III. Peter Preaches in Judea and is Sent to the Uncircumcised (continued) (9:31-11:18)
D. Cornelius, a gentile, directed to send for Peter (vv. 1-8). Luke now takes us up the coast from Joppa to Caesarea, a distance of about 30 miles.
v.1,2 What is a centurion? Italian band or cohort. Cornelius was devout, he feared God, he was benevolent, he prayed to the Father, was he saved?
v.3 Because he was praying at the ninth hour, many believe that Cornelius had adopted the worship practices of the Jews. Why didn't the angel tell Cornelius what to do to be saved?
v.4 Cornelius' prayers went up as a memorial or remembrance to God. That is, God had not overlooked his righteousness and now chosen him as the Gentile representative to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
v.5 The angel instructs Cornelius to send for Peter and gives specific 6 instructions where he might be found.
v.7,8 Cornelius does not hesitate, he immediately sends messengers to find Peter. What good would it do to send a soldier along? Note that Cornelius told the messengers exactly what had happened concerning the vision of the angel.
E. Peter is directed to go to Cornelius (vv. 9-23). Back to Joppa and Peter's vision.
v.9 The servants are approaching Joppa, Peter is going up on the housetop to pray. The homes had flat roofs and were used for many purposes such as praying and other religious purposes as well as entertaining guests.
v.10 Peter was hungry and was having food prepared when he fell into a trance. In a trance a person is physically awake, but lost to his immediate surroundings.
v.11,12 In the vision Peter sees the different groups of animals being lowered before him in a large sheet. The sheet contained a mixture of what Jews would designate clean and unclean animals.
v.13 I Tim. 4:3,4 Under the new law, no meats are unclean. Peter had to be convinced of this and the fact that no race of people are inherently unclean. The clean animals in the sheet had become unclean by being mixed in with the "unclean animals."
v.14 Peter refuses to violate the law of Moses concerning eating that which is unclean.
v.15,16 Was the entire vision repeated three times or just the saying, "What God hath cleansed…" After the third time the vision was removed.
v.17,18 Peter was disturbed or confused by the vision. At this instant the messengers from Cornelius arrive. They inquire if Peter is lodging at this house.
v.19 Peter continues to ponder the meaning of the vision, when the Spirit tells him of the presence of the three men.
v.20 The Spirit commands Peter to go with the men and have no doubts about his actions. Why would the Spirit have to tell Peter to have no doubts? Once again we see the use of divine guidance in bringing the preacher to the unsaved.
v.21 Peter did not know the reason he was to accompany the three men. However, he did know that: 1) he was being taught some truth that he previously had not known, 2) that the three men had been sent by the Holy Spirit and 3) he was to go with them.
v.22 The messengers described Cornelius, how? Parallel this centurion to the one of Lk. 7:5. Peter was to go to Cornelius, that he might hear words.
v.23 Peter brings the Gentiles into the Jewish household. Six brethren were chosen to accompany Peter to Caesarea, Acts 11:12, These would be Peter's witnesses later on when he would be required to explain his actions to the Jewish brethren.
F. The meeting of Peter and Cornelius (vv. 24-33)
v.24 Cornelius was ready when Peter arrived. The return to Caesarea was on the fourth day after the messengers had been sent. Who was present at this monumental event?
v.25 The word "worship" here denotes a high degree of reverence, as a subject to a king. However, Peter seemed to take it that Cornelius was worshipping him.
v.26 Peter wanted to make it perfectly clear that he deserved no homage he was just a man, not deity. From Peter's point of view what Cornelius was doing was a form of worship that should be reserved for the Lord.
v.27 They begin a conversation outside the house and as they moved inside, Peter discovers the presence of the kinsmen and near friends.
v.28 Peter explains that he is violating the established order of things. Here we see that Peter truly did see the meaning of his vision, no man is common in the sight of God.
v.29 Since the Holy Spirit had instructed Peter to come, he came. But now he wants to hear the reason why from Cornelius.
v.30-32 Cornelius recounts the vision of verses 3-6.
v.33 Cornelius had done as he had been told to do. Peter had come, as the angel had convinced Cornelius that he would. Now it was time to get down to business. Why were they gathered together?
ADDENDA- The Five Journeys During the Time of Early Church History.
1) Philip's Journey; 8:5-40
2) Saul's Journey; 9:1-30
3) Peter's Journey; 9:32-11:18
4) Barnabas' Journey; 11:22-26
5) Barnabas' and Saul's Journey; 11:26-12:25