So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
God shows no partiality - This fact was taught in the OT (Deut 10:17; 2 Chron 19:7).
is acceptable to him - "The adjective is Paulo-Lukan (Luke 4:19, 24; 2 Cor 6:2; Phil 4:18). The idea expressed is that the disposition of heart evidenced by Cornelius and men of his type is one which God can regard with favour, so as to meet and satisfy it. Cf. Ps 1:23; 107:9. Though the centurion was not yet actually in a state of salvation (11:14), he was an earnest seeker after it. And those who seek shall find (Matt 7:7-8). As Bengel says, what is predicated here is indifference as to a man's nationality, not indifferent as to the nature of the religion which he professes. St. Peter's main point is that God regards with equal favour both Jew and Gentile." (Walker)
"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 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) ... Is 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 dispensational 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 broke down; that the one is no better than the other." (Stam)
"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." (Stam)
the baptism that John proclaimed - "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 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 the prophecy and the 'great commission,' however, salvation was to be through faith in the person of Christ. (Though the true believer at that time would 'repent and be baptized for the remission of sins' according to the divine instructions (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).)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). (Stam)
God shows no partiality - This fact was taught in the OT (Deut 10:17; 2 Chron 19:7).
is acceptable to him - "The adjective is Paulo-Lukan (Luke 4:19, 24; 2 Cor 6:2; Phil 4:18). The idea expressed is that the disposition of heart evidenced by Cornelius and men of his type is one which God can regard with favour, so as to meet and satisfy it. Cf. Ps 1:23; 107:9. Though the centurion was not yet actually in a state of salvation (11:14), he was an earnest seeker after it. And those who seek shall find (Matt 7:7-8). As Bengel says, what is predicated here is indifference as to a man's nationality, not indifferent as to the nature of the religion which he professes. St. Peter's main point is that God regards with equal favour both Jew and Gentile." (Walker)
"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 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) ... Is 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 dispensational 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 broke down; that the one is no better than the other." (Stam)
"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." (Stam)
the baptism that John proclaimed - "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 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 the prophecy and the 'great commission,' however, salvation was to be through faith in the person of Christ. (Though the true believer at that time would 'repent and be baptized for the remission of sins' according to the divine instructions (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38).)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). (Stam)
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