Oct. 10, 2004

 

   With Cornelius having sent 3 men (vs.7) to Peter, Luke now shifts the narrative to Peter’s experience of the vision.

   Chap. 10, verses 9-17-  Simultaneous to the arrival of these 3 Gentiles in Joppa, we are told Peter has retired to the roof to pray at about 3 p.m.  He is said to be very hungry (a rare Gk.word) and falls into a trance (ekstasis).  Heaven opened indicates this vision is from God; the vessel…as it had been a great sheet has been connected with the cloth canopy Peter is under or by sails of ships in the harbor of Joppa.

   The sheet contained 1) four-footed beasts (both clean and unclean)

2) wild beasts  3) creeping things  4) fowls of the air—a mixture of items included and excluded from Levitical dietary laws.  Here we see God use human experience (Peter’s hunger) to facilitate God’s revelation.

   A voice directs Peter to ”rise, kill and eat”.  But Peter, in the fashion of a 1^st cent. Jew, declines with Not so,Lord.  The voice then says,  “What God has cleansed that call thou not common” .

Verse  16 says this was done 3 times for confirmation.  It has been suggested that Peter might have recalled the Lord’s words from Matt. 15:11 in his conversation with the Pharisees.  Later, the relaxing of dietary laws would be encoded in scripture – I Tim. 4:4-5.

   That Peter doubts (diaporeo- intensive prefix with negative of ‘way’= literally, to not know the way).  This indicates Peter did not understand the implications of the vision as it pertains to Gentiles.

    Chap. 10, verse 19-20-“While Peter thought…the Spirit said to him…”  Although confused, Peter pursues understanding by his

reflection (enthumoumenon- strong inward reflection or cogitation) on the event.  Then God supports the vision with the arrival of the three

men from Cornelius.  Observe –3 men and the voice speaking 3 times.

• What a lesson of how God will bring His children out of “doubt” to fulfillment of His promise in due time- see Gal.6:9.

Further, Peter is told to not doubt (diakrino= contend with; suggests a lack of faith-Vine).  “for I have sent them”- Peter is assured of

God’s providential action and that he must be confident in his actions.

   Chap.10, verse 21-23- Peter does not know of the events in

10:1-8 and inquires of the 3 men as to why they are there.  Their

response places Cornelius in a very favorable light and that Cornelius

awaits “to hear words of thee”.  Peter then lodges them—this would be an important step: allowing Gentiles to sleep in a Jew’s house.  Peter is beginning to understand the vision.

 

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  Peter travels from Joppa to Caesarea with certain brethren—

This would likely be those described as “of the circumcision which believed” in ch.10:45 who witness this outreach to the Gentiles.

  Chap.10, verses 24-27- Cornelius, being conscious of the importance of these events, has invited kinsmen and near friends

to be present for this word.   The humility of Cornelius is seen in his

actions: fell down…worshipped him.  Such reverence makes Peter

uncomfortable and he directs Cornelius to “Stand up, I.. am a man.”

• How different from the posturing the Roman Pope is willing to

allow toward himself!

Peter finds a ready audience awaiting him.  Here we will see Peter’s use of the “keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19) to open doors of the gospel (Col. 4:3): first, to Jews in Ch.2,  then to Samaritans in ministering the Holy Spirit in ch. 8 and now in reaching out to Gentiles in ch.10.

  Chap.10, verse 28- Peter states the obvious; that Jews to not

keep company- (kollasthai- join to, cleave) or come unto one of another nation.  But, Peter continues, “God hath shown me”—Peter now fully grasps the vision’s implications:  “that I should not call any man common or unclean”.

   The door is now open for Jewish evangelism of unbelieving Gentiles.

The ethnocentric views of this growing number of Jewish believers

is to change.  Further, the law (with restrictions on food) is to be

set-aside (Acts 15:24; Rom. 6:14; Gal.3:24-25, 5:1; Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:13, 12:22-25).  Acts of the Apostles bridges the ministry of outreach moving from the Jewish-centric ministry of Jesus (Rom. 15:8) to

the cosmopolitan world of Gentiles (Rom.15:15-16).