Bible Commentaries
Acts 10

Verse 1

1 Act 10:1. This Caesarea was on the coast of Palestine. It was the official headquarters for the Roman government in that province. That is why Cornelius was stationed there, he being a military officer of the government, a centurion or commander of a hundred soldiers. Italian band means soldiers recruited from captives out of Italy.

Verse 2

2 Act 10:2. Cornelius was a Gentile and lived under the Patriarchial Dispensation, which made it appropriate for him to worship God in the manner described. That dispensation, like the two others, had its better as well as less devoted members, and Cornelius was one of the best. He was a busy man in practical matters, so his praying to God always means he was continually a praying man.

Verse 3

3 Act 10:3. He saw evidently denoted it was so plain that it could not leave any doubt as to what he saw. God was about to put an end to the Patriarchial Dispensation, and selected one of the best men in that system for the occasion. That was significant and showed that the change was not made just because the system was an absolute failure. The angel was not to tell Cornelius what to do to be saved, but to direct him to a man who would tell him. (See the comments at chapter 8:26.)

Verse 4

4 Act 10:4. Was afraid means he was overcome with awe at the appearance of this being. It was at the ninth hour which is three o'clock P. M., in broad daylight, so that no mysterious condition surrounded the place. He used the word lord in the sense of "sir," a title of great respect, and inquired what he wanted of him. Before telling him of his duty, the angel first quieted his fears with some words of commendation for his past life. Memorial is from MNEMOSUNON which Thayer defines, "a memorial (that by which the memory of any person or thing is preserved), a remembrance." It denotes that God had not overlooked his righteous life, and was going to use him as the first Gentile to be offered membership in the Christian Dispensation.

Verse 5

5 Act 10:5. Up until now Cornelius had lived in accordance with the obligations of the Patriarchal Dispensation. That system was for the Gentiles and had been in force since the days of Adam. In the meantime the Jewish Dispensation had been "added" (Gal 3:19) as the system for the Jews, and that was lifted from them by the cross (Col 2:14), leaving the Gentiles still under the Patriarchal Dispensation for a few years. Now that, too, was to be discontinued, and Cornelius was to do something else. That placed him under a new obligation, cancelling the authority of the former system. From now he was expected to do something else in order to be saved, and he was told to send for Peter at Joppa that he might tell him what it was.

Verse 6

6 Act 10:6. Specific directions were given so that the right Simon would be called for. Oughtest is from DEI which Thayer defines, "It is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper," and he explains it at this place to mean, "Necessity in reference to what is required to attain some end." It has been rendered "must" 58 times in the King James translation. He shall tell thee. This is in keeping with the Lord's plan not to tell sinners directly what to do to be saved. (See chapter 8:26.)

Verse 7

8 Act 10:7-8. Most public officers have their servants to wait on them in the affairs of the home, and military men who compose a bodyguard. Cornelius sent a group of three from these two classes to go to Joppa.

Verse 9

0 Act 10:9-10. The story now leaves the three men in their journey but nearing the city of Joppa the following day. Meanwhile Peter went upon the roof of the house to pray. Homes had fiat roofs and they were occupied in much the same way as verandas are used today. It was at noon and Peter was hungry, but the meal was not ready, hence it furnished an opportunity for the Lord to add another portion to the story. A trance differs from a dream in that it occurs while the person is physically awake, but is lost to the immediate surroundings; a sort of "daydream." When the Lord uses that plan for making a special revelation, he will cause the person to "draw in his mind from the things around him," and see with his mind's eye the things He wishes him to see.

Verse 11

1 Act 10:11. Saw heaven opened refers to the region above him that could be seen with the natural eye under ordinary circumstances. A square piece of cloth could be gathered up by the four corners and thus form a vessel in which objects could be held. The four corners represented the "four corners of the earth," and denoted that God was about to offer an additional opportunity to mankind for salvation, that would include the Gentiles or nations of the whole earth.

Verse 12

3 Act 10:12-13. The Jews were restricted against eating certain kinds of animals that were considered unclean (ceremonially). They likewise held themselves above the Gentiles and regarded them as "dogs" (Mat 15:26-27). The time had come when the Lord was going to consider any of the nations of the world good enough to be offered the Gospel, and he was introducing the subject by this object lesson. It was to be literally true that under the new dispensation no religious objections would be made against any kind of meat (1Ti 4:3-4). Likewise, no discriminations were to be made against any race of mankind, whether Jew or Gentile.

Verse 14

4 Act 10:14. Peter took the language of the Lord to be used literally of these living creatures, and that perhaps He was putting him to the test. Common means food that the common classes of mankind used.

Verse 15

5 Act 10:15. What God hat% cleansed is explained at verses 12, 13.

Verse 16

6 Act 10:16. This (conversation) was done thrice, the second being mentioned in the preceding verse. After the three times, the vessel was taken back out of Peter's sight.

Verse 17

7 Act 10:17. Peter pondered over the vision as to what it signified, and by that time the men sent by Cornelius had arrived at Simon's gate.

Verse 18

8 Act 10:18. The men specified whom they wanted according to the instruc-tions they received from Cornelius.

Verse 19

9 Act 10:19. The Lord was supervising this whole drama and bringing the various parts of it together at just the right time. Peter was still wondering about the vision at the time these men were making their inquiry. The "voice" of verses 13 and 15 is here seen to have been the Spirit, speaking on behalf of the Lord.

Verse 20

0 Act 10:20. The purpose of the Spirit in speaking was to reassure Peter that the call was legitimate. That would prepare him to receive whatever message they gave him.

Verse 21

1 Act 10:21. Peter identified himself to the three men, which was the only response we have recorded as to their inquiry when they arrived at the gate. The Spirit had not told him what the men wanted, but simply assured him they were there because of Him.

Verse 22

2 Act 10:22. In answer to Peter's question the men told their story. The original for warned at this place is defined by Thayer, "To be divinely commanded, admonished, instructed." Admonition always implies that some danger is possible for the one being admonished. Cornelius had been asked to learn his duty from Peter, and should he neglect it his soul would be in danger. This verse adds the information that Cornelius (though a Gentile) had a good reputation among the Jews.

Verse 23

3 Act 10:23. It being evening of the day after the men started from home, Peter procured lodging for them over night; the next chapter will explain about certain brethren.

Verse 24

4 Act 10:24. Morrow after means the next day after the group left the house of Simon the tanner. By way of tabulating the days, if the men left the house of Cornelius on Monday, they got back on Thursday. Cornelius was not selfish about the good words he expected to hear, but had assembled his relatives and friends who were waiting for Peter.

Verse 25

5 Act 10:25. It was very natural for Cornelius to offer worship to the man who was to show him the way of salvation. We do not know what actions he attempted further than his falling down at the feet of Peter. For information on the various meanings of the word "worship," see the notes on Mat 2:2.

Verse 26

6 Act 10:26. Peter's remark that he was himself also a man indicates that what Cornelius was attempting to offer was a kind due only to the Lord.

Verse 27

7 Act 10:27. The above conversation took place near the entrance of the house of Cornelius. Peter then went on in and observed that quite an audience had assembled.

Verse 28

8 Act 10:28. The first part of this verse states the long-standing attitude of the Jews toward the Gentiles. Peter makes his application of this vision of the sheet and the conversation in connection with it. In that instance nothing was said about common or unclean men; only articles of food. But the apostle understood the lesson and stated it to this assembled audience.

Verse 29

9 Act 10:29. Acting upon the lesson as he understood it, he came without gainsaying, which means without calling it in question. Being convinced that whatever was the purpose in calling him, it was proper, he asked them what that purpose was.

Verse 30

2 Act 10:30-32. This paragraph corresponds with verses 3-6 in its main thoughts. It adds the information that he was fasting at the time the man (angel) appeared.

Verse 33

3 Act 10:33. Cornelius was the spokesman in this reply to Peter's question. He was appreciative of the fact that Peter had come at his request. In the original conversation there was nothing said directly about the commandments coming from the Lord, but Cornelius recognized that He was back of all this, because the angel told him it was God who had remembered his good deeds. We are all here . . . to hear. This denotes an audience that was open to the words of the Lord.

Verse 34

4 Act 10:34. Opened his mouth. (See the comments at Mat 5:2.) God is no respecter of persons is from PROSOPOLEPTER which Thayer defines, "an accepter." It has the idea of one who can be bribed or induced to show partiality in bestowing mercy.

Verse 35

5 Act 10:35. Through the combination of several circumstances, Peter was convinced that all races were equally acceptable to God if they feared him and lived righteously.

Verse 36

6 Act 10:36. Peter then began his sermon about Jesus, whose life's story was begun among the children of Israel, and which declared that Jesus was Lord (or ruler) of all.

Verse 37

7 Act 10:37. The work for Jesus began with the introductory labors of John in the wilderness, and consisted of his baptism of the people, connected with belief of the story that Jesus was to come.

Verse 38

8 Act 10:38. Literal anointing was done by rubbing oil over a person being introduced into an office. Figurative anointing was done by bestowing the Holy Spirit upon someone who was expected to have a prominent work under God. When the word is extended to apply to unofficial persons, it means to be endowed with the words which the Holy Spirit gave the disciples through the apostles. (See 1Jn 2:27.) Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power at his baptism (Mat 3:16-17). Devil is from DIABOLOS which means the being called Satan, who is considered responsible for the entrance of sin and disease into the world.

Verse 39

9 Act 10:39. We are witnesses was made possible by the arrangement recorded in Mar 3:14, which also is in line with Peter's statement in chapter 1:21, 22.

Verse 40

1 Act 10:40-41. Openly does not mean generally, but evidently, "by many infallible proofs" (chapter 1:3). The witnesses were the apostles, who were chosen beforehand for that purpose. Having seen Jesus alive, and eaten with him and handled him, they could testify from personal knowledge that Jesus lived again after his three days and three nights in the tomb.

Verse 42

2 Act 10:42. Unlike his previous speeches, Peter did not accuse his hearers of guilt when he mentioned the death of Jesus, but the event needed to be told in connection with the resurrection. For the meaning of ordained, see the notes at Joh 15:16. The quick are the people who will be living when Jesus comes. The dead will be raised, and all will be judged by this One who was ordained for that work. (See chapter 17:31.)

Verse 43

3 Act 10:43. All the prophets witness. The Gentiles were not expected to be acquainted with the Old Testament prophecies. The purpose Peter had in mentioning this was to show Cornelius and his group that it had long been God's will to offer salvation to all the world who would believe, whether they were Jews or Gentiles.

Verse 44

5 Act 10:44-45. It is better to consider these two verses together because of their relation to each other. Notice that the terms Holy Ghost and gifts of the Holy Ghost are used for the same event, showing that the Holy Ghost was the thing given. The gift was not bestowed to make them disciples, for they were told next to be baptized. The reference to the astonishment of the disciples of the Jewish nation, and the argument Peter makes in verse 47, shows that God bestowed the gift as an evidence that from then on the Gentiles would be acceptable to become converts to Christ. (See Rom 15:16.)

Verse 46

8 Act 10:46-48. These verses may be bracketed and entitled, "end of the Patriarchal Dispensation." Speaking with tongues was necessary as evidence that these Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost. Upon all the accumulated evidence before Peter, which began with his trance on the roof of the house, he proposed baptism in water for these believers. In His name. The first word is from EN, and means upon the authority of the Lord. It shows Peter's right to command the baptism, and not as a "formula" to be uttered by the baptizer. It was natural for them to wish Peter to spend some time with them.