Atos 10
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 10
Wiersbe - He was devout, honest, generous, and sincere; but he was not a saved man. It is possible to be very religious but still be lost! Were it not for the fact that God in His grace spoke to Cornelius, he would never have become a believer. We see here a fulfillment of Christ’s promise in John 7:17, “If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know the truth.” (borrow Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament) Chuck Colson was a man in some ways like Cornelius and his story shows how God sovereignly moved in his life just as He did in the life of Cornelius - In his book, Born Again, he tells that in the midst of the personal horrors of the Watergate affair, he visited the home of a successful businessman, who told him of the change Jesus Christ had made in his own life. He gave Colson a copy of C. S. Lewis's book, Mere Christianity, and challenged him to go home and read it. Colson was so unnerved by the encounter that as he drove from the man's house he stopped his car, “And then I prayed my first real prayer. ‘God, I don't know how to find You, but I’m going to try! I'm not much the way I am now, but somehow I want to give myself to You.’ I didn't know how to say more, so I repeated over and over the words, ‘Take me.’ I had not ‘accepted’ Christ - I still didn't know who He was. My mind told me it was important to find that out first, to be sure that I knew what I was doing, that I meant it and would stay with it. Only that night, something inside me was urging me to surrender - to what or to whom I did not know.” Then as .he read Mere Christianity the gospel was communicated to him. He bowed his head and prayed, “Lord Jesus, I believe you. I accept You. Please come into my life. I commit it to You.” This was God's sovereign hand in the life of this man soon to be an imprisoned criminal but now for the first time in his life set free! What a paradox! It is instructive to look at some of the synonyms for devout to get a real sense of the heart of this battle-hardened Roman Centurion - adoring, ardent, faithful, fervent, passionate, pious, religious, sincere, zealous, earnest, fervid, genuine, godly, heart-and-soul, heartfelt, holy, intense, orthodox, prayerful, reverent, revering, serious, venerating, worshiping. Devout (2152)(eusebes from eu = well + sebomai = reverence <> Sebomai is from root "seb" = sacred awe) describes one who is has an attitude of reverence exhibited in one's actions. In secular Greek use eusebos described practical piety towards one's parents. Eusebes is found only 3x in the NT - The first two uses refer to Cornelius who was not yet a believer in Jesus - Acts 10:2; Acts 10:7; 2 Pet. 2:9 refers to believers - "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation." It follows that eusebes can refer to unbelievers characterized by piety but not spiritual enlightenment, or to believers characterized by a holy life. The Greek root was also commonly used in the Greco-Roman world of Paul to describe respect for the pagan gods (e.g., Roman "gods" like Jupiter, Augustus, Mars, Venus, etc.) For example in one ancient text we read "Can there be any better or more reverent (godly) way to honor the gods than by doing what they command?" In summary, eusebos means reverence or awe that is well directed - living lives that are pleasing to God. It is not talking "godly" but living "godly". In the case of Cornelius devout was an apt description for he was a man who looked both Godward (prayers) and manward (alms)! A devout man does not "keep it to himself" but his devout life spills over like a refreshing spring of living waters onto those around him. What about us? THOUGHT - GOD-FEARERS VERSUS PROSELYTES - Luke uses the description those who fear God (or God fearers) several times in Acts to describe Gentiles who were in some way seeking the one true God - See Acts 10:5, Acts 10:35, Acts 13:16, Acts 13:26, Acts 17:4, 17:17. Some include Acts 13:43 but the phrase there is "God-fearing proselytes" which would describe a Gentile who had fully converted to Judaism even receiving circumcision (which we know Cornelius had not done - Acts 11:3). The God-fearers like Cornelius had not fully converted to Judaism and were referred to as "proselytes of the gate." Bob
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Wiersbe: It is interesting to see how religious a person can be and still not be saved. Certainly, Cornelius was sincere in his obedience to God’s law, his fasting, and his generosity to the Jewish people. . . The difference between Cornelius and many religious people today is this: he knew that his religious devotion was not sufficient to save him. . . Cornelius was asking God to show him the way of salvation. (Bible Exposition Commentary ) PRAYER IN ACTS Acts 1:13-14 -11 apostles and others - content not specified - answer not specified Acts 1:24-25 -120 disciples -Discerning God's will for Judas' replacement - Matthias chosen Acts 4:24-31 -12 apostles - Praise - Room shakes, filling with Spirit, empowered for bold witness Acts 7:59-60 - Stephen - Final words before execution - Eternal reward Acts 8:14-17 - Peter and John - For Samaritans to receive the Spirit - Samaritans received the Spirit Acts 9:11 - Paul - Not specified - Saul's blindness healed and filled with the Spirit Acts 9:40 - Peter - For Tabitha to raise from the dead - Tabitha is raised from the dead Acts 10:1-8 - Cornelius - content not specified - Vision Acts 10:9-16 - Peter - Ritual midday prayers - Vision Acts 12:5, 12 - The Jerusalem Church - Peter's imprisonment - Peter supernaturally rescued Acts 13:3 - The Antioch Church leadership - content not specified - Saul and Barnabas commissioned for 1st missionary journey Acts 14:23 - Paul and Barnabas - Commendation of church elders - Not specified Acts 16:25 - Paul and Silas - Their imprisonment - Supernatural rescue, salvation of jailer Acts 20:36 - Paul and Ephesian elders - Paul's farewell - content not specified Acts 28:8 - Paul - Publius' father - Publius' father healed Acts 10:3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!" KJV Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. saw Job 4:15,16; Daniel 9:20,21 about Acts 10:30; 3:1; Mt 27:46; Luke 23:44-46 an angel of God Acts 5:19; 11:13; 12:7-11; 27:23; Luke 1:11; 2:10,11,13; Heb 1:4,14 Cornelius Acts 9:4; Ex 33:17; Isaiah 45:4 Acts 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A DIVINE VISION BRINGS AN ANGELIC VISITATION About the ninth hour of the day - This is about 3 PM in the afternoon, not necessarily a strange time for a vision, for it was (for Jews and one like Cornelius who likely followed their custom of regular prayer) the time for afternoon prayer. (cf Ex 29:39, 41; 1 Ki. 18:29; Ps. 5:11; Da 6:10). In Acts 3:1+ Luke recorded that "Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer." This substantiates the premise that Cornelius had incorporated some of the practices of the Jews. He was praying in his own house (Acts 10:30). The OT describes another angelic visitation at a similar time Daniel recording that "while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering." (Da 9:21) Luke alludes to the ninth hour in describing Jesus' crucifixion... It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Lk 23:44-46+) Kistemaker - Two worlds meet in the encounter of the angel and Cornelius: the sinless world in which the angel moves and the sinful world to which Cornelius belongs. James Rosscup explains God's hearing the prayer of an unsaved person - Even a person who is not actually saved, but highly interested, can pray. Many do, and they have their varying beliefs and reasons. The passage is not a plug for the effectiveness of such prayer. Yet it does reflect God’s gracious working in a case where He wills to draw a person to come to faith (cf. Jn. 6:44, 65). God is sensitive to such prayer and can use even it as part of His means for ushering a person on to Him, as Acts 10:31 and the context illustrate....If God took note of prayer from a man who had not yet believed (Acts 10:43; 11:14), how precious must be the memorial of the saved who are tenacious in prayer (Lk. 2:36–38)!(An Exposition of Prayer in the Bible) He clearly saw in a vision - Plainly. Manifestly. This vision was not an illusion, not a distortion of his senses, distorting his perception of reality (we all have had those!). In broad daylight and wide awake God gave Cornelius this vision and thus there was no ambiguity about what he saw, because God is not a God of confusion (1 Cor 14:33)! Luke gives special attention to the visions to Cornelius and Peter repeating the account of this vision to Cornelius (Acts 10:3, 10:30; 11:13) and the vision to Peter (Acts 10:1–16, 28; 11:5). Cornelius gives us more detail that this angel was "a man (in the Bible angels are always depicted as masculine) stood before me in shining garments (WHICH EXPLAINS WHY HE BECAME MUCH ALARMED - Acts 10:4)." (Acts 10:30) It is interesting to notice the two "double vision" parallels: (1) Saul (Acts 9:11-16) and Ananias (Acts 9:12) (2) Visions of Cornelius (Acts 10:3) and Peter (Acts 10:10-16). Clearly (5320)(phaneros from phanerós = apparent, manifest) is an adverb which has two meanings in the NT. Here in Acts 10:3, the sense is plainly, distinctly, in contrast to what is indistinct. This angelic vision was very clear to Cornelius. The other sense is publicly which is in contrast to what is done in secret. There are no uses in the Septuagint. Here are the other 2 uses of phaneros in the NT... Mark 1:45 But he (healed leper - Mk 1:40-44) went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere. John 7:10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret (BECAUSE OF HIS ENEMIES). Vision (3705)(horama from horáō = to see, behold; English - panorama) describes literally that which is seen, as opposed to a figment of one's imagination (Mt 17:9; Ac 7:31; 10:3, 17, 19; 18:9). It is something that is viewed with one’s eye. It describes a supernatural vision used to give divine communication and is distinct from a dream. Larkin makes a good point regarding the four episodes of visions in Acts noting that "Each time they function to give divine guidance for the advance of God’s mission, especially in the face of human resistance or uncertainty (Ananias and Paul, Acts 9:10, 12; Gentile Cornelius and Jewish apostle Peter, Acts 10:3, 17, 19; 11:5; Paul and the European mission, Acts 16:9–10; Paul and the evangelization of Corinth, Acts 18:9; compare Acts 5:19–20; 8:26). (The Mission Is Inaugurated Through Peter Acts 9:32-11:18) An angel of God who had just come in - Note that this is not "THE Angel of the LORD," as described in the OT but is "AN" angel of God, former being a Christophany or pre-incarnate appearance of Christ in the OT, the latter being one of the angelic hosts created by Christ. Note also that God does not send an angel to preach the Gospel to Cornelius, for that is not their commission (but see possible exception in Rev 14:6,7+). Chan Wei Guan - God sent an angel to tell Cornelius to go and send for Peter because he had the message of God. God used men to witness the Gospel; God did not use the holy angels. The holy angels cannot understand what sin is; they cannot understand why Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom they adored and worshipped, had to die for humanity. They just do not know how to open their mouth and tell a sinner, “Let me explain to you what sin is?” It is beyond them. It is easier for a sinner to tell another sinner what sin is just as it is easier for a beggar to tell another beggar where to find food. Angel (32)(aggelos/angelos possibly from ago = to bring) literally means a messenger (one who bears a message - Lk 1:11, 2:9, etc or does an errand). Most of the NT uses refer to heavenly angels (messengers) who are supernatural, transcendent beings with power to carry out various tasks. Cornelius' angelic assistance is a good example of the writer of Hebrews' description... "Are they (ANGELS) not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (CORNELIUS WOULD SOON "INHERIT SALVATION)" (Hebrews 1:14+) Angels occur 21 times in Acts - Acts 5:19; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:30; Acts 7:35; Acts 7:38; Acts 7:53; Acts 8:26; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:7; Acts 10:22; Acts 11:13; Acts 12:7; Acts 12:8; Acts 12:9; Acts 12:10; Acts 12:11; Acts 12:15; Acts 12:23; Acts 23:8; Acts 23:9; Acts 27:23 And said to him, "Cornelius! - God's messenger knew Cornelius' name. God knows your name. Malcolm Muggeridge said that "All happenings, great and small, are parables whereby God speaks....The art of life is to get the message." J
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Wiersbe - In many respects, John Wesley was like Cornelius. He was a religious man, a church member, a minister, and the son of a minister. He belonged to a “religious club” at Oxford, the purpose of which was the perfecting of the Christian life. Wesley served as a foreign missionary, but even as he preached to others, he had no assurance of his own personal salvation. On May 24, 1738, Wesley reluctantly attended a small meeting in London where someone was reading aloud from Martin Luther’s commentary on Romans. “About a quarter before nine,”
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Wiersbe - Peter tarried in Caesarea and helped to ground these new believers in the truth of the Word. Perhaps Philip assisted him. This entire experience is an illustration of the commission of Matthew 28:19–20. Peter went where God sent him and made disciples (“teach”) of the Gentiles. Then he baptized them and taught them the Word. That same commission applies to the church today. Are we fulfilling it as we should? (Bible Exposition Commentary ) MacArthur sums up Acts 10 - This epochal chapter has witnessed the inclusion of Gentiles as equals in the church. The last barrier has fallen. Peter later described this great experience in Acts 15:7-8: "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us." The way was thus opened for the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman world through the tireless missionary efforts of the early church. (See Acts Commentary)