Year 7, Day 243: Acts 10

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Something amazing is at work in God’s Word as we pass through Acts.  Remember, this book started with the world immediately after Jesus Christ died.  Acts begins with the world in a different place; it is a world in the truth of the crucifixion.

The disciples are empowered.  The wisdom of the religious leaders is being overcome.  The wisdom of the world is being denounced.  God’s Spirit is being passed out among human beings and the world is being transformed one unique person at a time.

We’re at the place in Acts where we see this loudly and clearly.  In the last few chapters we’ve seen more and more people participating in the work of God.  The Apostles aren’t the only ones rising up to be filled with God’s Spirit.  We’ve seen Peter and John and Philip, of course.  But we’ve also seen Stephen rise up.  We’ve seen God get the attention of a Pharisee named Saul.  We’ve seen Barnabas rise up.  We’ve had followers of Christ in a whole city work to save the life of a man they once feared.

In this chapter, we see God’s Spirit at work within a Roman centurion and his whole household.  This Roman centurion is a member of the Italian Cohort.  Yet, he is a god-fearer.  That means he has belief, faith, religious piety … all the love and fear of God that he can possibly have without officially being a Jew.  He’s praying and God comes to him.  He tells him about Peter.  This Roman centurion listens and obeys.  He seeks out Peter.  He wants to know.

We also see Peter listening.  He receives a vision.  It is a message telling Peter that He’s about to do something new.  God is showing Peter that He can make the whole world clean.  Ritual purity isn’t just for the Jews, it’s for the world.  Relationship with God isn’t just for the Jews, it’s for the whole world.  Dwelling with God and having His Spirit within us is for anyone who wants relationship with Him.

Cornelius receives God’s Spirit.  His whole household receives God’s Spirit.  These unbaptized non-Jewish god-fearing Romans participate in relationship with God. That’s the nature of what God has done through the cross.  That’s the nature of what God is doing in Acts.  He’s bringing about a new reality through Jesus.  This chapter is all about how God desires to be open to all people who desire to be in relationship with Him.

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