Acts (9)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Be sure to view the video introducing our study of Acts 10 (Lesson 9) by clicking here.

Meditate on Acts 10.34-38.
“OK, now I’ve got it.” Peter finally puts it all together – Cornelius’ vision, his vision, his being sent for in Joppa. It all falls together in one sweet “Aha!” moment for the chief of the apostles. He blurts out what to him is the conclusion of all this: God’s salvation is available to people from all nations, people who fit the criteria of saving faith (fear God, obey His Law).

For reflection
1.  God is not a God of partiality, and it took a large, lavish vision from on high for Him to sink this notion deep into Peter’s soul. Peter proceeded on to report the historical facts behind the meaning of his visit. God sent Israel to proclaim peace through Jesus Christ. Is it important that our proclamation of the Gospel be rooted in real events and real history? Explain.

2.  Peter can’t resist a little pique in the presence of this Roman Centurion: “He is Lord of all” (v. 36). But wait: Isn’t Peter getting ahead of himself? Shouldn’t he let this Roman first come to Jesus as Savior, and then maybe sometime later urge him to receive Jesus as Lord? Explain.

3.  The facts of Jesus’ earthly ministry would have been familiar to the people in Caesarea. They would have heard of Jesus, about the good works He did, and the extraordinary power of God that was upon Him. Peter emphasized the larger, spiritual backdrop for the work Christ began to do, and that was now ongoing – to overthrow and replace the dominion of the devil with good works and healing by the Spirit of the Lord. Peter was getting revved up, and we can feel his own enthusiasm growing as the lights came on in his soul and the prospects for the Gospel grew larger than ever in his mind. Peter is unabashedly “spiritual” in proclaiming the Gospel. Do you think we should be more like this when we talk about our faith with others? Explain.

4.  There are important lessons for us in witness-bearing in this situation. Start with the conclusion: You can be saved. Ground the whole in historical realities, not just your own experience or opinion. Get Jesus and His Lordship into the account early and often. Let people know what’s available, what the basis of it is, and Who is making such an offer to outcasts such as we. How does your approach to sharing the Gospel compare with what we see Peter doing in this story?

5.  Peter is doing something quite extraordinary in sharing with this Gentile in his home. There will be ramifications. But how can we see, in Luke’s account thus far, that God has been preparing for this moment? How can you see, in your own life with Christ, that He is preparing you to share the Good News with the people to whom He sends you?

Summary
Peter did not hesitate to proclaim the Gospel, once he understood the situation for what it was. We need more of Peter’s understanding, boldness, and resolve in our own work of evangelism. How can Christians encourage one another to be more like Peter in our witness for the Lord?

Closing Prayer
But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

Psalm 59.16, 17

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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