Acts 10:39, commentary and pictures

Peter's words are Spirit-given eyewitness testimony that he and those with him personally saw everything Jesus did throughout the Jewish land and in Jerusalem, and that He was killed by being hanged on a tree. He spoke them in Caesarea to Cornelius with his household and his kinsmen and close friends gathered as an attentive company ready to receive the gospel. They belong to preaching that God shows no favoritism but accepts in every nation those who reverence Him and do right, proclaiming Jesus anointed with the Holy Spirit going about doing good, raised the third day and shown openly to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with Him, commanded to preach Him as Judge of living and dead through whom all who believe receive forgiveness. They were given after God taught Peter by the vision of the sheet not to call any person common or unclean, and they form the first preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles when the barrier excluding them was broken by Christ's death so that believing Gentiles share its blessings equally without circumcision, confirmed when the Holy Spirit fell on them as on Jewish believers. This proclaims Christ as the anointed, crucified and risen Saviour foretold by the prophets, through whose name forgiveness comes, and calls believers to carry that message in the Spirit's power to honest seekers outside the full light, gathering them with patient love into connection with the church.

Peter's Eyewitness Testimony

This is Peter's Spirit-inspired testimony that he and those with him are eyewitnesses of all things Jesus did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, and that they slew Jesus and hanged Him on a tree. The apostles witnessed Christ's deeds in Judea and Jerusalem and His being killed by hanging on a tree, as the anointed, crucified, and risen Saviour whose work was testified to by prophets and believers and through whose name people receive forgiveness of sins.

It was spoken in Caesarea to Cornelius and his household, with his kinsmen and near friends gathered. Heaven set in operation circumstances to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius so that Cornelius might learn the truth and receive advanced light, bringing Peter by angel ministration into cooperation with inquiring souls who had all things in readiness to hear. The company in Cornelius's house was attentive and their hearts were prepared to receive the gospel.

It belongs to preaching that declares God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him. It declares that Jesus of Nazareth anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. It declares that God raised Him the third day and showed Him openly not to all the people but to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with Him after He rose, that He commanded them to preach and testify He was ordained of God to be Judge of the living and the dead, and that through His name whosoever believeth receives remission of sins. That preaching covered His life, His miracles, His betrayal, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, and His work in heaven as man's representative and advocate.

Together with the resurrection and ascension, this witness to His death forms sacred facts that establish Jesus as the Saviour and the hope of Israel. The disciples' Spirit-given power to continue His work and perform signs in His name bears witness to Him.

Gospel Opened to Gentiles

Peter spoke these words after God had taught him by the sheet vision on the housetop not to call any man common or unclean. That vision put him in the way to receive the truth himself concerning God's purpose to the Gentiles and to take away the barriers between Jew and Gentile. He went to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius, an uncircumcised Gentile, by the command of God after being admonished no longer to observe the ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision nor to look upon Gentiles as unclean.

It belongs to the first preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles and marks an entirely new phase of the work of the Christian church when the door many Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles was thrown open. Christ's death broke down the barrier that had excluded Gentiles from the privileges of the gospel, so that through Christ Gentiles who accept the gospel share its blessings as equals with Jewish believers and need not be circumcised. They are to be received as on a perfect equality with the Jewish disciples without the necessity of circumcision and made fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household. While Peter spoke in direct fulfilment of the plan of God the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles with the like gift given to Jewish believers when they believed, showing no one could withstand God. This proves God granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life, destroys prejudice and exclusiveness, and opens the way for the work to be carried on among the Gentiles to the world. Cornelius's conversion was the first important conversion among them. The Lord carries forward His work in His own way, with every true believer standing ready to be taught and whatever prejudices he had broken down by the planning of heavenly messengers, working to enlighten all who love and fear Him even though they do not know all the truth, while if men hold to their own ideas and are unwilling to yield the Lord cannot use them but will pass them by and take those willing to walk in His ways.

Peter undertook the duty with reluctance at every step by divine command as an exception done because of divine revelation, not defended on general principles, and the result was a surprise to him. More than one man was converted in the transaction, for Peter himself was appointed to become the human instrument in the hands of heavenly agencies. Cornelius, though devout and accepted of God and commended for piety, with prayers and alms that came before God, still had an advance in faith and a new experience to obtain in order to do his work intelligently through Jesus Christ. He that believed the Word promising a Messiah must now have opportunity to receive the fulfilment of the promise, for neither prayer nor almsgiving can take the place of Christ Jesus in whom all fulness dwells, and prayers and alms are acceptable as far as knowledge goes but all can only be complete in Him. His conversion with his household was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, from which home a widespread work of grace was carried on in a heathen city. In every age God so works through His servants to bring honest hearts into connection with those best fitted by special knowledge and training to reach their individual needs, and this man of influence in connection with believers in Jesus Christ could accomplish a great work.

The meeting shows God's plan to bring the gospel to the Gentiles through chosen human messengers, with heaven and earth united in accomplishing the work. God employs angels to communicate with human beings, giving instruction by immortal messengers and sending His angels to be powerful helpers of His chosen messengers and to set in operation circumstances bringing Peter into connection with Cornelius that Cornelius might learn the truth. God knew exactly where Peter was and told Cornelius exactly where to find him, lodging with Simon the tanner by the seaside at Joppa, with specific directions to send men there to call for Simon Peter who would tell him what he ought to do. Yet the angel did not preach the message and the communication of the gospel was not to come from the angel, for the light about Christ given to Peter had to be imparted by Peter to Cornelius and his family and all his household through personal connection and gospel missionary acquaintance. This is the commandment that Jews and Gentiles are by faith to be joined to Jesus Christ, requiring believers to unify, love one another, and deal honestly, justly, and truly, giving God room among them, because God's church must connect together rather than remain in hatred and division. The same holy Watcher who knew Abraham knew Cornelius, who had received and improved all the light God had given him, for the Lord knows every person by name and just where they live and the spirit they possess and every act of life, and ministering angels pass through the churches noting faithfulness in each one's individual line of duty.

Christ Proclaimed Today

The verse presents Christ as the anointed, crucified, risen and ascended Saviour, witnessed in His work in Judea and Jerusalem and in His being slain and hanged on a tree. His life and work were testified to by prophets and by believers, and through His name all who believe receive forgiveness of sins. The truth about Him points hearers to the prophecies of His sufferings and to the truth as it is in Jesus. A human minister was needed to teach Cornelius and his household about this crucified, risen and ascended Saviour and how they could be saved, so the angel sent him to Peter rather than telling the story of the cross himself.

Such preaching, when given filled with the Spirit and consecrated to God, carries grace and power to impress human hearts. The righteousness of Christ goes before it and the glory of the Lord is its rearward, to lead men and women to give their hearts to the Saviour. Spoken with a heart glowing with the spirit of the truth, it charms hearers whose hearts are prepared to receive the gospel. It declares that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness is accepted, that Jesus of Nazareth anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power went about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil, that God raised Him the third day and showed Him openly not to all the people but to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with Him after He rose, that He commanded them to preach and testify He was ordained of God to be Judge of the living and the dead, and that through His name whosoever believes receives remission of sins, covering His life, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and work in heaven as man's representative and advocate.

The account shows that heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in soul-saving than many suppose. It shows God's compassion and regard for every human being, including earnest people outside Israel who lived according to the light received and longed and prayed for further light from heaven, and who received Christ with gladness when He was revealed. God seeks people in positions of responsibility and influence, such as the Roman officer, and can make them witnesses and workers for the gospel. Each person is to be treated as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for His work in the earth, and honest seekers are to be gathered by patient, loving work and by a special message bringing them into connection with the church.

It stands as instruction to be ready to work for those who have not received the whole truth yet serve God with sincere, earnest purpose, for Gentiles such as Cornelius serve God as acceptably as Jews and many such souls in the world and in the churches are nearer the kingdom than supposed. God calls men like Cornelius to be His witnesses and true standard-bearers, though not fully informed in regard to present truth, because they fear God and follow principles of righteousness in every sphere of action and bear a clear, pure, undefiled testimony as bright and shining lights. As He worked for Cornelius by the visitation and ministration of angels and by setting in operation a train of circumstances, He works for them and prepares the way for them to take the place of those given Bible truth who disappointed the Saviour, placing them in connection with men of superior knowledge of His Word that they may obtain advanced light and be guided along the path to everlasting life. Men of nobility and influence awaiting the call will stand for God in true integrity amid fearful odds and falsehood, testifying by purity and nobility of character to unadulterated principles if they heed the message and cling to Infinite Wisdom, pressing on in the narrow way with the sunshine of His favor upon them. Earnest, devoted, determined work should be done for honest souls in associations where light is sought, such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union, so that those seeking light may be gathered out, for the witness to Cornelius and his household was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world from which a widespread work of grace was carried on in a heathen city. Peter's distinct leading part as pioneer in breaking through the barriers of ages to teach the heathen world was foreseen and prepared by Christ. Men like Cornelius taught by God are called for now when men losing spiritual discernment are in peril, for lifelong profession alone does not make true men, who are sanctified and ennobled through the truth. The vision given to Peter when God was about to send him to the Gentiles illustrates that visions in the last days are given not for a new rule of faith but for comfort of His people and correction of those erring from Bible truth, while the Word remains the rule by which all will be judged.