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Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Spurgeon adds that "No, Lord" "is a curious expression. If Peter had said, “No,” there would have been a clear consistency in his language and tone. But “No, Lord,” is an odd jumble of self-will and reverence, of pride and humility, of contradiction and devotion. Surely, when you say, “No,” it ought not to be said to the Lord, and if you say, “Lord,” you ought not to put side by side the word no. Peter always was a blunderer in his early days, and he had not grown out of his old habits of honest impetuosity. He meant well, and his expression was not intended to convey all that we might easily make of it. At any rate, it is not for us to condemn him. Who are we that we should sit in judgment on another saint of God? We are not without fault ourselves. ILLUSTRATION - A young believer, facing the choice of obeying the call of God to the mission field or of continuing in a rewarding and comfortable business position, once consulted a veteran missionary. He explained how clearly God had called and yet how hard it was to make the choice to go. The missionary opened his Bible at this passage and pointed out to the young person Peter's words, "Not so, Lord." "You cannot say that," the wise, older man explained. "It is either 'Not so' or it is 'Lord.' The two words put together are a contradiction in terms. Now then," he continued, "take my Bible and take this pencil. Sit down here and pray about it. Then cross out one of the expressions. Cross out the words 'not so' and leave the word 'Lord,' or cross out the word 'Lord' and leave the words 'not so.' You cannot have it both ways." (John Phillips) Steven Ger - An observant Jew, Peter maintained the laws of kashrut, the kosher restrictions mandated in the Torah. Most of the animals on that sheet had been forbidden to Jews by God Himself. Even permitted animals must be ritually slaughtered in the prescribed kosher manner. Peter was not hungry enough to slaughter one of these on a housetop, lacking the proper implements of slaughter. He saw no inherent contradiction in his refusal of the sovereign deity's command, and reminded God that he had never in his life eaten any unholy or unclean food.(Acts - Twenty-First Century Commentary) Wikipedia on kashrut - Kashrut is a set of Jewish religious dietary laws. Food that may be consumed according to halakha (Jewish law) is termed kosher (/ˈkoʊʃər/ in English, Yiddish: כּשר), from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér (כָּשֵׁר), meaning "fit" (in this context, fit for consumption). Among the numerous laws that form part of kashrut are the prohibitions on the consumption of certain animals (such as pork, shellfish [both Mollusca and Crustacea], and most insects, with the exception of certain species of kosher locusts), mixtures of meat and milk, and the commandment to slaughter mammals and birds according to a process known as shechita. There are also laws regarding agricultural produce that might impact the suitability of food for consumption. Most of the basic laws of kashrut are derived from the Torah's Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Their details and practical application, however, are set down in the oral law (eventually codified in the Mishnah and Talmud) and elaborated on in the later rabbinical literature. James Rossup observes that " it is one thing to say no to God in prayer out of defiance, another to say no in a heart that is obedient but misunderstnnding how things fit (Acts 10:14). God discerns, and is patient to teach the receptive to do what He wants, as He nudges Peter along by His Word here, and us by the completed Scripture." (Ibid) JEWISH DIETARY LAWS: AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION Think about why the command to kill and eat would provoke such strong negative reaction from Peter? Think of it this way - In Peter's day what marks clearly distinguished the Jews from the pagan Gentiles? There were primarily three visible distinguishing marks. There was (1) circumcision (although some pagan nations did practice this ritual), (2) Sabbath keeping, and (3) dietary laws regarding clean and unclean foods, all of which served to set the Jews apart from the Gentiles in a very visible way wherever they were dispersed. Even today, most larger supermarkets have aisles and even entire sections of "Kosher" foods. And so to the Jews these three markers would have been "sacred ground" and would continue to be enemies of the Gospel throughout these early years of the Church (cf Gal 3:1-3, etc) But back to the situation with Peter, clearly the food laws made fellowship with Gentiles awkward, to put it mildly! And yet Peter was about to receive an invitation to commune with a Gentile! To cross this "cultural chasm" would take a God-sized "drawbridge," (pix) and for this God orchestrates two visions, one for the Gentile God seeker and the other for the Jewish believer. God is good! Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean - Here we see Peter's legalistic spirit -- he was proud of his having never done this! He had a superior attitude. Peter had been perfect! In other words Peter was steadfastly "kosher" regarding his diet. It is interesting that Peter uses the same description of Gentiles in Acts 10:28 declaring "God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean." Jack Arnold adds that "Legalism is when a person is proud of the fact that he does not do certain things and tries either to force this same conviction on someone else or looks down the nose at someone who does a certain practice. As Christians, there are certain negative things we will not do because they are forbidden in the Bible and we must not do them. However, we must not become proud in our obedience to the negative commands and principles of Scripture. Pride about negatives never impresses the non-Christian world. Only a positive Christian attitude about life is attractive to the non-Christian world." (See Ray Stedman's comment below for more on legalism). A T
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Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - Few words, but yet an exquisite miniature of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are not many touches, but they are the strokes of a master's pencil. Of the Saviour and only of the Saviour is it true in the fullest, broadest, and most unqualified sense. "He went about doing good." From this description it is evident that he did good personally. The evangelists constantly tell us that he touched the leper with his own finger, that he anointed the eyes of the blind, and that in cases where he was asked to speak the word only at a distance, he did not usually comply, but went himself to the sick bed, and there personally wrought the cure. A lesson to us, if we would do good, to do it ourselves. Give alms with your own hand; a kind look, or word, will enhance the value of the gift. Speak to a friend about his soul; your loving appeal will have more influence than a whole library of tracts. Our Lord's mode of doing good sets forth his incessant activity! He did not only the good which came close to hand, but he "went about" on his errands of mercy. Throughout the whole land of Judea there was scarcely a village or a hamlet which was not gladdened by the sight of him. How this reproves the creeping, loitering manner, in which many professors serve the Lord. Let us gird up the loins of our mind, and be not weary in well doing. Does not the text imply that Jesus Christ went out of his way to do good? "He went about doing good." He was never deterred by danger or difficulty. He sought out the objects of his gracious intentions. So must we. If old plans will not answer, we must try new ones, for fresh experiments sometimes achieve more than regular methods. Christ's perseverance, and the unity of his purpose, are also hinted at, and the practical application of the subject may be summed up in the words, "He hath left us an example that we should follow in his steps." Doing Good Read: Luke 6:27-36 Jesus of Nazareth . . . went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. —Acts 10:38 Someone once said, “The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.” I like that; it’s a great reminder. In the book of Acts, Luke summarized Jesus’ earthly ministry by saying that He “went about doing good” (10:38). What does the Bible mean when it tells us to “do good”? Jesus did good by teaching, healing, feeding, and comforting people. Using Jesus as the perfect example, His followers are called to meet the needs of others, including those who hate them: “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you” (Matt. 5:44; see also Luke 6:27-35). They are to serve their enemies without expecting anything in return. Moreover, as opportunity arises, His followers are to do good especially to fellow believers (Gal. 6:10). They are not to let persecution, selfishness, and busyness cause them to forget to do good and to share what they have with others (Heb. 13:16). To be like our Savior and His early followers, we should ask ourselves each day: “What good thing can I do today in Jesus’ name?” When we do good, we will be offering a sacrifice that pleases God (Heb. 13:16) and that draws people to Him (Matt. 5:16). From the example of Jesus, Who went about doing good, We are to honor our Savior By helping wherever He would. —Hess Imitate Jesus—go about doing good. No Body But Ours Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 We are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. —Ephesians 5:30 In Acts 10:38, Peter described our Lord as “Jesus of Nazareth, . . . who went about doing good.” Those acts of service and kindness were expressed through His earthly body. Since ascending to heaven, Christ no longer has a body on earth except ours. In other words, He has no hands, legs, or feet on earth except for the members of His body, the church. So we must never underestimate the importance of being the body of Christ on earth, not only spiritually but also physically. There’s a story of a little child who was put to bed in a dark room. She was fearful of being left alone, so her mother brought her a doll. This didn’t satisfy her and she begged her mother to stay. The mother reminded her that she had the doll and God, and needn’t be afraid. Soon the child began crying. When the mother returned to her side, she sobbed, “Oh, Mommy, I want someone with skin on!” We’re all like that child at times. In our loneliness and suffering, Christ doesn’t condemn us for wanting “someone with skin on” to be with us and to care for us. Therefore He sends us out to be His body to one another and to the world, and to go about doing good. Remember this: Right now Jesus has no body on earth but ours! The love of Christ has freed us, Has lifted us from shame; Now we His path should follow, And reach out in His name. —DCE God works through us to meet the needs of those around us. Acts 10:39 "We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. KJV Acts 10:39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: NLT Acts 10:39 "And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, We are witnesses of all the things He did Acts 10:41; 1:8,22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:30-32; 13:31; Luke 1:2; 24:48; John 15:27 They also put Him to death Acts 2:23,24; 3:14,15; 4:10; 5:30; 7:52; 13:27-29; Gal 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE APOSTOLIC WITNESS We are witnesses - Who are "we?" Apparently the 6 other Jewish believers who had come with Peter. In witnessing to the Gentiles, Peter and the other Jews were in essence fulfilling Jesus' charge to be His "witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8+) The phrase remotest part of the earth would refer to Gentiles, not just here in Caesarea but globally. Robertson thinks the we includes the Gentiles who were listening to Peter, but I think that is unlikely as the Gentiles certainly were not first hand witnesses of all the things in Jesus' ministry. The New Living Translation paraphrases it "we apostles are witnesses." While I agree with this paraphrase, it makes the point that EVERY Bible translation is more than just a translation, but invariably includes elements of interpretative bias (even the most "literal" versions). This is why it is best to examine the original languages (Hebrew, Greek) but the next best thing is to compare different Bible versions. (Acts 10 Commentary) Witnesses (3144)(martus/martys) basically describes one who remembers something and testifies concerning what they remember. Martus has a two fold meaning of (1) describing one who has seen and/or experienced something or someone and (2) one who testifies to what he or she saw. Of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem - While the Gentiles had heard (second hand) about the ministry of Jesus, Peter says we witnessed all of these things first hand. We were there with Him for three years. So what you Gentiles heard about Jesus is absolutely true. Kistemaker - His reference to Jesus’ death by crucifixion is brief; Peter is not interested in casting any blame on the Roman military for executing Jesus. In earlier speeches, he blamed the Jews, not the Romans, for this crime (Acts 2:23; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30). They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross (xulon = literally a tree) - Peter refers to Dt. 21:23 as Paul does in Galatians 3:13, the curse pronounced on every one who "hangs upon a tree." Hanging on a tree was an idiom for crucifixion. To whom does "they" refer? The nearest antecedent is Jews, so here Peter is saying it was the Jews who put Jesus to death. Obviously, the Romans did also, because the Jews had not legal right to crucify, and that right was held only by the Romans, and in this case Pontius Pilate. Darroll Bock on put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross - an allusion to Deut. 21:22-23 and the cursed death that Jesus experienced from the Jewish point of view (Acts 5:30 and Gal. 3:13 are other uses of this phrase). (See Acts Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
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Spurgeon explains it this way - “When God’s whole creation having been ransacked by the hand of science, has only testified to the truth of revelation – when the whole history of buried cities and departed nations has but preached out the truth that the Bible was true – when every strip of land in the far-off East has been an exposition and a confirmation of the prophecies of Scripture; if men are yet unconvinced, do ye suppose that one dead man rising from the tomb would convince them? If the Holy Scripture be not in the hands of God enough to bring you to the faith of Christ, then, though an angel from heaven, then, though the saints from glory, then, though God himself should descend on earth to preach to you, you would go on unwed and unblest.” Recall Jesus' account of Lazarus and the rich man both of whom who died, the former being carried away to heaven and the latter to hell... And he (THE RICH MAN IN HELL) said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house– 28 for I have five brothers–in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 “But Abraham *said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30“But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” (Lk 16:27-31) Comment - Notice that the rich man not only remembered but even expressed concern for his relatives lest they come to the same horrible fate! Beloved, here is the point - Those who go to Hell will not have their memory wiped clean nor will they be granted a new consciousness! David
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Spurgeon comments that "The apostle was not long in his address before he came to the doctrine of the judgment of all men by Jesus Christ. He says that he was commanded to preach it, and therefore he did preach it.” Steven
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Spurgeon - “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify.” These two verses are an extract from a remarkable sermon, a sermon Peter preached in the house of Cornelius. What did Peter preach? There were six heads in his sermon, though he spoke only of one subject, that is, Christ. (1) The apostle spoke first of the Lord’s person: “He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). Peter is clear on the sovereign Godhead of Jesus. Having spoken of his person, (2) Peter then spoke of his life—“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (v. 38). This was the spring of Jesus’s life’s power—his anointing from the Holy Spirit. Peter set out the tenor of Jesus’s life in the next sentence: “He went about doing good and healing.” (3) Then Peter moved on to his third point, which was the Savior’s death—“they killed him by hanging him on a tree” (v. 39). Peter does not take away the offense of the cross or put it in smooth language. (4) Then Peter passed on to the Lord’s resurrection, for that is an essential part of the gospel: “God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen” (Acts 10:40). It was no fiction. He was openly shown on many occasions to those best able to recognize him (Acts 10:41). (5) Then Peter came to the judgment—which he felt it necessary to preach, declaring that Jesus Christ who died and rose again is now designated the judge of all mankind (Acts 10:42). (6) And lastly, Peter preached salvation by the Lord Jesus most fully and graciously when he said, “Through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins” (v. 43). This was what Peter was driving at, and when he had reached this point, enough truth of God had been taught to save a soul—and God, the Holy Spirit, at once used it. The Carpenter Judge Read: Acts 17:22-31 It is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead. —Acts 10:42 Jesus Christ is the Inescapable One. We must either receive Him in this life as our loving Savior or stand before Him in the life to come as our eternal Judge. There’s a story in the Gray and Adams Commentary about a doctor who “made it his chief concern in matters of religion to degrade the character and dignity of Christ.” He viewed the Savior with so much contempt that he always spoke of Him in a demeaning way by calling Him ”the carpenter’s son.” In time the physician became terminally ill. During the weeks before his death, he became very agitated. He remarked to the person who was attending him, “I’m a dying man, and what affects me most of all is that I must be judged by the carpenter’s son!” That doctor faced the terrible future that awaits all who reject Christ. Yet, even in his last conscious moments, if he had trusted Him as his Savior he could have found peace and received eternal salvation. How have you been treating Christ? Remember, “the carpenter’s son” is the Son of God, the “Word made flesh.” Trust Him today! You will receive the blessing of salvation—not the sentence of condemnation (Jn. 3:17). What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be; Someday your heart will be asking, "What will He do with me?" —Simpson Everyone must choose—Christ or condemnation! Acts 10:43 "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His Name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." KJV Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Of Him Acts 26:22; Isaiah 53:11; Jeremiah 31:34; Daniel 9:24; Micah 7:18; Zech 13:1; Mal 4:2; Luke 24:25-27,44-46; John 1:45; 5:39,40; 1 Peter 1:11; Rev 19:10 through His Name Acts 3:16; 4:10-12; John 20:31; Ro 5:1; 6:23; Heb 13:20 whosoever Acts 13:38,39; 15:9; 26:18; Mark 16:16; John 3:14-17; 5:24; Ro 8:1,34; 10:11; Gal 3:22; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries SALVATION IS OPEN TO WHOSOEVER BELIEVES! Of Him - Of Jesus. Peter is careful to repeatedly emphasize in his Gospel presentation the Name of Jesus for as he had declared earlier "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other Name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). All the prophets (prophetes) bear witness - Peter alludes to the fact that Jesus the Savior was not a new truth but one which had been clearly taught in the Old Testament not by just one or two prophets, but all the prophets! (See Messianic Prophecy). Many prophets could be quoted but Isaiah's prophecy is especially on point... As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11+) Malachi adds that... “But for you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.(Malachi 4:2+) Peter understood the meaning of the saying "Can I have a witness?" because bear witness is the third time Peter speaks of witnesses in this section, thus emphasizing the historical authenticity of the God-Man Jesus Christ - Acts 10:39, 41, 43. Ray Stedman paraphrases Peter "You Romans may not appreciate this fully, but everything that Jesus did was predicted by the prophets. Long before He ever came, what He would be like and what He would do was written down. Every prophet bore witness to this one fact: The only way you could ever find forgiveness of sins is by believing in Him." That is the great, final, glorious thrust of the gospel. The good news is that men have been given a way to be forgiven of their sins. That is the basic need of every human heart. Each of us suffers from the terrible consciousness of guilt. We are guilty people; and we know it. That is what makes us so restless. That is why oftentimes we cannot stand to be alone with ourselves, because we are afraid of that sense of guilt which oppresses us. So the prime need of our lives is to be forgiven, to have nothing in the past to worry about, to have nothing that makes us uncertain of the future and, especially, nothing which makes us unwilling to appear before God. Through Jesus Christ sins are forgiven." Have you reflected upon that, Christian friends? Have you recently stopped and thanked God that your sins are forgiven? Have you ever? Not just the ones you committed before you became a Christian; all your sins. All the future ones as well as those of the past are forgiven already in Jesus Christ. God therefore has no quarrel with you, he loves you, he accepts you. Whatever you do he will continue to love you and accept you. But no one can take that truth and use it as a license to sin, to go out and do as you like. To do so would indicate that you have never been regenerated, have never understood why God bore your sins. But if you have been born again you know that this is the greatest and most unending blessing of your life -- to wake up every morning and remember that you stand as a beloved child in God's presence. He loves you and accepts you. You are his, and for that reason he will be with you all day long, in every circumstance of your experience. (ED: IF THAT DOESN'T STIR UP AN "AMEN" OR A "HALLELUJAH" IN YOUR SOUL, THEN NOTHING WILL!) (Acts 10:23-11:18 Life For All) Bear witness (3140)(martureo from mártus = witness = one who has information or knowledge of something and can bring to light or confirm something. English = martyr) in its most basic sense refers to a legal witness. Thus the verb martureo means to be a witness, to testify, to give evidence, to give testimony, to bear record, to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something. The words testified related to fact, not opinion, as in a courtroom setting. Note that bear witness is in the present tense indicating the prophets (even though they were dead) continued (and to this very day continue) to bear witness through "the living and active Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12+) THOUGHT - Are you familiar enough with at least some of over 300 Old Testament Messianic Prophecies so that you might be able to "bear witness" of their testimony of the Jewish prophets? This is especially important if God gives you the privilege of witnessing to Jewish people. Listen to some of the testimonies from Jewish men and women, a number of which allude to how the Holy Spirit used Old Testament prophecies to bring about their miraculous new birth in their Messiah. Kistemaker on all the prophets - Peter bases his announcement of Christ’s cleansing work on the Old Testament Scriptures. He refrains from giving chapter and verse but asserts that “all the prophets bear witness to [Christ]” and have spoken about his forgiving love. He tells Cornelius that the knowledge the centurion has gathered from the Scriptures in the synagogue worship services is true. The prophets indeed testify to the person and work of the Christ, who had fulfilled the messianic promises. That through His Name - Jesus' very Name means Savior or "Jehovah saves." (cf Mt 1:21) As Peter said "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12+) Jesus is " the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through" His Name. (Jn 14:6) Kistemaker - The word Name means more than a title, for it includes the complete revelation of Jesus Christ, especially with reference to his life, works, and words. Robertson on through His Name - not as a title or magic formula (Acts 18:13), but the power of Christ himself represented by his name. (Acts 10 Commentary) John in giving the purpose of His gospel account writes... but these have been written (for contrast see Jn 20:30) so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His Name. (John 20:31) John Piper on through His Name - The Name of Jesus is the focus of faith and repentance. In order to believe on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, you must believe on his name. That is, you must have heard of him and know who he is as a particular man who did a particular saving work and rose from the dead. (There is Salvation in No One Else) Vincent on His Name - As in the Lord's prayer: not simply the title, but all that is embraced and expressed by the name: Christ's "entire perfection, as the object revealed to the believer for his apprehension, confession, and worship" (Meyer). Related Resource: Name of the LORD is a Strong Tower: Summary Everyone - Jews or Gentiles. The only requirement? Faith. Who believes in Him - Who trusts in Jesus. Who places their faith in Jesus. Be careful here! If you asked people in America if they believe in Jesus, many would say "Yes." As Steven