Acts 10:43, commentary and pictures

All the prophets point forward to Jesus as the promised Savior, and the whole Old Testament foretells him in its promises, sacrifices, and worship. Through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins, with faith in him joined to pardon for the lost. That promise belongs to Gentiles as fully as to Jews, without circumcision and without distinction of clean and unclean, for Christ's death broke down the dividing wall. Even sincere devotion, prayer, and generosity cannot take the place of Christ, but must advance to intelligent faith in him as the fulfillment of the promise. God brings this full light to honest seekers through human messengers, as he sent Peter to Cornelius rather than letting an angel preach the gospel.

Setting in Cornelius Story

To him give all the prophets witness belongs to Peter's preaching to Cornelius, a devout, God-fearing Gentile who prayed, gave alms, and lived by the light he had received but did not yet have full knowledge of Jesus Christ. God sent Peter to bring him further light and advanced knowledge, placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge of the Word that he might obtain a knowledge of God. Cornelius longed and prayed for light from heaven and gladly received Christ when He was revealed to him as the spiritual treasure he had been seeking, after which he joined the church and became a useful worker. The account shows God's compassion toward those seeking light and His work to bring them to Christ.

Peter's vision prepared him to preach to the Gentiles, showing that visions comfort God's people and correct those who depart from Bible truth rather than establish a new rule of faith. Peter proclaimed Jesus as Lord of all through whom God preaches peace, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, going about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil because God was with Him. He set forth His life, miracles, betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and work in heaven as man's representative and advocate, as slain and hanged on a tree, raised the third day and shown openly not to all the people but to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with Him after He rose, and ordained of God to be Judge of the living and dead, with acceptance in every nation to him who fears God and works righteousness. While he spoke these words of life to the attentive, prepared company whose hearts were prepared to receive the gospel, with a heart glowing with the spirit of truth so that hearers were charmed, the Holy Spirit fell before the discourse was finished, they spoke in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Preaching this Word while filled with the Spirit impresses human hearts, since only God has power to impress, with the righteousness of Christ going before and the glory of the Lord as rearward, leading men and women to give their hearts to the Saviour.

The conversion of Cornelius and his household was the first conversion of importance among the Gentiles, 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. The account shows heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in soul-saving work than many suppose, shows God's regard for every human being, and teaches each person to treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for accomplishing His work in the earth. The whole transaction is simple, and it shows that the Lord knows every person by name and just where they live and the spirit they possess and every act of life, while ministering angels pass through the churches noting faithfulness in duty.

Prophets Witness to Christ

All the prophets bear witness to Jesus, and through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins. The whole Old Testament points to the gospel and the Redeemer, with its history, teachings, prophecies, and divinely given worship foretelling him. Promises and prophecies foretell him, sacrifices portray his death, incense represents his righteousness, and the jubilee trumpet and sanctuary worship proclaim his name and glory. Peter proclaimed this prophetic witness to Cornelius and the Gentiles gathered in his house, showing that they too are included in the promise through faith in Christ.

Prophets across many centuries testified to Jesus as the coming Savior, and the New Testament records the fulfillment of their testimony. This forms a chain of evidence that supports faith in Jesus. The prophetic witness presents Christ as God's remedy for sin, the guiltless One who would bear the sins of the guilty. Moses pointed Israel forward to Christ as the Prophet they were to hear, and the ritual service pointed to Christ as its fulfillment. Receiving remission of sins through Christ is part of God's saving work that renews the soul.

The prophets witness to Christ as the anointed, crucified, and risen Savior, and forgiveness of sins is received through his name. Christ is the anointed, crucified, risen, and ascended Savior, and believers also testify to him and to the forgiveness found through him. This message is to be held up to others, and God's people must be firmly grounded in a knowledge of the truth by diligently searching the Scriptures so they can hold up Christ in this way to unbelievers to win them from error to truth and save souls. Cornelius needed a human minister to teach him about the crucified, risen, and ascended Savior and how he and his household could be saved.

Remission Through Faith Alone

All the prophets bear witness to Jesus, presenting him as the focus of their testimony and the one to whom the whole prophetic word points. Through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins, with faith in him joined directly to pardon. The promise is for whosoever believes, for Gentiles as well as Jews, and Peter proclaimed this message to Cornelius and the Gentiles gathered in his house, who believed and received the Holy Spirit. It is pardon for one who was lost.

Even devout piety that fears God, with prayers and almsgiving accepted by God as far as knowledge goes, is incomplete without Christ and cannot take his place. Jews and Gentiles are joined to Jesus Christ by faith, and through his name receive remission of sins, for in him all fullness dwells. The seeker must advance to a new experience, believing in Jesus as the fulfillment of the promised Messiah and receiving him intelligently through the gospel.

Believing brings grace and conversion and remission of sins as part of God's saving work that renews the soul. He is God's remedy for sin, the guiltless one who would bear the sins of the guilty, to whom Moses pointed Israel forward as the Prophet they were to hear and to whom the ritual service pointed as its fulfillment. That pardon leaves no ground for pride or boasting apart from Christ's cross. Believing God's promises of forgiveness enables people to turn from practices they had been unable to give up, such as tobacco and liquor.

Gentiles Received Equally

The promise of forgiveness through the name of Jesus for everyone who believes belongs to Gentiles as well as Jews, and Cornelius and his household believed and received the Holy Spirit as proof of it. Gentiles who accept the gospel stand on an equal footing and on perfect equality with Jewish disciples through faith in Christ, without the necessity of circumcision. The ceremonial distinction of circumcision and uncircumcision is no longer to be observed, and Gentiles are no longer to be looked upon as unclean.

Christ's death broke down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles, so the privileges of the gospel were not restricted to the Jews but were to be shared by Gentiles also through Christ. God does not treat Gentiles as unclean or exclude them, but grants them repentance leading to life and gives them the Holy Spirit just as He did to Jewish believers. Remission of sins through belief in Christ is therefore for Gentiles as well as Jews, for whosoever believes receives forgiveness by the plan of God.

The setting marks the opening of an entirely new phase in the work of the Christian church, in which the door that many Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles is thrown open. The message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jewish people but was given to the world, with God working to bring Gentiles to the truth and to break down prejudice among believers. The gospel utterly destroys Jewish prejudice and exclusiveness, silences objection to preaching to uncircumcised men and eating with them, and opens the way for the work to be carried on among the Gentiles.

Prejudice still kept that barrier in the minds of the apostles even after Christ had broken it down. Peter was brought to Cornelius by divine command, yet undertook the duty laid on him with reluctance at every step as an exception and was greatly surprised at the result. He defended it afterward not on general principles but as done because of divine revelation. Every true believer must stand ready to be taught by God and have prejudice broken down, and those who hold to their own ideas and refuse to yield cannot be used but are passed by for those willing to walk in the ways of the Lord.

God Works Through People

Heaven and earth are joined in bringing the truth about Christ to honest, inquiring souls who are ready to hear and receive advanced light, with angels and human messengers set to work together. The angel who spoke to Cornelius heard his prayer and gave him directions to receive further light, but did not preach the gospel or impart that light directly, for that is not God's way. The light God had given to Peter had to be imparted by Peter as human instrument, making a connection through which the Gentiles could receive the gospel, and the work depended on God's power rather than human wisdom. By believing the truth thus brought, seekers receive grace and conversion and remission of sins, and the belief and conversion of 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. The same work remains to be done for honest souls in associations bitterly opposed to the message, that seekers of light may be gathered out, giving courage for personal effort for those who have not received the whole truth yet serve God with sincere purpose, for in this dark world the Lord has many precious jewels to whom He will guide His servants, with angels cooperating to bring those walking in all the light they have into full light.

God directed both sides with exact knowledge, preparing Peter on the housetop to receive the truth about His purpose to the Gentiles and telling Cornelius where to find him and to send men to Joppa for him. He knew just where Peter was to be found, staying with Simon the tanner in Joppa, and gave Cornelius every detail for finding him, so that Peter and Cornelius could become acquainted in gospel work. The angel could have given the message of forgiveness through faith in Christ himself, but God did not do it that way; He wished to bring about a connection between people, joining Peter and Cornelius together so the light He had given Peter would be given by Peter to Cornelius and all his family. In this uniting of heaven and earth in missionary work God took away the barrier between Jew and Gentile, that Peter as human instrument and Cornelius as a man of influence together with believers in Jesus might accomplish a great work.

God's order is to spread light by joining His church together, requiring members to connect together in unity. This means believers must unify, love one another, and deal honestly, justly, truly, gently, and righteously with one another instead of tearing others down, trying to reform by pointing at wrongs, or holding hatred. They must come into close connection with God and with each other and give Him room among them, putting away hatred and giving the Lord God of Israel room among them. Working on Christ's principles in this way lets the salvation of God be revealed.

Cornelius represents men bearing responsibilities and stewardship in positions of influence whom God sees and would connect with the church. Such men have sympathies with God's people and with the truth, but are held by threads binding them to the world and lack moral courage to take their position with the lowly ones, while worldly ties make it difficult to take a stand for Christ. Special, determined effort must be made to reach stewards in trust and the higher classes as Christ's representatives, with special labor because of the responsibilities they bear and the temptations that come to them in their stewardship, rather than letting the work drift into securing only the poorest and lowly. The Lord will surely work with those who try so they cannot fail, and genuine conversion can make influential people agents who share the truth with others.

So God works for devout men in every sphere who live as clear, pure, undefiled examples of truth and righteousness and bright lights even among worldly men. He worked for Cornelius, though not fully informed, yet fearing God and following principles of righteousness that God accepts, by visitation of angels from heaven and by placing him in connection with men of superior knowledge regarding His Word, that he might obtain advanced light and knowledge of God and be guided along the path to everlasting life. He is preparing the way for such to take the place of those given a knowledge of Bible truth who have disappointed the Saviour, calling men of nobility and influence to stand as His true witnesses in integrity, giving them strength to conquer falsehood and testifying by purity and nobility of character. Such men are true men, sanctified and ennobled through the truth, with spiritual discernment, whereas being professing believers all their lifetime does not make men true, and those who have lost spiritual discernment, are right in their own eyes, suppose themselves wise, and build upon sand will be swept away in the tempest for not building upon the solid rock.

Calling to Share Christ

Preaching this word to its climax while filled with the Spirit impresses human hearts, for only God has power to impress, with the righteousness of Christ going before and the glory of the Lord as rearward, leading men and women to give their hearts to the Savior. That word sets forth Jesus as Lord of all through whom God preaches peace, anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, going about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil because God was with Him, slain and hanged on a tree, raised the third day and shown openly not to all the people but to witnesses chosen before who ate and drank with Him after He rose, and ordained of God to be Judge of the living and the dead, with acceptance in every nation to him who fears God and works righteousness.

Those who would carry it must be firmly grounded in a knowledge of the truth by diligently searching the Scriptures and drawing near to God in close connection with the Giver of light. Only then can they hold up Christ as the anointed, crucified, and risen Savior witnessed to by prophets and testified of by believers, through whose name comes forgiveness of sins, and set Him before unbelievers to win them from error to truth and save souls. As they live in that connection they reflect light to others.

God's simple plan advances His work through agencies of heaven ever ready to cooperate with human agencies. That gives courage for personal effort for those who have not received the whole truth yet serve God with sincere, earnest purpose, walking in all the light they have received, for there are many such as Cornelius, and Gentiles who fear God and work righteousness serve Him as acceptably as Jews, with souls nearer the kingdom than is supposed. In this dark world of sin the Lord has many precious jewels to whom He will guide His servants, with angels cooperating to bring them into the full light of truth.

The belief and conversion of 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, and the same work remains to be done for honest souls seeking light. Such seekers are to be gathered out even from among those bitterly opposed to the message and from associations of the world such as the W.C.T.U., by earnest, devoted work that shines light to them. Those who seek truth can be led to its light and joined with disciples, and those who receive it become conscientious witnesses sharing it with other seekers and urging them to take part in God's work. Cornelius feared God and lived by the light he had received but did not yet have full knowledge of Jesus Christ, and Peter was sent to bring him that further knowledge, after which he joined the church and became a useful worker. He illustrates both the seeker whose sympathies are with God's people but whose worldly ties make it difficult to take a stand for Christ, and the genuine convert whose influence makes him an agent to share the truth with others, for he longed and prayed for light from heaven and received Christ gladly when He was revealed as the spiritual treasure he had been seeking.