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Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 1 * BOOK 19
ACTS 10
Remember. the Book of Acts is a transitional book. Peter and the eleven are still appealing to the Nation of Israel to repent of the worst sin they had ever committed, and that was killing their Messiah. Those are the words Peter uses, "You killed Him, you murdered Him. The Son of the living God." But what did Israel do? Saul of Tarsus honestly thought he was doing God a favor in trying to stamp out these early Jewish believers who believed that Jesus was The Messiah. Just outside of this Gentile city of Damascus, on Gentile ground (not on Jewish ground as the Twelve were called), we find God in Grace reaches down and saves this man. God immediately informs him that He is going to send him to the Gentiles, and that is the first indication we have in the Book of Acts, that God is going to bring the Gentiles into the picture. Then the seven-year period of Tribulation, in which God will again be dealing prophetically with the Nation of Israel.
Until that time they had been kept secret, hidden in the mind of God. Through Moses God said:
"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever,..."
Now we come to Chapter 10 to Peter. We will only touch on Peter here in Chapter 10 and a little in Chapters 11, 12 and 15, and then Peter fades off the scene in the Book of Acts never to be heard from again. "THERE was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, "
He was a Gentile, a Roman officer in charge of 100 men. He was going to be sovereignly touched by the Grace of God, because the Apostle to the Gentiles had just been saved and so Gentiles can now be placed into the Body of Christ. Remember, God always has the big picture; we only see the little one. But the big picture here is that God is going to prepare not just the house of Cornelius, but He is going to prepare Peter for an event that will take place twelve years down the road. "A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always."
But Cornelius was lost. Religious yes, even praying to the right God. He is not praying to one of the Roman Gods, but praying to God. Well let's go over to Chapter 11. In this chapter Peter has already been up to Caesarea, back down to Jerusalem, and is sharing all the events with his fellow Jews who are believers. So Cornelius in spite of his praying, giving, believing in God was lost. Our churches are full of people like Cornelius. Now in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 11, God had defined which type of animals, fowl, and fish the Jews could eat that were clean. Why does Peter say that? Is Peter mixing Law and Grace? No! Peter hasn't been told that he is no longer under the Law, but rather Grace. Peter is simply like the followers of Christ in His earthly ministry. Peter had no doubt repented of his sins and been baptized. Our God is a God of perfect timing! Just as the men who had made the journey from Caesarea to Joppa are at the gate asking for Simon Peter, Peter has just come through this vision of the sheet. Now verse 19:
"While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, `Behold, three men seek thee. Because as far as Peter was concerned, Gentiles were still dogs, and God could have nothing to do with them. You see Peter was not some stubborn Jew that should have known better. Peter was a Jew who knew what was expected. Matthew 10:5,6
Matthew 15:22
What Jesus had told them back in Chapter 10. "You are to have nothing to do with Gentiles, go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Israel was to be a nation of people, established in an area of land in which God Himself would come and be their King. I really want you to understand that if it hadn't been for God really putting the pressure and the proof on Peter that this is where he was supposed to go, then Peter would have never gone. In Chapter 11 we will find that there were six believing Jewish brethren that went with Peter, and that makes a total of seven - God's perfect number. The Law) thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.'"
When did God show him? Now you remember the Apostle to the Gentiles was saved in Chapter 9, and so now the gates are being opened to Gentiles. Peter was uncomfortable going into the house of Cornelius, because it was unlawful for a Jew to go into a Gentile's house But Peter says, God has shown me I cannot call anybody common or unclean.

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