Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
God raised Jesus, after He was slain and hanged on a tree, on the third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people but to witnesses chosen beforehand who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. Peter proclaimed this to Cornelius and his household with kinsmen and near friends gathered at Caesarea as the fuller knowledge of Jesus they were seeking. The proclamation belongs to the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles and the start of an entirely new phase of the church, carrying salvation beyond the Jewish people to the wider world. There God taught Peter to call no man common or unclean, for God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him. The resurrection stands joined to the command to preach and testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be Judge of the living and the dead, through whose name whoever believes receives remission of sins.
Peter's Preaching at Caesarea
The proclamation belongs to Caesarea, where Peter set before Cornelius and his household, with kinsmen and near friends gathered, the fuller knowledge of Jesus they were seeking. It was spoken in the house of Cornelius the Gentile, after Peter had come by divine command, to give the truth about Jesus to those who had had no opportunity of hearing it. Through angel ministration a train of circumstances had been set in operation to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius, so that Cornelius might learn the truth from one to whom it had already been given.
What was proclaimed was that Jesus, after He was slain and hanged on a tree, was raised up by God on the third day and shown openly. The showing was not to all the people but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God, including Peter and those with him, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. The event was thus witnessed, though made visible only to chosen witnesses and not to all.
Peter set the third-day resurrection and open showing at the center of the gospel, joined to the command to preach and to testify that Jesus is ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead, through whose name whoever believes receives remission of sins as all the prophets witness. Alongside it he set Jesus of Nazareth as Lord of all, anointed by God with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil because God was with Him, together with His life, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, ascension, and work in heaven as man's representative and advocate. He preached with a glowing heart full of the spirit of truth to hearers whose hearts were prepared and attentive and who were charmed by the teaching, until the discourse was interrupted by the descent of the Holy Spirit, leading to baptism. The angel had not been sent to explain the gospel, for a human minister was to teach Cornelius about the Savior and how he and his household could be saved through His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
The tenth chapter stands as a history in which God instructed those named there by vision what to speak, and that same instruction by vision is given again and again.
Resurrection and Gentile Gospel
This declaration belongs to the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles and the start of an entirely new phase of the church, carrying salvation beyond the Jewish people to the wider world through Peter's pioneering work of breaking long-standing barriers and teaching the heathen world. Christ's death had broken down the barrier that excluded Gentiles from the privileges of the gospel. Gentile believers who accepted the gospel were therefore to share its blessings on perfect equality with Jewish disciples, without the necessity of being circumcised.
Where this was spoken God had taught Peter not to call any man common or unclean, no longer to observe the ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision nor to look upon Gentiles as unclean. God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he who fears God and works righteousness is accepted with Him. Gentiles who feared God and walked in all the light they had were thus accepted as fully as Jews, and were to be brought into full light and receive the revelation of the truth as it is in Jesus.
Peter undertook the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step. He afterward defended his action not on general principles but as an exception done because of divine revelation, and the result was a great surprise to himself. His preaching in the house of Cornelius first surprised and offended the brethren in Judea as presumptuous and contrary to his own teachings. Only when he related the vision, the messengers, the interview, and the fall of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles even as at the beginning were they convinced that his course was in direct fulfillment of God's plan, that prejudice and exclusiveness were to be utterly destroyed by the gospel, and that God had also granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.
The conversion of Cornelius and his household connected with this declaration was the first significant conversion among the Gentiles. It was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered in from the world. From that household and home a widespread work of grace was carried on in a heathen city.
The resurrection joins the command to preach to the people and to testify that Jesus is ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. Through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins, to which all the prophets give witness. Together with His crucifixion and ascension, the resurrection is a sacred fact witnessed by the apostles and testified to by believers, a foundation of hope showing Him to be the risen Savior and the Savior of the world, through whose name people receive forgiveness of sins.
Heaven Joining Human Messengers
The history to which the raising on the third day and the open showing belong is one in which heaven and earth are united, for the holy Watcher who knew Abraham knew Cornelius also by name, knew where everyone lives and the spirit each possesses and every act of life, heard his prayer, and sent an angel to tell him his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial and to direct him to send men to Joppa to call Peter lodging with Simon the tanner by the seaside. God knew just where Peter was to be found and told Cornelius every particular of where to look, putting Peter on the housetop in the way to receive the divine purpose to the Gentiles and to take away the barriers between Jew and Gentile, so that Jews and Gentiles are by faith joined to Jesus Christ. Peter was the appointed human instrument to tell Cornelius, who had believed God's promise of a Messiah, that God raised Jesus on the third day and made Him appear openly, giving him opportunity to receive its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Although the angel could have given Cornelius the light and the gospel message directly, that is not God's way, for His simple plan is to send chosen human messengers to those needing enlightenment and to require His church to be joined together and work through one another. The truth and gospel light about Jesus already given to Peter — that God raised Him the third day and showed Him openly — had to be carried by Peter himself to Cornelius and to all his family and household, because those who have light must impart it to those who need it. Agencies of heaven work together with human agencies, and ministering angels bring seekers into connection with the human agent through whom greater light may be received, while a human minister teaches about the Savior and how he and his household can be saved, since the angel was not sent to explain the gospel. God wished to bring about a connection between Peter and Cornelius so the truth Peter held would reach Cornelius through Peter himself, and Cornelius and Peter must become acquainted in gospel missionary work, with Cornelius as a man of influence accomplishing a great work in connection with believers in Jesus.
Cornelius had received and improved all the light God had given him, feared God, followed principles of righteousness that God accepts, and served God with sincere earnest purpose and devout piety with prayers and alms acceptable as far as his knowledge went. Yet he was not fully informed in regard to the truth for his time, and though walking in all the light he had he needed an advance in faith and a new experience and full light to do his work intelligently through Jesus Christ. Neither prayer nor almsgiving can take the place of Christ, in whom all fullness dwells and in whom alone all is complete. Preaching the full truth to people already serving God without having received the whole truth belongs to the Lord's plan in which agencies of heaven work together with human agencies to bring them into full light.
As God worked for Cornelius by sending angels from heaven to visit him and then placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge of His Word to teach him that God raised Christ the third day and showed Him openly, so He works for devout standard-bearers in every age and every sphere of action who live by pure holy principles. He prepares the way for them to take the place of those who were given a knowledge of Bible truth but disappointed the Saviour, calling men of nobility and influence to stand for God in true integrity as His witnesses.
Cornelius represents men in positions of stewardship and responsibility whose sympathies are with believers but who are held by threads binding them to the world and lack the moral courage to take their position with the lowly ones. Such men need special care and more determined earnest effort because of the responsibilities they bear and the temptations of their stewardship, and when converted they will give strength and solidity to the cause instead of bringing in objectionable elements. Honest souls like Cornelius who are ready for light are still to be sought with earnest devoted determined effort, and work is to be done for such associations as the W.C.T.U., that those seeking the light might be gathered out from those bitterly opposed to the message, rather than repelled through antagonism. Those who learn the truth are to share it with others who are seeking truth and invite them to see its beauty.
Christ's revelation in the account brought heavenly light to a sincere seeker who had long prayed for it and was seeking light from heaven, and Cornelius received Him gladly. God sent His messengers to set in operation a train of circumstances to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius that Cornelius might learn the truth, and through angel ministration Peter was brought into cooperation with inquiring souls who had all things in readiness to hear the truth and receive advanced light.
In every age God works through His servants in various ways, bringing honest hearts into connection with those best able to reach their individual needs, using some with special knowledge in certain lines for one class of inquirers and others trained differently for another class. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in the work of soul-saving than many suppose, and the case teaches God's regard for every human being and that each should treat his fellow as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth. God works by connecting His church together, so believers must unify, love one another, and deal gently and justly and righteously with one another instead of exalting self and finding fault and weakening themselves by pointing at the wrongs of others. Peter's experience in the home of Cornelius also corroborates receiving the promised blessing and power and speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.
God raised Jesus, after He was slain and hanged on a tree, on the third day and showed Him openly, not to all the people but to witnesses chosen beforehand who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. Peter proclaimed this to Cornelius and his household with kinsmen and near friends gathered at Caesarea as the fuller knowledge of Jesus they were seeking. The proclamation belongs to the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles and the start of an entirely new phase of the church, carrying salvation beyond the Jewish people to the wider world. There God taught Peter to call no man common or unclean, for God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him. The resurrection stands joined to the command to preach and testify that Jesus is ordained of God to be Judge of the living and the dead, through whose name whoever believes receives remission of sins.
Peter's Preaching at Caesarea
The proclamation belongs to Caesarea, where Peter set before Cornelius and his household, with kinsmen and near friends gathered, the fuller knowledge of Jesus they were seeking. It was spoken in the house of Cornelius the Gentile, after Peter had come by divine command, to give the truth about Jesus to those who had had no opportunity of hearing it. Through angel ministration a train of circumstances had been set in operation to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius, so that Cornelius might learn the truth from one to whom it had already been given.
What was proclaimed was that Jesus, after He was slain and hanged on a tree, was raised up by God on the third day and shown openly. The showing was not to all the people but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God, including Peter and those with him, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. The event was thus witnessed, though made visible only to chosen witnesses and not to all.
Peter set the third-day resurrection and open showing at the center of the gospel, joined to the command to preach and to testify that Jesus is ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead, through whose name whoever believes receives remission of sins as all the prophets witness. Alongside it he set Jesus of Nazareth as Lord of all, anointed by God with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil because God was with Him, together with His life, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, ascension, and work in heaven as man's representative and advocate. He preached with a glowing heart full of the spirit of truth to hearers whose hearts were prepared and attentive and who were charmed by the teaching, until the discourse was interrupted by the descent of the Holy Spirit, leading to baptism. The angel had not been sent to explain the gospel, for a human minister was to teach Cornelius about the Savior and how he and his household could be saved through His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.
The tenth chapter stands as a history in which God instructed those named there by vision what to speak, and that same instruction by vision is given again and again.
Resurrection and Gentile Gospel
This declaration belongs to the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles and the start of an entirely new phase of the church, carrying salvation beyond the Jewish people to the wider world through Peter's pioneering work of breaking long-standing barriers and teaching the heathen world. Christ's death had broken down the barrier that excluded Gentiles from the privileges of the gospel. Gentile believers who accepted the gospel were therefore to share its blessings on perfect equality with Jewish disciples, without the necessity of being circumcised.
Where this was spoken God had taught Peter not to call any man common or unclean, no longer to observe the ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision nor to look upon Gentiles as unclean. God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he who fears God and works righteousness is accepted with Him. Gentiles who feared God and walked in all the light they had were thus accepted as fully as Jews, and were to be brought into full light and receive the revelation of the truth as it is in Jesus.
Peter undertook the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step. He afterward defended his action not on general principles but as an exception done because of divine revelation, and the result was a great surprise to himself. His preaching in the house of Cornelius first surprised and offended the brethren in Judea as presumptuous and contrary to his own teachings. Only when he related the vision, the messengers, the interview, and the fall of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles even as at the beginning were they convinced that his course was in direct fulfillment of God's plan, that prejudice and exclusiveness were to be utterly destroyed by the gospel, and that God had also granted the Gentiles repentance unto life.
The conversion of Cornelius and his household connected with this declaration was the first significant conversion among the Gentiles. It was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered in from the world. From that household and home a widespread work of grace was carried on in a heathen city.
The resurrection joins the command to preach to the people and to testify that Jesus is ordained by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. Through His name whoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins, to which all the prophets give witness. Together with His crucifixion and ascension, the resurrection is a sacred fact witnessed by the apostles and testified to by believers, a foundation of hope showing Him to be the risen Savior and the Savior of the world, through whose name people receive forgiveness of sins.
Heaven Joining Human Messengers
The history to which the raising on the third day and the open showing belong is one in which heaven and earth are united, for the holy Watcher who knew Abraham knew Cornelius also by name, knew where everyone lives and the spirit each possesses and every act of life, heard his prayer, and sent an angel to tell him his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial and to direct him to send men to Joppa to call Peter lodging with Simon the tanner by the seaside. God knew just where Peter was to be found and told Cornelius every particular of where to look, putting Peter on the housetop in the way to receive the divine purpose to the Gentiles and to take away the barriers between Jew and Gentile, so that Jews and Gentiles are by faith joined to Jesus Christ. Peter was the appointed human instrument to tell Cornelius, who had believed God's promise of a Messiah, that God raised Jesus on the third day and made Him appear openly, giving him opportunity to receive its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Although the angel could have given Cornelius the light and the gospel message directly, that is not God's way, for His simple plan is to send chosen human messengers to those needing enlightenment and to require His church to be joined together and work through one another. The truth and gospel light about Jesus already given to Peter — that God raised Him the third day and showed Him openly — had to be carried by Peter himself to Cornelius and to all his family and household, because those who have light must impart it to those who need it. Agencies of heaven work together with human agencies, and ministering angels bring seekers into connection with the human agent through whom greater light may be received, while a human minister teaches about the Savior and how he and his household can be saved, since the angel was not sent to explain the gospel. God wished to bring about a connection between Peter and Cornelius so the truth Peter held would reach Cornelius through Peter himself, and Cornelius and Peter must become acquainted in gospel missionary work, with Cornelius as a man of influence accomplishing a great work in connection with believers in Jesus.
Cornelius had received and improved all the light God had given him, feared God, followed principles of righteousness that God accepts, and served God with sincere earnest purpose and devout piety with prayers and alms acceptable as far as his knowledge went. Yet he was not fully informed in regard to the truth for his time, and though walking in all the light he had he needed an advance in faith and a new experience and full light to do his work intelligently through Jesus Christ. Neither prayer nor almsgiving can take the place of Christ, in whom all fullness dwells and in whom alone all is complete. Preaching the full truth to people already serving God without having received the whole truth belongs to the Lord's plan in which agencies of heaven work together with human agencies to bring them into full light.
As God worked for Cornelius by sending angels from heaven to visit him and then placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge of His Word to teach him that God raised Christ the third day and showed Him openly, so He works for devout standard-bearers in every age and every sphere of action who live by pure holy principles. He prepares the way for them to take the place of those who were given a knowledge of Bible truth but disappointed the Saviour, calling men of nobility and influence to stand for God in true integrity as His witnesses.
Cornelius represents men in positions of stewardship and responsibility whose sympathies are with believers but who are held by threads binding them to the world and lack the moral courage to take their position with the lowly ones. Such men need special care and more determined earnest effort because of the responsibilities they bear and the temptations of their stewardship, and when converted they will give strength and solidity to the cause instead of bringing in objectionable elements. Honest souls like Cornelius who are ready for light are still to be sought with earnest devoted determined effort, and work is to be done for such associations as the W.C.T.U., that those seeking the light might be gathered out from those bitterly opposed to the message, rather than repelled through antagonism. Those who learn the truth are to share it with others who are seeking truth and invite them to see its beauty.
Christ's revelation in the account brought heavenly light to a sincere seeker who had long prayed for it and was seeking light from heaven, and Cornelius received Him gladly. God sent His messengers to set in operation a train of circumstances to bring Peter into connection with Cornelius that Cornelius might learn the truth, and through angel ministration Peter was brought into cooperation with inquiring souls who had all things in readiness to hear the truth and receive advanced light.
In every age God works through His servants in various ways, bringing honest hearts into connection with those best able to reach their individual needs, using some with special knowledge in certain lines for one class of inquirers and others trained differently for another class. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in the work of soul-saving than many suppose, and the case teaches God's regard for every human being and that each should treat his fellow as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth. God works by connecting His church together, so believers must unify, love one another, and deal gently and justly and righteously with one another instead of exalting self and finding fault and weakening themselves by pointing at the wrongs of others. Peter's experience in the home of Cornelius also corroborates receiving the promised blessing and power and speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.