In today’s passage through the meeting of 2 people, Peter and Cornelius, a Gentile, the Gospel begins to spread to the Gentiles. In Acts 10:1 to 11:18 we are told about the conversion of Cornelius, an Italian army centurion. This is the longest testimony of a person being saved in the Bible. This is because this is the event that caused the beginning of the theme of the Gospel going to the Gentiles in Acts. Luke records this event to emphasize that the Gospel is for all people, no matter whether they are Jewish or Gentile. All people can be saved through believing in Christ. This begins with the meeting of Peter and Cornelius. This meeting was by the Holy Spirit’s leading. Therefore, today let’s at three aspects of this.
I. Send men to Joppa (vs.1-8)
Caesarea is a port town in Northern Judea. There was a Roman regiment there. In other words it was an Italian army. It is said that there were 600 men in the regiment and Cornelius was the officer in charge of the army. About him the Bible records, “He and all is family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.” (2) To be “devout and God fearing” means that although he was a Gentile, that he followed the law, prayed daily and worshipped at the synagogue.
In verses 3-6 the Lord sends an angel to Cornelius. In Acts, again and again the Lord directly speaks and leads to the next action. This case is the same. The angel says to Cornelius, “Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon.” (5) The reason is not given, but when we follow the Lord’s leading afterwards we’ll know why. That is faith. That is how God works in the age of the Holy Spirit.
When Cornelius heard the words of the angel, “Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier” and sent them to Joppa.
II. What God has cleansed, don’t call it impure (9,10)
Now the place changes to Joppa. Joppa is about 48 kilometers from Caesarea. The next day when the 3 men Cornelius sent to Joppa were “approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.” (9) He became hungry, but “while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.” (10, 11) In it were all sorts of animals that were by Jewish laws unclean to eat. In verse 13 God told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
“’Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’” (14) This is because in Leviticus 11:4-23 it teaches which animals are clean and unclean and that unclean ones are not to be eaten. Many unclean animals were in the sheet so Peter strongly objected to eating them.
However, God said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (15) This was a voice to break down his thinking. The truth was that in the sheet were animals that were unclean by Moses’ law. Also because of his religious emotions, he would not be able to eat them. However, God himself had made them clean. God is commanding him to eat them. If he still is thinking by his own emotions instead of the will of God, then that is not proper faith. It is Jewish emotions aimed at the Gentiles. Not just Peter, but emotions that all Jews had. Even if they were Christians, they thought that salvation was only for themselves. Gentiles were too low to receive such salvation. However, God said, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (15) This was a vision to show that the Gospel was going to go from the Jews to the Gentiles. In the Old Testament it was necessary to follow the law in order to be saved. Since only the Jews had the law, it was thought that only the Jews could be saved. However, now, in the age of grace that Jesus brought, salvation is not by the law, but by grace. It is by believing in Jesus Christ. Not only Jews can be saved, by the Gentiles who were thought to be unclean. This vision shows that such a new age has come.
Even so Peter says that he can’t eat unclean things. “This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.” (16)
Three times Peter said that he couldn’t eat unclean things because he has“never eaten anything impure or unclean.” (14) Living by the law is living in the past. There is nothing new. However, now through Christ, we are free from the law. It may be different than anything you had ever thought of, but you are saved by Christ, have received the Holy Spirit, are living a totally different life, you have a new world, and new thinking.
Romans 8:1, 2
Those who have believed in Jesus Christ have received the Holy Spirit of life. The Holy Spirit of life has set us free from the old law with sin and death as its source. He gives use freedom, joy and peace. The source of the Christian life is the Holy Spirit of life.
For Peter, being and keeping the identity of a Jew, God’s chosen people, had an extremely important meaning to Peter even if he became a Christian. However, even if the Old Testament law was very important to your identity, now if you are a Christian, you have to overcome that identity. The important thing is to live in the Gospel, to live as a new person.
The same is true of us who live in this country, Japan. We need to overcome our values, religious and cultural thinking. Of course, living in Japan as a Christian is not easy. In our families and at work and in society our identities as a Japanese and as a Christian clash. Throughout our life we have challenges. However, we need to meet each challenge as a Christian first not as a Japanese first. We need to live as a Christian whose nationality is in heaven. We need to always think about what Jesus would do, and freely and boldly confess that Jesus is Lord.
III. The greatness and abundance of the Gospel (vs. 17-33)
Last let’s look at the result of Peter not relying on his own thinking and ways of looking at things or his own emotions, but following the will of God. “While Peter was still thinking about the vision,” the 3 men sent by Cornelius arrived at Peter’s house. (19) The Holy Spirit said to Peter, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (19, 20) Peter and Cornelius’ meeting was really by the Holy Spirit. Humanly speaking these two would likely to have never met. Even if they did they would not have overcome the wall between them. They had no common ground. However, the Holy Spirit said to Peter, “So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.” (20) The Holy Spirit was able to bring 2 people who had no common ground together.
When we read this passage one thing that we notice is that the central authority in this event is the Holy Spirit of God himself. The Holy Spirit sent the men to Joppa. The Holy Spirit told Cornelius to invite Simeon to his house. He told Simeon not to hesitate to go with them. Cornelius did not think on his own that he wanted to hear the Gospel. Nor did Peter on his own decide to lead Cornelius to salvation. Everything was led by the Lord himself. The Lord was leading them and pushing them forward. They just followed the Lord.
However as the result the most amazing thing happened. The next day Peter started out with and then “the following day he arrived in Caesarea.” (24) Cornelius was waiting for him with all his family, relatives, and friends. When Peter arrived, Cornelius fell down and worshipped Peter. Peter told him to stand up because Peter said, “I am only a man myself.” (26) Then both of them shared their testimony of how they were led to meet each other. They both realized how amazing it was and that it was really God who was leading them. In other words, God made it possible for them to overcome the wall of Gentile and Jew which was humanly speaking impossible to overcome. God prepared their hearts to accept each other.
We need to follow the Holy Spirit of life. When God says, “Don’t hesitate to go.” we need to go. We need to follow God’s word. Then the Holy Spirit will send us to the person he wants us to meet. Then God’s kingdom will be spread out and we will experience abundance. We will be given the joy and blessings of the Gospel.