Wednesday 13 May 2020
- Bible Book:
- Acts
In every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (v. 35)
Psalm: Psalm 37:30-40
Background
The earlier part of chapter 10 has set the scene for today’s passage. Cornelius, a Roman military officer, is "devout man who feared God", that is a Gentile who is attracted to the Jewish faith but has not undergone circumcision as a convert. He is also noted for his good works. In a vision he is instructed to send for Peter. Meanwhile, Peter has a vision in which he is told not to regard as unclean anything God has declared clean. He therefore overcomes his prejudice against ‘unclean’ Gentiles and goes to Cornelius’ house, where he finds a company gathered to hear what he has to say.
Peter’s speech is essentially a summary of the story of Jesus as told in Luke’s Gospel. It is the first sermon in Acts addressed to a Gentile audience. It marks also, in a sense, the conversion of Peter himself as he comes to realise that God does not judge people by their religious labels but by their reverence for God and their behaviour towards others.
To Ponder:
- Is there a contradiction between verse 35 and verse 43? If so, how would you resolve it?
- What does it mean to affirm that "Jesus is Lord of all" (v. 36)?
- How do we act as witnesses to Jesus today (v. 41)?