Bible Commentaries
Acts 10

Verses 1-48

X 1-XI 18 The Conversion of Cornelius —This is the climax of Ac. St Luke leaves no doubt as to its significance, recounting it, like the conversion of St Paul, three times. The Gospel preaching had made it clear that the new kingdom was for all men, and Acts 12:326, etc., bear this out. Yet a decade after the Ascension, Christians were still observing circumcision and the Mosaic Law, as indeed had our Lord himself. Jews despised pagans, and were hated in return, and Christians were still more or less observant Jews. Only when the Law was seen to be abrogated, could the Gentiles enter the Church in numbers. The teaching of St Stephen, and the preaching of Philip to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian, had prepared the way, and now thanks to visions, and finally the descent of the Holy Spirit on the uncircumcised Cornelius and his friends, the last hesitations of St Peter were removed. It was reserved to him to take the greatest decision the Apostles ever made, and to hold the Church to it in spite of strong opposition. The breach with Judaism was irrevocable. Christianity was seen to be an independant religion. The Messianic blessings could be obtained without circumcision. Jew and Gentile could sit together at the feast of the Kingdom. Our Lord’s teaching was fulfilled.

St Peter’s Decision gave the Gentiles their Freedom and made possible the developments at Antioch , 11:20, and, still more, the work of St Paul. Logically also freed the Jewish Christians. St Peter was the link between the ’Saints in Jerusalem’ and the new church of the Gentiles. At Jerusalem his decision was accepted, and when later the believing Pharisees disputed it, St James, the bishop of their church, reaffirmed at the Apostolic Council that God had chosen Simon to receive the Gentiles. Although St Peter required so much divine guidance before breaking with the prejudices of his nation, our Lord had taught him, not only that his Church was for all men, but also that the Law was abrogated, Mark 7:2-5, Mark 7:15; Mark 2:21 ff.; Luke 5:30. This St Peter grasped, at least implicitly. Salvation comes through Jesus, and in Galatians 2:11-21 St Paul appeals to a conviction in St Peter dating from before the story of Cornelius; he was disobeying ’the truth of the Gospel’, and this is borne out by his words and actions in Acts 2:39; Acts 4:12; Acts 9:43. Still, for him to draw the consequences of his faith, and overcome his repugnance, the divine interventions in ch 10 were needed. The faith was clarified for him first, as in Matthew 16:16, and he was able to confirm that of his brethren.

X 1-8 The Vision of Cornelius —1. His name and office show he was a Roman, a Gentile, the descendant of a freedman of a great patrician family, and in rank the equivalent of a non-commissioned officer. Inscriptions reveal the presence of an ’Italian cohort’ at Caesarea in a.d. 69, and it may well have been the same one which with four others, constituted the garrison 30 years earlier.

2. ’Fearing God’ was the usual term for uncircumcised proselytes, who accepted the Jewish faith, and often many of its practices also. Cornelius had won over his household, and gave alms to the People of God. 3. He was rewarded by an objective vision at 3 p.m., the time for evening prayer.

9-16 St Peter’s Vision —At noon the next day, on the flat housetop, where it was common for Jews to pray. 10. Ecstasy suggests a mental vision. 11-12. Cf. Lev 11; ’vessel’=object. 14. St Peter answers with his usual impetuosity, in spite of Mark 7:15.15. The Voice dealt only with foods, but the application was much wider, 28; 11:5 ff.

17-23a Arrival of the Messengers of Cornelius —19-20. The Holy Spirit still has to persuade St Peter to receive Gentiles into his house.

23b-33 The Meeting of St Peter and Cornelius —25-26. Cornelius showed great veneration for God’s messenger, but, being a believer, can hardly have ’adored’ as the Lycaonians did, 14:12, and as St Peter, amazed at such a salutation from a Roman, thought.

28. cf.John 4:9; John 18:28, etc.

30. Three days by modern reckoning. 33. ’We are all present in the sight of God’, ’is the better reading. Cornelius waits to hear what God will speak through St Peter.

34-43 St Peter’s Speech —The first recorded address to Gentiles is no longer so greatly preoccupied with the OT, and describes our Lord’s life more fully. St Peter must have spoken in Gk, and this is borne out by the involved style, as of one using an unfamiliar language.

34-35 The Principle laid down —cf.Deuteronomy 10:17; Romans 2:11. God chooses his elect no matter what their nationality. All are acceptable, i.e. capable of receiving the gifts of God, and justification, if they are in right dispositions, irrespective of the observance of the Law.

36-39 Our Lord’s Public Ministry —36. The Gk is difficult and the text uncertain, but v 36 seems to introduce our Lord’s teaching. God sent the Gospel message to the Jews first, announcing peace with God, through Jesus Christ; cf.Romans 5:1 ’He is lord of all men’, and so can give this peace also to Gentiles. On the affirmation of our Lord’s Godhead, see § 817d. 37. Cornelius and the company know ’the story, a story which ran through the whole of Judaea (KNT); cf. 1:22. 38. ’Concerning Jesus’. God ’anointed’ his human nature with the graces of the Holy Spirit, viz. those he received at his baptism for his work as Messias, Isaiah 61:1. His was the Messianic title Emmanuel, cf.Matthew 1:23.

40-43 Our Lord rose again, and is the Judge who forgives the Sins of all Men —41. Cornelius may be ignorant of the, Resurrection, since Christ appeared only to preordained witnesses, but these were qualified; cf. 1:3. 42. St Peter only mentions the command to preach to the Jewish people, but the whole tenour of his speech (esp. 43) shows that the Gentiles were included, as in 1:8. Jesus will judge those who are alive at his Coming, as well as the dead, cf.1 Peter 4:5.43. Isaiah 49:6; Malachi 1:11; Jon and Ps speak of this remission of sins for all men. Faith in Jesus is alone required, 4:12; Romans 3:22. The joy of the audience is reflected in 46.

44-48 The Pentecost of the Gentiles —44. The Descent took place while St Peter was speaking. He points the parallel with the first Pentecost (47); cf. 11:15; 15:8. Circumcision and the Mosaic Law were clearly superseded if Gentiles received the Spirit. 46. Evidently only the Gentiles received the charismata, which were rather those of 19:6 and 1 Cor 14, than different languages. 47. This is the only case of the reception of the Holy Spirit before baptism, see §819c. 48. The Apostles seem to have left baptizing to others, 1 Corinthians 1:14.