Acts 10:1-16
WATCH
LISTEN
READ
Main Idea
The invitation of the gospel is for everyone.
Today I want to talk about prophecy. If you remember, during our Good Friday service, we reviewed a handful of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during his trial and crucifixion. One of those prophecies came from Isaiah, who lived 700+ years before Jesus walked this earth as a human. The passage was Isaiah 53, which looked like a mirror image of what we read in the gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus. Isn’t that amazing? 700 years ago, God inspired Isaiah to write down what would happen to His Son in stunning detail. What a sovereign and powerful God we serve!
But that wasn’t the only world-altering prophecy from Isaiah. His book is filled with prophecies… many about the coming Messiah, but another major event was predicted to occur, though many 1st-century Jews weren’t looking for it. In fact, their prejudice against pagan nations blinded them to God’s plan, and, in many cases, it caused them to be hardened to it.
That prophecy and plan are still salvific in nature but goes beyond the logistics of the cross. The cross eliminated the sins of God’s people and reconciled them, but the Jews at the time still mistakenly thought that redemption was solely for the nation of Israel, but that was not God’s ultimate plan. As He did before, God spoke 700 years before Christ to His people through the prophet Isaiah, explaining his intentions of whom he will save:
Isaiah 49:6 NIV
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
Isaiah 60:1–3 CSB
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.
2 For look, darkness will cover the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and his glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to your shining brightness.
Other prophets pointed to the same plan:
Hosea 1:10 ESV
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
Hosea 2:23 NIV
23 I will plant her for myself in the land;
I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’;
and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”
God has a plan, a purpose, and a timetable in which His will is made known on the earth. I’m going to assume that most of you are not Jewish, so it would be entirely appropriate to hear a few ‘amens’ to the reality that in God’s perfect timing, His plan was for his gospel of salvation and reconciliation to extend outside of his covenant people of Israel to the whole world.
Today, we get to see the first stage of this plan unfold.
Passage
Outline
I – Vision to Cornelius (vv. 1-8)
II – Vision to Peter (vv. 9-16)
I – Vision to Cornelius (vv. 1-8)
Acts 10:1–8 CSB
1 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. 3 About three in the afternoon, he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”
4 Staring at him in awe, he said, “What is it, Lord?”
The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him. 8 After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Caesarea headquartered the regional Roman Government of Judea. It is also the main port city for Jerusalem and was located 31 miles north of Joppa, or 65 miles from Jerusalem.
Who is Cornelius?
Centurion in the Italian Regiment. A centurion was a captain who was in charge of 100 soldiers. Let’s put this into perspective to give you a glimpse of how the Roman army was structured. One Centurion was over 100 soldiers. 1 Cohort was made up of 600 soldiers governed by 6 Centurions. Ten cohorts made one Legion. So, a Legion would have 60 Centurions and 6,000 soldiers. So, we are talking about a prominent leader in the Roman army (from Italy, in this case) who held authority, rank, and prestige. They were also paid well, so he was likely quite wealthy, assuming he had been in that position for any significant amount of time. This was not a weak man. He was an authoritative figure with a blood-stained sword.
Devout man. Though he was a seasoned warrior, he was devoted and loyal. He clearly led his soldiers well and showed the same level of dedication within his household in the things of God. He seems to be a very genuine and caring man in the areas of life he has been given responsibility over.
God-fearer. This is a conversational title given by Jews to non-Jews who worship Yahweh but have not fully converted to Judaism. This means they would likely not have been circumcised or strictly followed the sacrificial and dietary laws of the Jews. The Ethiopian Eunuch would be a good example of a ‘God-fearer.’ We see this term used again in Acts 13:16 in this way.
Charitable. Alms are gifts to the poor, and his charity was not limited to the soldiers under his command. The ESV translation could be clearer on this point, so to help clarify who these people are, I am using the CSB translation because it clearly says that the charity was for the Jewish people. We must remember that Roman citizens, especially Roman leadership (politically or militarily), saw Jews as 2nd class citizens. They typically would not have gone out of their way to help them, but Cornelius was different. Through his compassion for the poor and charity toward the Jews, he proved himself to be a cut above the rest.
Prayerful. Not only did Cornelius fear the God of the Jews, but he also dedicated time to prayer to Him. Clearly, this man believed in God the Father and sought Him regularly. This reinforces Jesus’ advice that the door will only be opened to those who knock, and those who find are limited to those who seek.
The Vision
God approaches Cornelius in a vision. This happened at the 9th hour, which was 3:00 pm. In this vision, an angel of the Lord visited Cornelius and called him by name. Think about that for a moment. Consider the significance of God speaking to someone outside of His covenant people. This next step of redemptive history was not brought on by a Jewish evangelical effort to reach the ‘unclean pagans.’ That wasn’t an outreach effort anyone would have undertaken because they were exclusive. If you wanted to follow the God of the Israelites, you had to come to them. This effort was initiated by God Himself because, as we saw from Isaiah 49:6, this was always God’s plan. Imagine the shock of seeing an angel and hearing him say your name. As a pagan Roman commander outside of this God’s covenant people, do you think he was paying attention?
Cornelius’ response. Though he was a high-ranking military officer, Cornelius displayed the same level of humility as Paul did on the road to Damascus in his response. Remember, the term Lord showed either submission to authority or was a polite title, much like we would use the word, sir. I think it’s safe to say he meant it in both senses.
You have been seen. This angel informed Cornelius that his prayers and charity have ascended as a memorial offering to God. Even though he was not a Jew or a part of the nation of Israel, his charity toward God’s people has been seen, and his prayers to God himself have been heard. God is essentially telling Cornelius, “I see you. I hear you. And, I am about to respond to you.” How would you react if you heard God say that to you? What would that do to your heart?
Now, go get Peter. The angel gave Cornelius the final direction to send for the apostle Peter. And since they didn’t have GPS back then, he was kind enough to provide the directions. “Go to Joppa to the tanner’s house by the sea, and bring Peter back here.” Then as quickly as the angel had appeared, he departed. The vision is over, the angel is gone, and Cornelius is faced with a decision. Was this even real? Do I really tell my servants and lead soldier that an angel visited me, or do I go to bed and hope to sleep this mental fog away? This was a big moment. Remember, this was a high-ranking official in the Roman army who was supposed to believe in the Greek/Roman pantheon of gods… not the singular God of the Jews. There could have been significant repercussions to making his faith widely known. But thankfully, he followed the angel’s orders anyway and with haste because we are told that he sent 2 of his servants and 1 of his devout soldiers to do just as the angel had asked. That’ll preach! There will come a time for all of us when we have to act on the faith we hold.
The Purpose
God is preparing to fulfill His words in Isaiah and Hosea. The benefits of the cross are not exclusive to ethnic Israel any longer. The invitation of the gospel is for everyone. This Gentile God-fearer and his whole family are now poised to receive what Peter will soon say to them. They don’t know it now, but their family will officially be the first among billions of Gentiles over the next 2,000 years to be grafted into God’s covenant family. The gospel is not exclusive. It is for everyone, everywhere, in every circumstance.
God is taking the door of the house of Israel off the hinges, permanently making the way open for Gentiles to come to the faith.
II – Vision to Peter (vv. 9-16)
Acts 10:9–16 CSB
9 The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof about noon. 10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. 12 In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. 13 A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything impure and ritually unclean.”
15 Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.” 16 This happened three times, and suddenly the object was taken up into heaven.
Now, like a change in movie scenes, we can watch the two servants and the one solider throw their satchels over their shoulders and walk out of Cornelius’ home to begin their 31-mile journey south to Joppa. As they leave, the camera pans down to Joppa, where Peter is staying.
The rooftop
Peter, who was on Simon the tanner’s rooftop around noon to pray. Don’t think Peter climbed a ladder to sit on the edge of an asphalt-shingled, gable roof like we have. Roofs in those days were flat, allowing them to be used in many other ways apart from keeping the weather from pouring into the house. Evenings would have been quite lovely up there.
Since it was noon, he felt his tummy rumble and anticipated the culinary delights in the kitchen. I find it funny that in his state of hunger, God decided to give Peter a vision of a buffet!
The linen sheet
While seeing this vision in a sort of trance, Peter saw a large linen sheet descend from heaven, being let down by its four corners. The description of ‘four corners’ is found throughout scripture. We see the four winds of heaven in Job, Jeremiah, and Daniel. In the book of Revelation, we see things happening in or at the four corners of the earth. All of these symbolize fullness. Events happening from the four winds of heaven and angels poised at the four corners of the earth show the completeness of the events. It is happening to all of creation. The fullness of heaven is doing XYZ or the events in Revelation are happening, not locally, but worldwide. The same is true for God’s plan. What is found within the sheet is a representation of the whole world, not just Jerusalem, not just Joppa, and not just within the Roman Empire.
The animals in the sheet
When the sheet landed, Peter saw all sorts of creatures: animals, reptiles, and birds. This may not seem strange at first, but to Peter, this was vexing. What he saw in front of him was a mixture of clean and unclean animals. According to the law of Moses, Jews were prohibited from eating certain types of animals because God had labeled them as unclean. For example, a Jew could eat an animal with a hoof and chew its cud but not an animal with either/or. So, lamb chops are on the menu, but bacon is a big no-no. I know, it’s really sad.
That is why Peter is shocked to hear God say, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” That is the primary, imperative command in the story… kill and eat. But Peter couldn’t make sense of that command because this seemingly contradicted the dietary laws He gave centuries ago.
Is this a contradiction?
Critics of the faith often point out verses like these to show how scripture is unreliable and filled with contradictions. So, we must be ready with an answer. Is it? Did God blatantly contradict himself by telling Moses not to eat certain animals and then tell Peter to eat what He previously forbade? My hope is that you will quickly answer ‘no,’ but let’s be confident of the reason why.
First, I think we can all agree that God has dictated two different covenants: the old covenant and the new covenant. One was guided by one set of terms and the other by a separate set of terms.
Secondly, God expects His people to be differentiated from the unbelieving world around them, despite which covenant they are in. Can we agree on these two things?
So, let’s put these two truths together. Under the old covenant, God required His people to be separate in specific ways: they had to abide by the moral law of God, the ceremonial laws (sacrifices, for example), and dietary laws. That is how they were to distinguish themselves from the nations around them.
Now that Christ has come, aspects of the old covenant are no longer in effect, though God’s standards remain. His moral law is still in full effect because those are his righteous standards. Murder is still murder. The sacrificial system has been fulfilled in Christ. He was the once-for-all-time sacrifice for sin, so we no longer have to kill the pet goat. God be praised. Now, the dietary laws are being changed. The purpose still remains because God still expects His people to be different from the world, but how that is done under the new covenant is not the same as the methods of the old covenant. How one eats is no longer an indicator; instead, it is how the fruit of the Spirit is displayed in their life. For example, Jesus said they will know you by how you love one another. Love is a fruit of the Spirit. God’s law is not on stone tablets but on our hearts. Our Spirit-filled conduct and service is the distinguisher, not bacon. Can I get an amen?
So, this isn’t a contradiction. It is a transition. Christ’s followers will be known in other ways than food restrictions.
The real meaning
Now, eating bacon is a wonderful reason to praise God. However, unbridled meat consumption is not the main thrust of this vision. It’s true that the dietary laws were done away with here, but when God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common,” he was telling Peter to look past his prejudice against pagan Gentiles. The clean and unclean animals were representations of Jews and Gentiles throughout the whole earth, and this was God’s official removal of the door of the house of Israel that separated the two. Now, the unclean have been made clean and Gentile pagans from every nation, tribe, and tongue will be brought into God’s house as sons and daughters. The invitation of the gospel is for everyone. Redemption is now offered to the entire world!
This vision happened three times. Things always seem to happen to Peter in 3s. First, he denied Jesus three times. Then, after the resurrection, Jesus restored him three times, commanding him to feed the sheep. Now, this vision happens three times to solidify its reality. It’s a pattern that shows completeness and finality.
God spoke of this moment over 700 years ago; now is the time for its fulfillment. The matter is settled!
Conclusion
Like last week, there are so many applications from the text today. I hope you will return to this text repeatedly throughout the week to glean and consume them—even the bacon bit (see what I did there?).
I love to see how God works out his plan over time in human history. He told us ahead of time what He intended, and this story is the first part of its fulfillment. Praise God for his faithfulness!
But, here is where the rubber meets the road. The invitation of the gospel is for everyone. EVERYONE. Maybe that applies to you right now because you think you are beyond God’s ability to save. You’re not. Nothing can separate you from God’s love in Christ… not even your worse offense.
But, maybe that doesn’t apply to you directly. Even so, it does apply indirectly because you know someone who isn’t saved. We all have family, friends, and neighbors in our lives who do not know the Lord. Maybe you see the conduct of some. Perhaps you see the havoc they have created or know of the addictions in their lives and think they are beyond hope. You’re wrong about that. No one is beyond saving because the invitation of the gospel is for everyone.
So, I charge you… I challenge you. In light of this passage of scripture, strike up a conversation with one of them and invite them to church next week. Kids… this includes you. The call of the gospel is for everyone in the four corners of the earth, and perhaps God has put you in their lives as an instrument to draw them into His Kingdom. Will you accept?