Acts 10:26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”
Acts 10:27 As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled.
Acts 10:28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean.
Note the word “unlawful”. Peter was doing something that was contrary to Jewish practice. Peter understood the reason for the vision of animals was to communicate to Peter that it was permissible to associate with Cornelius and his family and friends.
The great commission commands us to make disciples of all the nations. There are many different people groups among the nations. Many of those people groups don’t get along with each other at best, and some of them are overtly hostile and antagonistic to each other at worst.
Just as Peter and Cornelius had to humble themselves and reach across cultural barriers and risk scorn from their own people, so too sometimes, during the process of making disciples of all the nations, Christians need to reach out to a people group whom their own people group considers to be an enemy.
Acts 10:29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was summoned. So I ask for what reason you have summoned me.”
Acts 10:30 ¶ And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments,
This verse tells us four days had elapsed since Cornelius had seen his vision. That fits the geography. It took about two days for the servants of Cornelius to travel to Joppa and deliver the summons, and then two days for Peter and company to travel up to Caesarea.
Acts 10:31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
Both Peter and Cornelius had to be humble and act contrary to their respective societies in order for the gospel to be communicated.
What are some of the nations and people groups that your own nation and people group considers to be enemies?
What biases do you need to overcome in order to share the gospel with those so-called enemies?
What obstacles do your so-called enemies need to overcome in order to receive the gospel?
What can Christians do to help their supposed enemies overcome the barriers they need to transcend in order to receive the gospel?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”