From Volume 2,
ACTS DISPENSATIONALLY CONSIDERED by C. R. Stam.
Chapter XVIII - Acts 10:30-11:18
THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS
AND HIS HOUSEHOLD
CORNELIUS TELLS HIS STORY
"And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
"And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
"Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
"Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
'Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
"But in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." --Acts 10:30-35.
Cornelius now relates to Peter and his companions the circumstances and details of his vision.
Four days previous he had fasted until "this hour," i.e., the same hour of the day as that in which he was then speaking; not "this hour" of the fourth day, as some have supposed. "This hour" was apparently "the ninth hour" for it was then that the angel had appeared to him (Ver. 30).. Now, the ninth hour, or three o'clock in the afternoon, was Israel's evening "hour of prayer" (Acts 3:1) and it is significant that this was when the angel appeared, informing him that his prayer was heard and that his alms had been remembered in the sight of God.
We have already proved by the Scriptures that at this time Cornelius was not yet "saved" (11:14) that he had not yet received the "remission of sins" (10:43) or eternal "life" (11:18) but his prayers and works indicated a desire to know the true God, and God now revealed to him, at Israel's time of prayer, that He was about to respond to that desire.
The deep sincerity of Cornelius' desire to know God and do His will is expressed in his words:
"Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God."
GOD NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS
And now Peter makes a significant statement:
"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Ver. 34).
Mark well, this is the same person who, a few years ago, had been instructed:
"Go not into the way of the Gentiles" (Matt. 10:5); who had heard his Master say:
"I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24) and
"Let the children first be filled" (Mark 7:27). This is the one who had later been sent with the other apostles to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations
"beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47)[/i] who himself had cried to the house of Israel:
"Ye are the children... of the covenant.. . UNTO YOU FIRST..." etc. (Acts 3:25,26). But now he says:
"God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28) and
"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons" (Ver. 34). Peter did not know that a new
program was to be ushered in. He did not know that God was concluding all in unbelief that He might have mercy upon all. He did not proclaim the gospel of the grace of God to Cornelius and his household. But he did know that God, according to His own sovereign will, had instructed him to go to these Gentiles, "nothing doubting" and had learned therefrom that God was indeed no respecter of persons.
Is it not significant that this should take place just after the conversion of Saul, for it was Saul who was now to be sent forth as the apostle of grace to all the world, and there must be some recognition of this by those apostles who had been sent to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom to all the world beginning with Israel.
It is in the epistles of Paul that we learn why God, who is "no respecter of persons," ever put a difference between Jews and Gentiles. He
made a difference between them simply to show that there is no difference. He made a
dispensationaI difference to show that there is no essential difference. He erected a "middle wall of partition" between them to demonstrate that that wall must be broken down; that the one is no better than the other.
But let us go on with Peter's statement.
"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons;
"BUT IN EVERY NATION HE THAT FEARETH HIM, AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED WITH HIM" (Acts 10:34,35).
We have seen that this passage cannot mean that Cornelius was already saved. These words must be viewed in the light of Ver. 28 and the rest of the context. Cornelius was accepted simply in the sense that he was no longer to be considered
"unclean." The answer to his prayer at Israel's hour of prayer, indicated that God now accepted him in the same sense that He did His covenant people Israel. This did not indicate that he was saved any more than it indicated that all Israelites were saved for, remember, even circumcision itself did not save.
The case of Cornelius should be considered in the light of two important passages from Paul's writings:
"... He that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM" (Heb. 11:6).
"For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
"THEREFORE IF THE UNCIRCUMCISION KEEP THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW, SHALL NOT HIS UNCIRCUMCISION BE COUNTED FOR CIRCUMCISION?" (Rom. 2:25,26).
Cornelius sincerely
believed] that Israel's God was the true God.20 He diligently
sought Him, as his prayers and piety and works indicated. Hence God responded to his desire and revealed Himself to him.
Cornelius' works did not take the place of Christ, but of Moses (10:35,36). Suppose Cornelius, after hearing about Christ, had chosen to rest in his own works. He would, of course, have been lost, for obedience to the moral law in itself has always been as impotent to save as circumcision and the sacrifices. Witness the cases of Nicodemus, the rich young ruler and Saul of Tarsus.
Thus Cornelius was accepted, not as saved, but for salvation (11:14). And now Peter begins to tell him those words whereby he and all his house are to be saved.
PETER'S INTERRUPTED SERMON
"The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all
“That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.
"And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
"Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly;
"Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with Him after He rose from the dead.
"And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
"To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.
"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word.
"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
"For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
"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." --Acts 10:36-48.
The link between prophecy and the mystery is clearly seen in Peter's sermon and God's interruption of it at the home of Cornelius.
That Peter did not know God's long-hidden plan concerning the ascended, glorified Christ is certain. Even Paul had only
begun to learn about it, for it was
gradually made known to him from the time of his conversion on (Acts 22:14; 26:16; II Cor. 12:1,7). Peter's message to this gathering of Gentiles was strictly in accord with the prophetic Word and with the great commission which the Lord had given him to carry out.
He began with
"the word which God sent unto the children of Israel... after the baptism which John preached" (Ver. 36,37).
Peter here stressed a fact which is too often overlooked: that John actually
preached baptism (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3) and that he did this in connection with the manifestation of Christ to Israel (Cf. John 1:31). Then he continued with the story of the Lord's earthly ministry
"in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem" (Ver. 38,39) and finally related how they slew Him and hanged Him on a tree, but how God raised Him from the dead again, and how He had commanded the eleven to proclaim Him as God's ordained Judge of quick and dead (Ver. 39-42).
All this, of course, is strictly in line with prophecy and forms a striking contrast to Paul's gospel of the grace of God, for whereas Peter began with Christ's earthly ministry and proceeded to His death, resurrection and appointment as Judge, the Apostle Paul later began with the death and resurrection of Christ as
glad news for salvation and proceeded to His glory at God's right hand as the Dispenser of grace and Head of the Body. Indeed, Peter, relating the fact of our Lord's death, did not even offer it as the means of salvation, as Paul later did in "the preaching of the cross."
Even according to prophecy and the "great commission," however, salvation was to be through faith in the person of Christ.21 Hence Peter went on to say:
"TO HIM GIVE ALL THE PROPHETS WITNESS, THAT THROUGH HIS NAME WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE REMISSION OF SINS" (Ver. 43).
Now this statement, while in perfect harmony with the prophetic program, coincides at the same time with the mystery kept secret until revealed through Paul, for in both faith in the person of Christ was basic.
And here God interrupted Peter.
"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them whichheard the Word" (Ver. 44).
Most Bible teachers have taught that Peter used the "keys of the kingdom," first with Israel, at Pentecost, and then with the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius. This is not confirmed by the Scriptures, however, nor can it be. Peter did not open the door to these Gentiles. God took the matter out of his hands, interrupting his sermon and opening the door Himself, while "they of the circumcision" looked on in astonishment.
It is a fair question to ask how Peter would have concluded his sermon had he not been interrupted, for the Scripture sheds clear light on this question. Suppose Peter had continued with his sermon and his hearers, like those at Pentecost, had been convicted and had asked:
"What shall we do?" What would Peter have replied? There can be but one answer. He had not, like Paul, been sent to preach faith in Christ
without works, for salvation. Those who believed under his ministry, even among the Gentiles, were to be
"baptized for the remission of sins" (Cf. Acts 2:38 with Mark 16:15,16). But before Peter had come to this, and just after he had stated the necessity of faith in Christ for salvation, God interrupted his sermon and took the matter out of his hands. Hence Peter later defended himself before the other apostles, saying:
"What was I, that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17).
While, as we say, Peter did not know the secret purpose which God had in mind, we do find here further distinct departures from the program of prophecy and the "great commission" coming, significantly, after the conversion of Saul.
We have already pointed out that Peter was sent to these Gentiles, not under the "great commission," but by a special commission, not because Israel had now accepted Messiah, but in spite of the fact that Israel went on stubbornly rejecting Him. And now Cornelius and his household are saved and receive the Spirit; again, not because Israel had first been saved; not as the next step in the program of prophecy and the "great commission," but by divine intervention, by divine
grace. These Gentiles were saved and received the Spirit without having
first been baptized--another distinct departure from the "great commission"--but God Himself had done it, and for His own good reasons, later to be revealed through the Apostle Paul.
Those of the circumcision were astonished, of course, that these Gentiles had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, but the more so because this had taken place without their first having been baptized. This was certainly a departure from what Peter had preached at Pentecost (Acts 2:38). Hence Peter's response:
"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Ver. 47).
Here is still another departure from the program of the "great commission" which should be carefully noted. Gentiles, from here on and for some time to come, under Paul's ministry, were to be baptized, since God had not yet fully and officially set Israel and the kingdom program aside, but water baptism was never to be required of Gentiles for salvation, as it was to have been under the "great commission." Nor were they to receive the Holy Spirit only after being baptized as outlined in the "great commission" (Mark 16:16-18; Acts 2:38). Thus Paul could challenge those saved under his ministry: "Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:2).
As far as the Scriptures are concerned, the twelve did not again minister to Gentiles. Thus the ministry of Peter, the chief of the twelve, to this one Gentile household, coming as it did, after the stoning of Stephen and the conversion of Saul, was designed by God to cause Peter and the church at Jerusalem to give public recognition and endorsement to Paul's subsequent ministry among the Gentiles when the issue was later brought up (See Acts 15:7-11, 22-29). (SNIP)
God Bless.
Live Well, Laugh Often and Love the Lord!
