A STUDY GUIDE ACTS 10:1-23
1. A Study Guide
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 10:1-23
a) The verses tell about two visions, one experienced by the good man Cornelius, and the other by the apostle Peter. God prepares these two men, a Gentile and a Jew, to meet each other.
#1) Acts 10:1-2
10 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
i) A righteous man. The more you think about Cornelius, the more you realize how good he was. Peter said, "In every nation God welcomes the man who fears God and does what is right" (Acts 10:34-35). God did not despise the goodness of Cornelius. God did not look upon his righteousness as filthy rags. God noticed, honored, and rewarded Cornelius for his good works.
#2) Acts 10:3-6
3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.”
i) Send for Simon Peter. Cornelius, for all his righteousness, needed to have faith in Jesus Christ. So God sets about organizing for Peter to go to Cornelius and preach the gospel to him.
ii) What do you want, Lord? Cornelius was surprised and frightened by the angel’s appearance, but his response was not in any way confused. "What is it Lord?" he asked (Acts 10:4). That is to say, “What is it Lord, that you wish me to do?” Cornelius knew that he was before a superior, and Cornelius was ready to obey orders.
#3) Acts 10:7-9
7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
i) Two prayerful men. Cornelius’s prayers were effectual, and his obedience was prompt. However he was not the only one who prayed often to God and who was consequently caught up in God’s plan and all-embracing providence. Peter retires to the roof garden to pray, and his prayer will also bring a vision.
#4) Acts 10:10-16
10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
i) Clean or unclean? Under Jewish law, many animals were declared unclean and were forbidden as food (e.g. Leviticus 11). Jesus Christ taught that food goes into the stomach and passes through the body and out into the toilet, thus taking away what is bad. Food therefore cannot defile a person because it is purified by this process (Mark 7:18-20). Jesus taught Paul that all foods are clean (Romans 14:14, Colossians 2:16-17). Like Peter, people want to argue on this point, but God’s statement to Peter is plain: the creatures in the sheet which Peter recognized as unclean had now been made clean. "What God has cleansed, do not call unholy" (Acts 10:12-15). Why do people argue when this passage, clearly in context, makes it undeniable that creatures once forbidden by Moses are now permitted by Christ?
ii) The real lesson. God is not merely trying to change Peter’s belief about food, but much more importantly his beliefs about people. Peter later says, “It is thought unlawful for a Jewish man to visit or associate with one of another nation. But God has shown me that I shouldn't call any man unholy or unclean.” (Acts 10:28-29). That was the real lesson of the vision. The bag of creatures symbolized the many nations of human beings. God shuns nobody who fears him and does what is right. So now Peter has learned that he should associate with Gentiles not just with Jews. God loves the whole wide world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2).
#5) Acts 10:17-20
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”
i) The ordinary alongside the miraculous. God is sending angels and visions and the voice of his Spirit. At the same time, men are doing things in the ordinary manner, travelling to Joppa, finding the house, calling at the gate. The person who furthers God’s cause in the ordinary way is no less respectable and important than the person moved by signs and wonders.
#6) Acts 10:21-23
21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
i) God uses people. Since God sent an angel to Cornelius, why didn't the angel preach the gospel to Cornelius and instruct him what to do? Why go to all the trouble and inconvenience of sending men to Joppa to fetch Peter? God gave the great commission to human beings (Mark 16:14-16). In Cornelius’s case, God is taking special action, because he has a point to make. However he still leaves it up to mere mortals to do the preaching. We human beings are allowed the dignity of having an essential role in the great plan of God to save us. We are not merely the souls being saved; we participate in the saving of souls.
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 10:1-23
a) The verses tell about two visions, one experienced by the good man Cornelius, and the other by the apostle Peter. God prepares these two men, a Gentile and a Jew, to meet each other.
#1) Acts 10:1-2
10 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
i) A righteous man. The more you think about Cornelius, the more you realize how good he was. Peter said, "In every nation God welcomes the man who fears God and does what is right" (Acts 10:34-35). God did not despise the goodness of Cornelius. God did not look upon his righteousness as filthy rags. God noticed, honored, and rewarded Cornelius for his good works.
#2) Acts 10:3-6
3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.”
i) Send for Simon Peter. Cornelius, for all his righteousness, needed to have faith in Jesus Christ. So God sets about organizing for Peter to go to Cornelius and preach the gospel to him.
ii) What do you want, Lord? Cornelius was surprised and frightened by the angel’s appearance, but his response was not in any way confused. "What is it Lord?" he asked (Acts 10:4). That is to say, “What is it Lord, that you wish me to do?” Cornelius knew that he was before a superior, and Cornelius was ready to obey orders.
#3) Acts 10:7-9
7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
i) Two prayerful men. Cornelius’s prayers were effectual, and his obedience was prompt. However he was not the only one who prayed often to God and who was consequently caught up in God’s plan and all-embracing providence. Peter retires to the roof garden to pray, and his prayer will also bring a vision.
#4) Acts 10:10-1610 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
i) Clean or unclean? Under Jewish law, many animals were declared unclean and were forbidden as food (e.g. Leviticus 11). Jesus Christ taught that food goes into the stomach and passes through the body and out into the toilet, thus taking away what is bad. Food therefore cannot defile a person because it is purified by this process (Mark 7:18-20). Jesus taught Paul that all foods are clean (Romans 14:14, Colossians 2:16-17). Like Peter, people want to argue on this point, but God’s statement to Peter is plain: the creatures in the sheet which Peter recognized as unclean had now been made clean. "What God has cleansed, do not call unholy" (Acts 10:12-15). Why do people argue when this passage, clearly in context, makes it undeniable that creatures once forbidden by Moses are now permitted by Christ?
ii) The real lesson. God is not merely trying to change Peter’s belief about food, but much more importantly his beliefs about people. Peter later says, “It is thought unlawful for a Jewish man to visit or associate with one of another nation. But God has shown me that I shouldn't call any man unholy or unclean.” (Acts 10:28-29). That was the real lesson of the vision. The bag of creatures symbolized the many nations of human beings. God shuns nobody who fears him and does what is right. So now Peter has learned that he should associate with Gentiles not just with Jews. God loves the whole wide world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2).
#5) Acts 10:17-20
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”
i) The ordinary alongside the miraculous. God is sending angels and visions and the voice of his Spirit. At the same time, men are doing things in the ordinary manner, travelling to Joppa, finding the house, calling at the gate. The person who furthers God’s cause in the ordinary way is no less respectable and important than the person moved by signs and wonders.
#6) Acts 10:21-2321 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.
And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
i) God uses people. Since God sent an angel to Cornelius, why didn't the angel preach the gospel to Cornelius and instruct him what to do? Why go to all the trouble and inconvenience of sending men to Joppa to fetch Peter? God gave the great commission to human beings (Mark 16:14-16). In Cornelius’s case, God is taking special action, because he has a point to make. However he still leaves it up to mere mortals to do the preaching. We human beings are allowed the dignity of having an essential role in the great plan of God to save us. We are not merely the souls being saved; we participate in the saving of souls.
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