God will never be constrained by our segregations.
Bible Study Ideas and Commentary for Acts 10:34-48
Luke takes us on Peter's journey further from Jerusalem, both geographically and culturally. In the Gentile city of Caesarea, Peter is present when God sends the Holy Spirit on new Christians, and he finally accepts that God wants Christians to take the gospel to every person. (And in the next chapter, we learn that Christians were already doing just that.)
Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism (10:34)
When We Covered This Passage in 2016
Race always seems to be a topic in our country, but I think it was especially so in 2016. (You know you're in trouble when a headline is "2016: The Year Racism Made a Comeback".) My focus in that set of notes was racism and segregation. I would like to say that we've made progress in the last 8 years. For example, in my notes from 2016, I cite a stat that says 90% of Christians go to a church where everyone basically looks like them. But in this survey from Axios last year, that number is more like 75-80%. Progress! But ask yourself this question: would a person from any racial or ethnic background feel comfortable attending your church this Sunday? If the answer is "I don't know" (or "no"), then we're not there yet.
Also in those notes, I talked about
other types of segregation
what is "kosher"
the gift of the Holy Spirit
Getting Started: Things to Think About
Your Food Dislikes
What are the foods you really don't like?
My list is long, and I won't bore you with it.
And then a paired question: what are your ethnic food likes and dislikes?
For example, I don't like Scottish foods or German foods unless they're so Americanized that I can't tell what they are.
We're going to turn this topic very serious very quickly -- for some people I know, their ethnic food tastes reflect their prejudices (and vice versa). Have you ever thought about that? In our passage this week, Peter has a weird "food experience", and God uses it to teach him that he had confused "foods he won't eat" with "people he won't associate with". And the biggest lesson of all is that if God has offered salvation to all people, then Peter needs to go to all people.
Do You Have a Biblical Worldview?
I mentioned this at the bottom of last week's post -- Barna just released a survey in which they concluded,
In reality, the research shows that evangelicals are far fewer in number than typically reported. They also often are far less biblical in their thinking than one might think, and they tend to vote in far fewer numbers than expected. Although more conservative on moral issues, as a whole, evangelicals reflect fewer lifestyle differences from the culture than often thought.
Because it's an election cycle, they have focused on the political side of things. Over the last 20 years or so, "being an evangelical" has become more about a political identity than a spiritual one (true, and yikes!), but Barna's point is that this research suggests that evangelicals aren't really all that political anymore either (so what are they?).
We'll have plenty of opportunities to talk about politics when the election gets closer. But this week, I am focused on (and alarmed by) the two other statements:
evangelicals are far less biblical in their thinking, and
evangelicals reflect fewer lifestyle differences from the culture.
I've always seen "being an evangelical" as someone who wants to "think and act biblically". But according to Barna, there aren't many "evangelicals" who think or act biblically. That's ... really not good.
If only there were a place we could help Christians know how to think biblically and encourage them to act biblically ... Oh, right, Sunday School!
In the Barna article describes a biblical worldview as "a coherent spiritual perspective that results in a lifestyle robustly aligned with biblical beliefs" is what he calls a biblical worldview. You may have to explain that to your group if they haven't heard that term before, and then you'll lead a discussion somewhere along these lines:
Do you want to have a biblical worldview?
How do you develop a biblical worldview?
What are examples of having a biblical worldview?
For that last question, you might offer these four findings from the survey. Do they align with a biblical worldview?
44% of people who attend an evangelical church reject the idea that determining moral truth is up to the individual.
61% of people who attend an evangelical church believe the purpose of life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul.
58% of people who attend an evangelical church believe that people are born into sin and can only be saved from the consequences of sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
15% of people who attend an evangelical church revealed that they occasionally cast spells on other people.
And it all leads to this: how do you evaluate the parts of your worldview to know if they are biblical or not?
The short answer is this:
We have to learn what the Bible says;
We have to learn what the Bible means;
We have to learn how the Bible applies to our life;
We have to commit to living those truths.
In my opinion, this week's passage gives us an incredible example of a man who wanted a biblical worldview (so to speak). And what did God tell him to do? Send for Peter.
10: 33 So I immediately sent for you, and it was good of you to come. So now we are all in the presence of God to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.
"I want to live my life the way God wants me to live it. Tell me what that means." Of course, Peter is going to start with salvation. But salvation is only the beginning of a lifetime of walking with Jesus. Who are you enlisting to help you know and live a biblical worldview?
Where We Are in Acts
Last week, we read about Peter's trip into Samaria. In the years following Saul's conversion, persecution of the church really calmed down, making it more reasonable for Peter to "be a public figure". He traveled to Lydda and Joppa, where he was a part of two miraculous healings that resulted in many Samaritans coming to Jesus. And to Peter's credit, he stayed in Joppa for some time -- demonstrating that he was overcoming his historic prejudice against Samaritans.
Luke wants us to read these travels as a literal ongoing fulfillment of Jesus' commission to the apostles in 1:8. We can actually see the circle expanding, so to speak.
Two days up the coast was a city called Caesarea Maritima. Technically in Samaria, it was a full-blown Gentile city -- the "Roman administrative center of Judea".
It was one of Herod the Great's gifts (bribes?) to Augustus Caesar and thus a very grand city. Part (or all) of the "Italian Regiment" of the Roman army was stationed in Caesarea, about 600 soldiers. One of their centurions was a Godfearing man named Cornelius.
2 He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God.
God gave him a vision to send for Peter, which leads to this week's passage.
Here are three points of context to have in mind:
Cornelius had no "Jewish blood" and was not a convert to Judaism.
Caesarea was a fully Roman (Gentile) city.
God is the one who initiated this encounter.
Cornelius was the first recorded Gentile convert in the New Testament. From that alone, you should see the incredible importance of this event.
Well, after God told Cornelius to send for Peter in Joppa, God also sent Peter a powerful vision (and He repeated it 3 times to make sure Peter got it).
(I love the old Sunday School art, don't you?) In the vision, Peter saw a tablecloth withs lots of birds and reptiles and animals on it and heard a voice saying, "Kill and eat." (Kinda gross if you think about it.) Peter responded with an emphatic "NO!" -- those were "unclean" foods (see Lev 11). Then the voice said, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." This happened three times. After the third time, the messengers from Cornelius arrived, and God told Peter to go with them. Peter took some of the Christians from Joppa.
Over that two-day walk, Peter had a lot of time to think about what all of this means. And when he first arrived at Cornelius's house, he hinted at what he learned:
24 Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up and said, “Stand up. I myself am also a man.” 27 While talking with him, he went in and found a large gathering of people. 28 Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner, but God has shown me that I must not call any person impure or unclean. 29 That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So may I ask why you sent for me?”
In other words, Peter realized that his vision was not about food but about people. His desire to avoid "unclean foods" masked an equal desire to avoid what he considered "unclean people".
Peter spent three years with Jesus. Jesus had already pushed Peter's comfort zone by "associating with tax collectors and sinners" and the like. Peter heard Jesus talk about the subject of foods (without realizing Jesus' point):
Matt 15:10 Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”
And I guess that it finally clicked.
God doesn't care about food as much as God cares about people. And if we care more about diet/behaviors than people, we're missed the reason God put us on this earth.
Part 1: Peter Realizes that Salvation Is for All (Acts 10:34-36)
34 Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism, 35 but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.
That "now" is a big deal. Peter acknowledges that he has been struggling with prejudice against non-Jews that caused him to doubt if salvation was available even to them. Peter! Leader of the Christians! Friend of Jesus!
That's why God had to initiate these events. On the one hand, Peter probably wouldn't have responded to Cornelius without God's insistence. But more to the point, God's clear involvement meant that Peter (or any other Jerusalem Christian) couldn't deny that God wanted Gentiles to be saved.
Let's talk about this in terms of "biblical worldview". What does a biblical worldview say about other people? And more to the point -- how is a biblical worldview different than the way the world wants us to see it?
(For example, some people in the world want us to accept their truth without question, some people in the world want to kill their enemies, etc.)
Peter uses the word "favoritism" like this --
God is no "respecter of persons" or
God is "impartial in how He deals with people"
If a person comes to Jesus for salvation, they will be saved. If a person does not come to Jesus for salvation, they will be damned. God applies one standard to all people.
And Peter realized that through his unwillingness to associate with Gentiles, he was keeping them from hearing the good news of salvation. But if Jesus is Lord of all, then that meant that Peter was "robbing" Jesus of His rightful people. The implications are staggering.
Do you truly believe that God loves all people as much as you? If so, what does that mean for how you should treat all people?
[Note that in my 2016 post, I give a list of the various ways people segregate themselves.]
Aside: Good Works
I hope you noticed this. These past few chapters of Acts have mentioned people's "good works" a bunch.
He had come to worship in Jerusalem. (8:27)
She was always doing good works and acts of charity. (9:36)
He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. (10:2)
and does what is right (10:34)
Our biblical worldview tells us that salvation is "by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone" and not by works (Eph 2). So, why are we reading so much about the "good works" of these non-Christians in Acts?
I'm not going to answer that question for you fully -- consider this a test of developing your biblical worldview. Plus, I think it meant something slightly different to Luke's audience that it means today. In Luke's day, there was such a prejudice from Jew to non-Jew (think about the parable of the Good Samaritan). Talking about their good works was a not-subtle reminder that they are all "human beings" and all capable of the same goodness.
To us today, though, I think things are different. I know a lot of people who "do good works", and that sometimes seems to keep them away from Christianity. But, good works of a certain kind can be an indicator that the Holy Spirit is working in someone's life, that they do care about right and wrong. That may be a steppingstone toward a gospel conversation.
Part 2: Salvation by Grace through Faith in Jesus (Acts 10:37-43)
37 You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him. 39 We ourselves are witnesses of everything he did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and yet they killed him by hanging him on a tree. 40 God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but by us whom God appointed as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.
Cornelius asked Peter to tell him and his family and friends whatever God put on his heart. A very open invitation. And this is what Peter chose to tell: the basics of Jesus' story, and a little bit of his testimony.
Jesus and John the Baptist
Jesus anointed by God
Jesus' mighty works
Jesus in Jerusalem
Jesus' arrest and execution
Jesus' resurrection
the Great Commission
Jesus' future return as Judge
That's a lot, but see how quickly Peter shares it! And realize that when Peter talks about the Great Commission, that's his testimony! It's how Peter fits into everything that Jesus said and did.
Here's part of building your biblical worldview: why did Peter include those specific details in this gospel presentation? How does Peter's gospel presentation compare with one you would share?
Aside: All the Prophets Testify about Jesus
I really had to think about this. If "all" of the prophets explained that the Messiah (the One God "anointed" and "appointed") would provide forgiveness of sins through belief in His name, then why did so few Jews understand that?
Here's my humble way of trying to explain this. The Jews were expecting multiple people in the role that God intended to be filled by one Messiah. And further, they believed that the priestly role would be a continuation of the traditional sacrificial system, not a fulfillment of it.
For example, consider this passage in Jeremiah 33:
14 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will fulfill the good promise that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a Righteous Branch to sprout up for David, and he will administer justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is what she will be named: The Lord Is Our Righteousness. 17 For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. 18 The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices.”
It seems that at least some Jews understood this to mean that there would be a divine king over Israel, and a divine priest offering sacrifices in Jerusalem. I can certainly see that!
But God's Messiah would be both of those roles at the same time (and more). And most importantly, He would offer up the one true sacrifice to fulfill all sacrifices: Himself. By doing so, Jesus would be making a way for God's complete (and eternal) forgiveness to become available to all people (not just Jews).
There's a lot in the prophets about a priest for God's people as well as a king. But the Jews simply didn't understand that the priest would be offering Himself. (Well, and that He would be the Son of God in a divine sense.)
Part 3: They Can't Wait to Be Saved (Acts 10:44-48)
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and declaring the greatness of God. Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Cornelius and his family were so ready to be saved, they couldn't even wait for Peter to stop talking!
Yes, there are some practical implications to this. For example, no one has to "walk the aisle" to be saved. They don't have to "pray a prayer". Salvation is a transaction that takes place in the heart.
So, why do we ask people to "walk the aisle" at all? Two main reasons: one, it's the next step. Remember what Paul said:
Rom 10: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
When you believe in Jesus -- and yes, you can "say" that to God without making a sound -- you want to tell people. That's not a life change you want to keep to yourself. So, if you're not sure who to tell, start by telling your pastor. And then you and the pastor can tell the whole church. And then you can demonstrate it in baptism. And so on. So, "walking the aisle" is one of the first ways you can "confess with your mouth" that you've been saved.
The second reason is that some people have questions about salvation. They want to talk to somebody about it. Cornelius had Peter in his home. Sitting in a church service isn't quite so intimate. So, "walking the aisle" to talk to the preacher is a practical way to help someone with their questions without having to wait.
Long story short: a person can be saved before the preacher gives the invitation.
But let's move on to the question: does this passage show that Pentecostals are right in saying that speaking in tongues is normal evidence of salvation?
Here's the best way I've heard this explained: this is the Gentile Pentecost. Remember that when we studied Pentecost, I talked a lot about the uniqueness of that event.
It's terrible scholarship to take a once-in-history event and try to make it normative. (Also, we talked a lot about the work of the Spirit when we studied John:
Don't underestimate the prejudice Jews had against Gentiles. It would probably take something as dramatic as seeing these Gentiles having the same experience that the apostles themselves had at Pentecost to break down whatever barriers of prejudice that remained in their hearts and minds.
So then also note the incredible prudence of Peter to bring those other Christians with him from Joppa. Now we have the "testimony of many witnesses".
But now let's compare this event with what I guess I should call the Samaritan Pentecost in Acts 8:
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Huh? That's totally different! And I think that's Luke's point in sharing these details. These unique events are by definition unique. The first salvation of Jews / the first salvation of Samaritans / the first salvation of Gentiles -- these epoch-making events were each clearly inhabited by God's Spirit such that nobody could argue otherwise. Apostles were physically present when God's Spirit came upon the new believers of these different ethnicities. The next chapter of Acts explains why God did that:
2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 Peter began to explain to them step by step [what happened].
18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”
You would rightly say, "Well, those Christians shouldn't have been so prejudiced against Gentiles!" But God knows our hearts. And He was not going to let our human failings derail His next step in the plan of salvation for the human race.
And just like he did at Joppa, Peter stayed with them for a few days. Peter has come a long way. The Lifeway material is absolutely right in saying that verse 48 represents a new era in the history of the Christian church. We have the first Gentile Christians. We have the first apostle to spend time with Gentiles in a Gentile's home. "The ends of the earth" are closer than ever.
Application: Overcoming Cultural and Racial Barriers
You can see why this event is so important in the course of the book of Acts, why Luke made such a big deal of it.
So why are so many churches still so segregated? And what can be done about it?
Closing Thoughts: Acts 11
When we read about the conversion of Cornelius and his friends and family, we are ecstatic. As we should be! But when some of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem heard about it, they were concerned. They called on Peter to give an account of himself. At the end of the investigation, the other Christians say the right thing, but we know from later chapters in Acts that not everybody in Jerusalem was fully on board with the idea of Gentile Christians.
"What will these Gentiles do when they come into our churches?"
"What crazy traditions and preferences will Gentiles bring into our churches?"
"Will Gentiles truly appreciate the deeper traditions of our churches?"
Hm, where have I heard that sentiment before?
But Luke also includes in chapter 11 an important development to show that the Jewish-Christian hesitation about Gentile Christians was already irrelevant. Remember that years have passed between Paul's conversion to Christianity and Peter's visit to Samaria. Well, while those things were going on, Christians who had been scattered by the persecution (led by Saul) had settled into new homes, and some of them -- without the permission of the apostles <gasp> -- had already started sharing Jesus with Gentiles. And Gentiles were being saved. No visit from Peter or anybody else. This is Luke's way of explaining that God didn't need the apostles' approval or presence to save anyone; He only graciously allowed their presence at a few key moments so they would understand His plan to bring salvation to the whole world. And this is when Luke reports a truly key detail for the history of the church:
11: 22 News about them reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord. 25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
Paul enters the missionary chat. Oh, and that's a fun detail about the origin of "Christian".
God is not defined by our prejudices, and salvation will not be constrained by our segregations. But goodness, wouldn't it be better if every Christian simply saw the world the way God does? Let's commit to developing a biblical worldview.
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