Peter Sermon at Cornelius’s House

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 22, 2021

Peter Sermon at Cornelius’s House

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

Acts 10:44

Read: Acts 10:34-48       

Peter’s sermon came about because Cornelius, a Gentile, a Roman Centurion, was fed up with all of the idolatry and wimpy little gods in the Roman Empire. He wasn’t a Jew, but he was attracted to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because of the positive influence of the Jews living around him in Caesarea. He was on the outside looking in, practicing the best he could faithfulness to the God of Israel. His openness to God opened the door for God to speak to Cornelius and arrange this meeting with Peter.

In just a few words, Peter displays his passion for Jesus and his belief that God’s plan of redemption for the entire world, first begun with the Jews, is now complete in Jesus: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (v.43)

Cornelius’ hope in inviting Peter to his home was that he would be welcomed into the family of God through forgiveness and transformation. He was!

The Holy Spirit came on Cornelius’ household, just as it did on the day of Pentecost. A definitive statement that in seven years, Peter and the others were witnesses for Jesus in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

My Takeaway: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5: 17-21)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.