THTHE DOOR OF FAITH OPENED TO THE GENTILES

Perhaps ten years have passed since Pentecost. The year is approximately 40 A.D. The Gospel fire has spread from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. It has reached Cyprus, Phoenicia, and Antioch (cf. 11:19). See your map, page 59. Foreign-born Jews who found Christ on the day of Pentecost carried the Good News back to their native lands. Yet the Gospel was not being preached on any large scale to the Gentiles, except to those Gentiles who attended the Jewish
synagogues. The apostles still were not clear that the Gospel was for the uncircumcised as well as the circumcised. The mentality of the Jewish world was this—in order to be saved a person had to be Jewish or converted to Judaism. In the Jewish mind, a Gentile had to be circumcised and observe all the Jewish customs if he ever hoped to find eternal life. In Chapter Ten, God wanted to erase this notion. Therefore, He was going to visit Peter in a vision and show him that the Gentiles were no longer to be considered “common or unclean.” God was going to reveal to Peter and the apostles that He had unreservedly accepted the Gentiles. He did so by baptizing them in the Holy Ghost, even though they were uncircumcised and unacquainted with all the rituals of Judaism. The episode started in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea.

Cornelius
Caesarea was a Roman military base and Cornelius was a centurion who was based there with the Italian Regiment. He had a knowledge of God, evidenced
by his diligent prayer life and generous giving to the poor; yet he had not come to the knowledge of Christ. This man was living up to all the light he had, therefore, God was going to give him more light. God looks into the hearts of all men. When He sees a heart that longs for the truth (Christ is the Truth), God will visit that person and bring him the Gospel light.

Accumulated Prayers
This is a beautiful verse. Our prayers accumulate. It is like filling a large barrel (a little at a time) each time we pray. When it reaches the top, the Lord moves. Perhaps there is an enormous mountain in your life. Maybe it is a heavy bondage or physical problem. Maybe it is a bondage in your son or daughter, or spouse. For a moment I want you to think of a set of balances. There may be a heavy
bondage on one side of the scales, and you are on the light side. Each time you pray, a little more weight is added on your side of the balances. Maybe it is only the weight of a paperclip and you cannot see or feel any difference whatsoever after you have prayed. But as you continue to pray and not faint, there comes a day when the balances tip in your favor. There will come a time when you have the ascendancy over your problem and you will have your answer. Our prayers accumulate— do not give up. Cornelius prayed daily for years, but at this moment in time, the Lord visited him.

Peter Sent For
Peter had “tarried many days in Joppa” with Simon (9:43). In these passages we see again that God uses human agency to speak to us. The angel of the Lord could have explained the Gospel to Cornelius, but instead he is told to look for a man named Peter.

The sixth hour is noon. As the men were approaching Joppa in search of Peter, a tremendous hunger came upon Peter as he was about to go to prayer. The hunger Peter felt was a divine hunger. This hunger depicted the tremendous craving God had for the Gentiles to become His people. God was preparing the people to receive the message. God was preparing the messenger to speak. Now God is going to visit the messenger, Peter.

The Heavenly Vision - What God Has Cleansed Should be Accepted
At first Peter did not understand the meaning of the vision. He was very hungry. Then he saw food—every kind of fowl and beast. The Jews were very selective about which animals they ate. The Lord said, “Rise Peter, kill and eat.” Peter's first reaction was to resist, saying: “Lord, I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” God replied: “What God has cleansed, do not call common.” Of course, the interpretation of the vision applied to the Gentiles—God has accepted
and cleansed the Gentiles, and therefore the Jews should not call them “common and unclean.”

Arrival of the Men Cornelius Sent
Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius
When Peter arrived at Caesarea, Cornelius fell down at the feet of Peter to worship him. Peter refused worship. There is only One Person in the whole universe who is worthy of worship and that is the Lord Himself. There is no
creature in heaven or earth who should be worshipped. None of the apostles or angels ever received worship (cf. Acts 14:11-15, Rev. 22:8-9). Jesus did receive worship during His ministry, but He is the Lamb who is worshipped in heaven. He is God.

Still Standoffish Ten Years After Pentecost
This was ten years after Pentecost. The Jews still would not associate with the Gentiles. Peter told Cornelius, “Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Here, Peter is beginning to understand what the Lord was saying to him. “God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” After ten years, Peter is getting the message.

Cornelius Explains Why He Sent For Peter
T12q3whis is the kind of audience that you want— people who are ready to hear all that the Lord wants to say through you. They were there waiting with prepared and excited hearts to hear God's message. Cornelius had all of his family and friends gathered together to listen to God's messenger. God was very hungry for these people.

Peter Preaches to the Uncircumcised Gentiles - v34-43
Finally Peter understands—“God is no respecter of persons.” That is an amazing thing for a Jew to say. The Jews were brought up not to associate with the uncircumcised Gentiles. They would not eat with them and would carefully wash their hands if they ever came in contact with one (11:3).

Peter Opens the Door of Faith to the Gentiles
Summary of Peter's Message:
• God sent a message of peace to Israel. It was proclaimed by Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.
• That message of good news by Christ began in Galilee, after the ministry of John the Baptist.
• God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power to heal all that were oppressed of the devil.
• We, His apostles, were with Him and witnessed everything He did in Israel, and Jerusalem.
• Israel rejected this divine Man who did good everywhere, slaying him upon a cross.
• God raised him from the dead three days later. He showed himself alive to special eyewitnesses.
• This resurrected Lord commanded us to preach that he is the Judge of the living and of the dead.
• Anyone who believes in him shall receive forgiveness of sins.

The Gentiles Are Baptized in the Holy Ghost
Six Jewish brethren had accompanied Peter from Joppa to Caesarea (10:23, 10:45, 11:12). When the Holy Ghost fell upon the uncircumcised Gentiles, the six brethren who came with Peter were utterly astonished. God had poured out His Spirit upon people who were not circumcised, just as He had upon the Jews on the day of Pentecost. God had accepted people who were not observing any of the Jewish laws or customs, and the Jewish brethren stood there in amazement. How do we know for sure that they received the gift of the Holy Ghost? “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (10:46). Once again we see that the initial evidence of being baptized in the Holy Ghost is speaking in other tongues.
Then answered Peter, 10:47-48 “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” Peter said to the six brethren, “If God has indicated His acceptance of the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, how can we forbid them
from being baptized in water. Then he commanded that the new Gentile converts be baptized in water.

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