Acts 10:34-48 Lesson 243

Acts 10:34-48
Lesson 243

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Peter preaches to Gentiles.

Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit (10:44) and are baptized (10:48).

Peter preaching to Jews and Gentiles.
(Artist unknown)

Study Tip:

Use the investigative journalist's five w's approach when you study the Bible.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, and why as you read each passage.

The Acts of the Apostles

The King James Bible

Acts 10:34-48
Peter and Cornelius

34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Margin notes:

"God is no respecter of persons." (10:34) - Means, God doesn't show favoritism. God's impartially is reinforced repeatedly in both the Old and New Testaments (Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 34:19; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25). God doesn't love the rich more than the poor, the powerful more than the weak, or a Jew more than a Gentile. Peter is beginning to understand the meaning of his vision in lesson 241.

"He that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." (10:35) - "Those who believe in God and do what's right, are accepted by God." Faith and doing what is right go together. Doing good but not believing in God is not a path to heaven.

"Preaching peace by Jesus Christ." (10:36) - Peace comes when we reconcile with God. We reconcile with God when we accept His Son and trust in Jesus Christ.

"Which was published throughout all Judaea." (10:37) - "Which was spread throughout all Judaea."

"John." (10:37) - John the Baptist.

"Healing all that were oppressed of the devil." (10:38) - "Healing all who were ruled by Satan."

"Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God." (10:41) - Immediately after the resurrection, Jesus appeared exclusively to His disciples and other believers (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). He later appeared to Paul (Acts 9:3-7)

"Even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." (10:41) - Jesus ate and drank after the resurrection (Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-14), proof that He was not an apparition but the same flesh and blood man He was before the crucifixion. Jesus indeed rose from the dead and lived again.

"Ordained by God to be the Judge of quick and dead." (10:42) - "Chosen by God to be the judge of the living and the dead." God will not judge us; Jesus will (John 5:22).

"To him give all the prophets witness." (10:43) - "It is Him (Jesus) that all the prophets spoke of." As in Isaiah 9:6.

"Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." (10:43) - "Whoever believes in Him shall be forgiven for their sins." This is the essence of Christianity; believe in Jesus Christ and find salvation (John 3:14-18; Romans 10:11; Ephesians 2:8-9). See also Jeremiah 31:34.

"They of the circumcision which believed were astonished." (10:45) - "The Jewish believers were astonished."

"Magnify God." (10:46) - "Praise God."

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized." (10:47) - "Can any man withhold water so these people can't be baptized."

"Then prayed they to tarry certain days." (10:48) - "Then begged Peter to stay for a few days."

New Living Translation

Acts 10:34-48
The Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.

35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.

36 This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel-that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.

38 And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

39 "And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross,

40 but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,

41 not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all-the living and the dead.

43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.

45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.

46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked,

47 "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why were the Jewish believers astonished? (10:45)

"Make it the first morning business of your life to understand some part of the Bible clearly and make it your daily business to obey it in all that you do understand."

John Ruskin; English poet, art critic, and philosopher (February 8, 1819 - January 30, 1900).

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Jewish converts were astonished to see Gentiles receiving "the gift of the Holy Ghost" (10:44). This was unimaginable to them. Jews believed that God would not accept Gentiles. Yet these Jewish Christians couldn't deny what they saw, Gentiles being accepted by God without first becoming Jews. It must be true; Jesus died for everyone! With one vision (Acts 10:9-16), God removed one of the greatest obstacles to spreading Christianity. The Gospel went from Jew (Acts 2), to the "Jewish half-breed" Samaritans (Acts 8), to Gentiles.

Application thought for the day:

After the crucifixion, the thought of a Gentile Christian seemed like an impossibility. Jews believed that only they could become Christians because only Jews were acceptable to God. It took a dramatic vision and an outpouring of the Holy Ghost into Gentiles (10:44) to convince Peter, and other Jews, that Jesus Christ was everyone's Messiah. Without this revelation, Christianity would have had a more difficult time spreading throughout the world.

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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