Daily Scripture Reading Acts 9:31 - 10:8
Modern America is producing massive amounts of entertainment. There are scores of movies, TV shows, and albums available to buy, stream, and fill every hour of the day. Unfortunately, much of the content being produced contains vast sums of immorality and violence. Those who produce the content constantly push the boundaries of what they are allowed to do, and vigorously defend their right to do so.
Those of us who yearn for our society to be clean and wholesome often assume everyone who works in the entertainment industry is a true believer in the garbage they produce. However, today’s passage illustrates it is possible for there to be God-fearing men in a pagan organization. Thus, we should be open to the possibility that there are God-fearing men in the American entertainment industry.
After Saul became a believer and was baptized in Damascus, he began proclaiming Jesus is the Son of God. The Jews in Damascus plotted to kill Saul, so Saul escaped to Jerusalem. Saul also spoke boldly in the name of the Lord in Jerusalem, so the Jews in that city also sought to put Saul to death, and once again the believers sent Saul away, this time to Tarsus.
Acts 9:31 ¶ So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria was having peace, being built up. And going on in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to multiply.
Noticed the word “peace”. The church had been experiencing persecution, much of it being instigated by Saul, so when Saul became a believer, there was less persecution. This is an example of the ups and downs of life. Bad times do not last forever.
Today, it is easy for people to be discouraged when life goes sour, because many people assume the bad times will be permanent. However, just as the early church had a period of peace after a period of persecution, so too the low points of our life are often followed by something much better. When we are in the midst of trials and tribulations, we should be hopeful that better days are ahead.
Judea was the region surrounding Jerusalem. Galilee was the region surrounding the Sea of Galilee. Samaria was the region in between. The church in all three of these areas experienced peace and was multiplying.Acts 9:32 ¶ Now it happened that as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
Lydda was on the coastal plain below Jerusalem. It was about 25 miles / 40 km from Jerusalem to Lydda. That would have been a one day walk.
Acts 9:33 And there he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed.
Acts 9:34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” Immediately he rose up.
Acts 9:35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Sharon was a region along the coast. It was mostly a flat area.The area along the Mediterranean coast is rarely mentioned in the gospels. This does not prove Jesus never went there, but it is likely Jesus spent little time, if any, in that area. This indicates the apostles did not merely proclaim Jesus in the regions where they were comfortable, they branched out and took it to new areas.
Acts 9:36 ¶ Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is called Dorcas). This woman was full of good works and charity which she continually did.
Joppa was on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
Acts 9:37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.
Acts 9:38 Now since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, pleading with him, “Do not delay in coming to us.”
It was only about 10 miles / 15 km from Lydda to Joppa. That was about a three hour journey.
Acts 9:39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, crying and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.
Acts 9:40 But Peter sent 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.
Acts 9:41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. And calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Acts 9:42 And it became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
Acts 9:43 And it happened that he stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
Acts 10:1 ¶ Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,
A cohort was a military unit within a Roman Legion. There are three cohorts mentioned in the New Testament. This verse tells us the cohort in Caesarea was called the Italian Cohort. The gospels tells us the cohort in Jerusalem that crucified Jesus was called the Roman Cohort. The 27th chapter of Acts tells us the centurion who took Paul to Rome served in the Augustan Cohort.
Caesarea was also on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Caesarea was built by the Romans. It had a large harbor.
Acts 10:2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the people and prayed to God continually.
Pay attention to the words “devout”, “feared God”, and “prayed”. This refers to Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Cornelius was a God-fearing man.
Since Rome was a pagan nation with false gods, we often assume all the Romans were pagan and opposed to God. We also assume that all Roman centurions were bad people. Many of them were bad and pagan; however, we see in this verse that amongst the idolatry, there were some Romans military officers who knew and pursued the One and Only true God.
Today, the entertainment world produces many movies, TV shows, and albums that are full of immorality and violence. Many who work in the entertainment industry actively defend and promote this sin. Thus, it is tempting to assume all people in the entertainment industry are sinful and approve of the degenerate content that is being produced.
However, just as there were Roman military officers who were God-fearing men, so too there are people within the entertainment industry who fear God and have a desire to produce good, uplifting content.
Acts 10:3 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!”
Acts 10:4 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.
Acts 10:5 Now send some men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;
Acts 10:6 he is lodging with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.”
Acts 10:7 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,
Acts 10:8 and after he explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Joppa was 30 miles / 50 km from Caesarea. That journey would have taken a full day.
Overall, Rome was a pagan nation, and the Roman military was a fierce fighting machine. It is common to assume only pagan men would have been able to become officers in that environment. However, the story of Cornelius proves that is not the case. Cornelius was a God-fearing centurion.
Why do we assume all the people involved in entertainment are equally immoral?
What are some examples of people in the entertainment industry who buck the majority, live Godly lives, and produce wholesome content?
What are some other industries and occupations in our world where immorality and corruption are so rampant we assume all the people in those occupations must be corrupt?
What are some examples of Godly individuals existing in those environments and maintaining Biblical standards?
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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.”