Acts 10:17, commentary and pictures

While Peter was on the housetop in prayer inwardly doubting and pondering what the vision of all manner of beasts and fowls should mean, the men sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate.
That exact joining of perplexity to arrival was directed by God, with angels guiding at every step to prepare Peter to receive the Gentile seekers and recognize he was being sent to Cornelius.
The vision taught in symbols that through Christ's death Gentiles were made fellow heirs and fellow citizens with the saints, so the barrier was broken and Peter must not maintain the distinction between circumcised and uncircumcised or regard Gentiles as common or unclean.
While he thought on the vision the Spirit told him three men sought him and commanded him to go with them doubting nothing because God had sent them, and though the command set aside his prejudice he dared not follow his own feelings but went down, received them, lodged them, and promised to go with them.
The meeting marks the extension of salvation beyond the chosen people in Cornelius's conversion as the first major conversion and firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, showing how in every age God sets circumstances in operation to bring honest-hearted seekers into connection with those who can best reach their needs.

Verse Setting and Timing

Peter was on the housetop in prayer, inwardly doubting and pondering what the vision he had seen should mean. The vision was the sheet let down by its four corners, containing all manner of four-footed beasts and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air, given to him as a lesson in symbols. He remained perplexed in himself over its meaning and still unsure how it applied.

At that very moment the men sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate. They were the messengers in authority sent by Cornelius, arrived at his lodging in Joppa and waiting at the gate while he considered the vision. Their errand was to seek Peter and bring him to Cornelius.

The exact coincidence of perplexity and arrival was directed by God, with angels directing at every step. The timing joined heaven's revelation to the arrival of Gentile seekers, bringing vision and visit together. It was part of God's guidance to prepare Peter to receive them, to understand he was being sent to Cornelius, and to go with them without hesitation.

Vision Meaning for Gentiles

The sheet vision was given in symbols to teach that through Christ's death the Gentiles were made fellow heirs with Israel, no longer strangers outside God's promises but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household. Peter had wrongly regarded them as unclean and outside those promises, and while he pondered what the vision should mean the arrival of Cornelius's men at the gate with the Spirit's instruction to go with them doubting nothing because God had sent them clarified its application. That joining of vision and arrival prepared him to understand that he must welcome the Gentile messengers and take the gospel to Cornelius. It taught him not to maintain the ceremonial distinction between circumcised and uncircumcised nor to regard Gentiles as common or unclean.

The barrier that had kept Gentiles from the privileges of the gospel had been broken by Christ's death, even though the minds of the apostles still held it. Gentiles who accepted the gospel were therefore to share its blessings on equal terms with Jewish believers, without being required to be circumcised. This moment began a new phase in the Christian church in which Gentile believers are received as fully equal to Jewish disciples, with heavenly messengers and human cooperation working together to break down prejudice. For Jewish converts still held prejudice against Gentiles thoroughly fixed by all their Jewish training, and even Peter needed to be converted on this point. God was carefully teaching him to yield his own ideas, to be willing to be taught, and not to belittle those who had had no opportunity to hear the truth.

Cornelius's devout piety, prayers and alms were acceptable as far as his knowledge went, but complete only in Christ in whom all fullness dwells. By faith both Jews and Gentiles were to be joined to Jesus Christ, the barrier between them taken away, and Peter appointed as the human instrument in the hands of heavenly agencies to unite heaven and earth in that work.

Peter Obeys Despite Reluctance

While Peter was still turning the vision over in his mind, the Spirit spoke to him in a voice he understood, telling him that three men were seeking him and commanding him to arise, get down and go with them doubting nothing, because God had sent them. That arrival at the very moment of his inward questioning, with the messengers standing at the gate after inquiring for Simon's house, was directed by God with angels guiding every step, and by it the symbolic lesson was made plain in events. The Spirit's command showed how the vision applied, that he was to welcome these Gentile messengers and go with them to Cornelius.

The command set aside his prejudice against Gentiles and was trying to him, yet he dared not act on his own feelings and refused to follow them. He obeyed despite personal misgivings, went down to the men, identified himself as the one they sought, asked their errand and heard why Cornelius had sent for him. He received them, lodged them as guests that night, and promised to accompany them on the morrow.

He set out in the morning for Caesarea with six of his brethren to be witnesses of all he said and did among the Gentiles, because he knew he would be called to account for what looked like direct opposition to Jewish faith and teaching. He undertook the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step. Afterward he defended his action not on general principles but as an exception done because of divine revelation, and he was greatly surprised to perceive that God is no respecter of persons.

Heaven Joins Human Agencies

God knows every person by name and just where he lives, what spirit he possesses, and every act of his life. The same holy Watcher who knew Abraham knew Cornelius also, because Cornelius had received and improved all the light God had given him. God told Cornelius that his prayers and alms had come up in remembrance before Him, told him that Peter lodged with Simon a tanner by the seaside, and directed him to send men there for Peter. While Peter doubted on the housetop what the sheet let down by its four corners with all manner of four-footed beasts and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air should mean, the men in authority sent by Cornelius made enquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate, and God told Peter that three men were seeking him. Ministering angels are still passing through the churches noting faithfulness in each one's individual line of duty.

Heaven is joined to earth to carry out God's direction, and people are more closely connected with heaven than is suspected. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian who is engaged in the work of soul-saving than many suppose. Heavenly intelligences are constantly communicating with the inhabitants of earth. An angel opened Cornelius's mind to receive the gospel, and Peter was sent to carry him the message of salvation. God's regard for every human being means each person should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth.

That joining was by God's exact guidance, for God knew exactly where Peter was when the men reached the gate. God's plan was to connect people who needed the gospel with chosen messengers, so that a Roman officer seeking light and his family would receive truth and law through human ministry empowered by God. The angel could have given Cornelius the whole gospel message directly, but that is not God's way. He purposed a personal connection between Peter and Cornelius, so that the light He had given Peter would be given through Peter to Cornelius and all his family, because He requires His church to connect together. That connection means believers must unify, love one another with gentleness, and deal justly, honestly and truly with one another without false weights and measures, opening the way for the salvation of God to be revealed with medical missionary work and the gospel bound inseparably together.

God instructs people through visions about His work and how it should be carried on, showing what they should understand and speak. The instruction is repeated again and again. Peter's vision was given when God was about to send him to preach to the Gentiles, to educate and train him until he learned the lesson and went with the men, so that when Cornelius declared readiness to hear and Peter learned what God had said to them there was understanding of the matter. Such visions are given for the comfort of His people and to correct one erring from Bible truth. They are not given as a new rule of faith, for the Word of God remains the rule of faith and practice by which all are to be judged.

Prophetic Opening to World

The moment when Peter stood perplexed while the messengers stood at the gate marked the extension of the message of salvation beyond the chosen people after the Jews' allotted seventy weeks ended in A.D. 34 and the nation rejected the gospel. Cornelius's conversion was the first major conversion among the Gentiles, opening a new phase of the church's work. That conversion of Cornelius and his household was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered in from the world. From that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on into the surrounding world. Cornelius himself, as a man of influence, was to accomplish a great work in connection with believers in Jesus Christ.

Counsel for Present Workers

Workers are to read the tenth chapter of Acts with prayer until its meaning opens to understanding, and that opening will move them to earnest work for souls in the home field and arouse them to home mission duty lest they be found wanting in the day of God. Once opened, the chapter teaches giving the gospel as freely to Jews as to Gentiles with no barriers erected. It shows God working on human minds to lead His servants to one who feared His name, breaking the power of oppression and tyranny and dispelling ignorance and superstition as He wrought for Cornelius.

In every age God sets in operation a train of circumstances to bring honest-hearted seekers into connection with those of His people who can best reach their individual needs. He uses servants with different special knowledge and training adapted to different classes of inquirers. The doubting of Peter over the vision joined at the exact moment to the arrival of the men at the gate illustrates that divine timing, and the conversion of Cornelius and his household that followed was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, with a widespread work of grace carried on from that home in a heathen city.

There are many like Cornelius who are not fully informed in regard to present truth and yet fear God, follow principles of righteousness, and serve Him as acceptably with the light they have as those with greater light. They live through the ages as bright examples in high positions of responsibility, as clear, pure, undefiled witnesses for truth and righteousness, as bright and shining lights even among accomplished worldly men, not forgetting God in investigation of true science and of the laws which rule the world. Angels cooperate with human servants to guide them to full light, for in this dark world of sin God has many precious jewels to whom He will guide His servants, including souls in the churches who are much nearer the kingdom than is supposed. In the last days many will prize the wisdom of God above any earthly advantage, obey the Word as supreme, be led to great light and to knowledge of the truth, become conscientious lightbearers constrained by the love of God to constrain others, and improve every opportunity to invite and urge others to see the beauty of the truth and give their abilities to advance the work. Among the nations there are earnest seekers longing and praying for light from heaven who, when Christ is revealed to them, receive Him gladly.

Special, heavier, more determined and earnest labor is required for men of position, responsibility, stewardship in trust, and means, whose sympathies are with God's people but who are held by threads binding them to the world and lack moral courage to take their stand with the lowly because of the special temptations of their stewardship. Such converts give strength and solidity to the cause, while work that drifts only to securing the poorest and most objectionable classes brings in elements that unless thoroughly transformed by daily grace will dishonor Christ. Therefore far more earnest, devoted, determined effort is to be made for associations like the W.C.T.U., that light may shine to souls as honest as Cornelius, that those seeking light may be gathered out, even from those bitterly opposed to the message, with angel ministration bringing cooperation with inquiring souls who have all things in readiness to hear the truth and receive advanced light.

Believers must unify and connect together, love one another, and deal justly, honestly, truly, gently and righteously with one another without false weights and measures and without tearing each other down. The light given to Peter was to be imparted by Peter to Cornelius and all his family, for though the angel could have told the whole message directly, God's way is for His church to connect together in love, gentleness, justice and unity, those having light sharing it with others. So joined, medical missionary work and the gospel bound inseparably together open the way for the salvation of God to be revealed.

God regards every human being, and each person should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth, for heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in soul-saving than is supposed. He directs people to places where someone needs the help they can give, as He directed Peter to the Roman centurion. His compassion and tender love for those seeking and praying for light encourages holding prayer for God to open the way so truth can enter strongholds where Satan has set up his throne and dispel the shadow from those he seeks to deceive and destroy, with assurance that effectual fervent prayer avails much. Cornelius stands as the kind of true man on a solid foundation the Lord calls for now, taught by Him and sanctified and ennobled through the truth, in contrast to professed believers without spiritual discernment who are right in their own eyes, count themselves wise while foolish, and build upon sand to be swept away for lack of foundation upon the solid rock.