How God Works Things Out

When I was reading from Acts 10:1-33 this morning I was by how God worked everything out.

Peter has a vision.
It makes no sense to him.
Then he is called to a house of a man part of the Italian Cohort (which to means doesn't seem Jewish).Grace Communion International points out the it was part of the Roman Army, Cornelius was a gentile.

This action provides understanding to Peter and so the breach between the gentile and Jewish believers is therefore breached.

So let us then follow God's actions.
First we meet Cornelius.   We learn how he loves God and how God has responded to him. 

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

In the meantime, Peter has a vision.

and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." 14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

As Peter wonders about this, he is told by God that three men have arrived looking for him and that he is to go with them.    So off Peter goes with them.   He arrives at Cornelius' house.

And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."

And so Peter understands what the vision means.  How it is no longer wrong for the Jewish and Gentile believers to go their separate ways.     But Cornelius wants to know what God would say to them through Peter   After explaining WHY he sent for him he said:

So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."

I have to admit, when my reading for the day left off here I thought... but you haven't finished the story.  :)   So I turned to Biblegateway for the end of it.  :)   Peter went on to give them the message from God.

4 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

As a result of Peter's preaching....

44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

So do you see it?   Can feel the amazement the Jewish folks would have had?    God sent his Holy Spirit upon the gentiles as well.  God, who for years, was very specific about using HIS people and working through HIS chosen people alone...and here he is, working among Gentile believers as well.   What an shocking eye-opener it was indeed.

The end result was that Gentile and Jewish believers were now to be one people.   A good thing that eh?

I just find it so fascinating how God pulls it all together.   A man devoted to God, calls to another man devoted to God, and the early church is strengthened because of God's work in the lives of both of them.   It is very very cool!  :)

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