Acts Chapter 10

Acts Chapter 10

There was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius, who was a centurion of the Italian band.  I don’t think that it was a music band.  He was a devout man, who feared god, is that a good thing?  He gave alms to the people and prayed to God “alway” I only point that out as a quote, because I’ve never seen a singular version of “always”.  Evidently he had seen a vision about an angel of God coming to him in the ninth hour of the day saying his name.  He asked what the Lord wanted and God told him that his prayers and alms made a memorial before God.   God tells him that he should send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter.  He’s living with Simon the tanner, you know the one who lives by the seaside, and he’ll tell you what you ought to do.

Cornelius rounded up two of his household servants, and a devout soldier who waited on them all the time and sent them to Joppa.  As they went on their journey, and got cose to the city, Peter went up onto the roof to pray.  He got hungry, and really would have eaten, but he fell into a trance.  Pete saw the heavens open and a certain vessel descended upon him, like a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth.  I think that sounds like a parachute! Inside were all sorts of four footed beast of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds!  Woo hoo it’s like a zoo in there!

A voice came to him telling him to “Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.” Well, that upset Pete, because he must have kept Kosher and didn’t eat common or unclean animals.  But the voice told him that “What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.”  This was one three times, and the vessel went back to heaven.  I’m not sure if the animals stayed or if the parachute just blew away or what? 

While Peter doubted his vision, and what it meant, the men Cornelius sent showed up. They called up asking if this was where Simon Peter was staying.  Pete was lost in contemplation, so the spirit kind of nudged him telling him these three guys were looking for him?  The spirit told Pete to quit his doubting and get down there to go with them.   So Pete goes down, tells them he’s Peter and asks them why they are looking for him.     

They told him Cornelius the centurion, a good man who fear God, was told by an angel to send for you so he could hear your words.  Pete went away with them, and some of his brethren went with him.  The next morning they got to Caesarea where Cornelius waited for them with his friends and family.  As Peter came in Cornelius fell down at his feet and worshipped him.  Peter helped him up telling him he was just a man.  He talked to all the folk telling them that even though it’s unlawful for a Jew to keep company with people from another nation, but God showed me that I shouldn’t call any man common or unclean.  I’ve got to agree with that Pete!  I mean religion shouldn’t really be exclusive. 

Pete tells Cornelius that he came without question as soon as he was sent for but asked why the heck did you send for me?  Cornelius told him that he had been fasting, and saw a man in bright clothing, who told me God remembered my prayer and alms. 


Oh he’d been fasting, and Pete had been hungry, are these visions hunger induced? 


He told me to send for you. So I did and now you are here.  Now we are all hear in the presence of God, to hear God’s commandments.   Pete tells him that truthfully he perceives that God doesn’t really respect people. 


Seriously?  Does that strike anyone else as a little wrong? 

But in every nation who fears god, and is righteous, is accepted with him.  The word of God was sent to the children of Israel, preaching peach with J the C, the Lord of all. The word was published through all of Judea, and Galilee, after J the B preached about baptism.   God anointed Jesus o Nazareth, with the Holy Ghost, and with power.  He went around doing good, and healing those who had been oppressed by the devil.  Because God was with him.  And we witnessed all the things he did in the did in the land of the Jews,  and in Jerusalem, and they killed him and hung him on a tree.  And God raised him up on the third day showed him to some people. Not to everyone but to God’s chosen witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.  He commanded us to preach to the people, and to tesistify that he was the one to be ordained by god to be the Judge of the quick and the dead. 


Okay it actually said the quick and dead, and I think quick mean s life or alive here but it's a great turn of a phrase.  

To those who have witnessed the prophets, whoever believes him can have their sins forgiven.   As Pete spoke these words, the Holy Ghost came to everyone who heard the word. 

The folks her were circumcised were astonished because a bunch of the gentiles that came with Pete were also given the gift of the Holy Ghost.  They heard them speak with tongues and magnified God.  Peter asked them if any man could forbid the water to baptize people in the  name of the Lord.  They asked Pete to stay with them a while.