Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

9:32 Saints refers to Christians. Lydda is the OT Lod, 23 miles (37 km) northwest of Jerusalem on the road to Joppa. Lydda served as a regional administrative town (toparchy) for Judea, and was on an important trade route.

9:33 Eight years points to the severity of his paralysis.

9:34 Jesus Christ heals you. See note on 3:6. Peter understands that Jesus is invisibly working to build his church. Make your bed probably refers to folding the mat on which he was lying.

9:35 they turned to the Lord. As is often the case in Acts, miracles such as this healing (cf. ch. 3) led to the advancement of the gospel. The news spread beyond the town of Lydda to the whole coastal plain of Sharon.

9:36 Joppa was on the coast, 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Lydda. The port city of Joppa (modern Jaffa/Yafa, just south of Tel Aviv) was captured by the Jewish Hasmoneans (2nd century b.c.) and contained a substantial Jewish population prior to the First Jewish Revolt (a.d. 66-73). Excavations under portions of the modern city have revealed evidence of first-century residences and an early fortress.

9:38 Hearing that Peter was there reflects an understanding that an unusual level of the Holy Spirit's power was present in the apostles.

9:40 Tabitha, arise. See note on 3:6. Peter had no supernatural power in his own words, but the Lord had showed him what he was going to do in response to Peter's prayer, and he imparted to Peter's heart the knowledge and faith that he was going to restore Tabitha to life as Peter spoke.

9:41 The Greek verb for raised her up is the same word used throughout the NT for Jesus' resurrection (Gk. anistēmi). Though her restoration to life was not permanent, it served to remind Christians of their promised resurrection in Christ.

9:42 many believed in the Lord. Once again there is the pattern that remarkable miracles lead to many more genuine conversions as the gospel spreads.

9:43 As a tanner, Simon worked with animal hides, which would explain his location close to the ocean breezes (10:6). This meant he was often left in an unclean state, but this was less significant since he is not in Jerusalem.

10:1 Cornelius resided at Caesarea, a city on the coast 31 miles (50 km) north of Joppa; Caesarea was the seat of the Roman government of Judea (see note on 8:40). Cornelius was a centurion, a commander of 100 men, and a member of the Italian Cohort. (A "cohort" consisted of 600 men under the command of six centurions, but with auxiliary forces in remote areas such as Judea a "cohort" might have as many as 1,000 men.) Ten cohorts formed a "legion." Centurions were paid very well (as much as five times the pay of an ordinary soldier), so Cornelius would have been socially prominent and wealthy.

10:2 Devout man who feared God identifies Cornelius as a "God-fearer" (cf. v. 22; 13:16, 26), a Gentile who worshiped Israel's God and was in some way attached to a synagogue but who had not submitted to Jewish conversion rites (esp. circumcision). He followed two of the primary expressions of Jewish piety--prayer and almsgiving. Alms are gifts to the poor.

10:3-4 The ninth hour is 3:00 p.m. This was a set hour of prayer for Jews, not according to the OT but according to later tradition.

10:4 The designation of Cornelius's piety as a memorial is sacrificial language (cf. Lev. 2:2, 9, 16), indicating that something has been "remembered" by God (see Phil. 4:18).

10:5 Joppa was about 31 miles (50 km) south of Caesarea, along the coast.

10:7 Cornelius sent two of his most trusted servants and a soldier, whose description as being devout likely indicates he was a God-fearer himself.

10:9 housetop. Houses in Judea typically had flat roofs accessible by ladders or stairs.

10:12 All kinds of animals and reptiles and birds would include both clean and unclean animals. Jewish law forbade the consumption of unclean animals (see Lev. 11:2-47).

10:13 The command from Jesus to kill and eat made no sense to Peter, since it would have violated Jewish food laws. Verse 15 is the key: God was overturning the old clean/unclean distinctions and dietary laws in general, along with all other "ceremonial" laws in the Mosaic covenant (including laws about sacrifices, festivals and special days, and circumcision). Nothing like this was to get in the way of fellowship with Gentiles, as Galatians 2 also shows.

10:26 I too am a man. Compare Herod's opposite response in 12:20-23; cf. Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9.

10:28 unlawful. Not in terms of violating OT commands but in the sense of not following the later customs of strict Jewish traditions about uncleanness. The Jewish traditions of purity made it virtually impossible for them to associate with Gentiles without becoming ritually unclean. God has shown me refers to the vision of vv. 10-16. This shows how Peter understood his vision.

10:34-43 This message to the Gentiles is unique among the sermons of Acts in providing a summary of Jesus' ministry. It contains no scriptural proofs and was cut short before Peter could give an invitation to trust in Christ. It is quite likely, of course, that the speech was an extended one, of which Luke gives an abbreviated account.

10:35 in every nation. Not just among Jews. acceptable to him. The word used here (Gk. dektos, "acceptable, welcome") does not refer to legal justification before God (for which the NT uses Gk. dikaioō and related terms), nor is Peter talking about the basis for justification. Rather, the question here is whether God's favor is made available to Jews only ("partiality," v. 34) or is now available to Gentiles also (those "in every nation"). fears him and does what is right. This expression summarizes the behavior of someone whose life is pleasing to God. Although Peter does not explicitly mention saving faith (as he will in v. 43), it would likely be included or implied in the meaning of these two terms in this context (see note on v. 2). After all, faith is trusting God and responding to him.

10:36 The references to the good news of peace and to Christ being Lord of all echo Isa. 52:7 and 57:19: the gospel is for all people, including Cornelius and his fellow Gentiles.

10:38 The simple statement he went about doing good and healing is a profound summary of Jesus' life, and an ideal to which all Christians would do well to aspire.

10:39 The cross is referred to as a tree, making a clear connection with the use of the same word (Gk. xylon) in the Septuagint translation of Deut. 21:23, "cursed by God is everyone who is hanged on a tree." Jesus was put in a position that the OT says is "cursed by God," thus taking on himself the penalty for sin. See Gal. 3:13.

10:41 Who ate and drank with him shows that Jesus was not a ghost or a spirit but had a real physical body after his resurrection. Eating and drinking are signs of sharing close personal fellowship.

10:43 all the prophets. See note on 3:18. everyone who believes. See note on 2:38.

10:44 The Holy Spirit fell in a way that was visible and audible from the response of the people on whom he fell (see v. 46). These Gentiles had come to genuine saving faith in Christ and had received the new covenant power and fullness of the Holy Spirit, which was a sign that they had been accepted by God as full and equal members of his people. The fact that they had not followed any Mosaic ceremonial laws (such as those concerning circumcision, sacrifice, and dietary restrictions) before receiving the gift of the Spirit is an important point, as soon becomes evident (see 11:15-17).

10:46 Speaking in tongues and praise of God outwardly demonstrated the Spirit's presence and God's acceptance of Gentiles without circumcision (which had been required for conversion to Judaism).

10:47 Baptizing these people would be an outward sign of an inward work of God in their hearts and of their personal commitment to Christ. Just as we have is a reference to the reception of the Spirit at Pentecost. Speaking in tongues also occurred at Pentecost (2:4), later with the Ephesian 12 (19:6), and perhaps also among the Samaritans (8:18). In every case speaking in tongues validates that those in view belong to the people of God and have received the Holy Spirit in new covenant fullness.

10:48 To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (see also 2:38; 8:16) is not different from being baptized "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). Even though different words are used here in Acts, the meaning is the same because in biblical usage a person's "name" represents the person's character, everything that is true about the person. The "name" (character and attributes) of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is the same as the "name" (character and attributes) of Jesus Christ. In fact, in Matt. 28:19, the word "name" (Gk. onoma) is singular, indicating that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share one "name" (i.e., one character). To be baptized into that name is a sign of identifying with that name and taking on Christ's character, as well as committing to live one's life from that point on as a representative of that name. remain for some days. Peter's willingness to stay with them likely involved his sharing meals with the Gentiles, a bold step for one who formerly was so concerned about clean and unclean foods (see also notes on Gal. 2:11-21).

11:1 The apostles and the brothers do not seem to have raised objection to the inclusion of Cornelius and his fellow Gentiles. The issue was raised by "the circumcision party" (v. 2), a group of strict Jewish Christians, perhaps of a Pharisaic background (see 15:1, 5). They probably held the position that Gentiles who wished to become Christians must first become converts to Judaism, which included circumcision and living by the ritual laws.

11:3 On eating with uncircumcised men, see note on 10:28.

11:12 Peter was to make no distinction or discrimination between Jews and Gentiles.

11:14 a message by which you will be saved. Some think this implies that Cornelius was saved for the first time here. Others think he previously had saving faith (as a Gentile "God-fearer" looking forward to the Messiah), but that this meant he would experience the fullness of new covenant salvation in Christ when he heard the gospel message (see notes on 10:2; 10:35).

11:15 Just as on us refers to Pentecost, apparently meaning that these Gentile believers began to speak in tongues and praise God, giving convincing evidence that they had received the Holy Spirit in the same sense as did those at Pentecost. See also 10:44-48 and note on 10:47. The fact that the Spirit came to Cornelius and other Gentiles without them having done anything in relationship to the Law is God's answer to the debate and settled matters as far as Peter was concerned.

11:17 stand in God's way. Here Peter used the same word (Gk. kōlyō) as in the earlier account of Cornelius's conversion (10:47, "withhold"), and the Ethiopian eunuch used the same word at the time of his conversion (8:36). As these three examples demonstrate, God was expanding the church to include Gentiles, and no one should try to "prevent" or "stand in the way" of that. Though Peter did not explicitly refer to baptism, it was probably implicit in the use of this word: Peter knew he could not refuse to allow these new believers to be baptized and thereby give outward evidence that they were full members of the church.

11:18 they glorified God. Though it is taken for granted today that Gentiles can become Christians, it was an astounding realization for these Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life. On repentance, see note on 2:38. This move was significant given the history of tension between Gentiles and Jews, especially in light of the Maccabean War. Reconciliation is a key theme of the gospel.