It’s NOT just any ‘Word,’ but implies theologically important meaning. READ this Summer Scriptural RERUN
This relates closely to my previous Saturday Post “
Stay tuned from more Summer of 2021 Reruns from talkofJESUS.com
(ditto: Summer 2022 – more to come)
In the year of our Lord Twenty Twenty-one I did a series on the apocalypse familiar to most as “The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John.”
A single scene from Revelation will look familiar to any who have studied the prophet Ezekiel.
Here is last years post of prophecy.
Stay tuned from more Summer of 2021 Reruns from talkofJESUS.com
(ditto: Summer 2022 – more to come)
An angel of the Lord summoned Jews from Joppa and Romans from Caesarea to hear Peter preach the Gospel for all.
In case you missed it, Peter's Roman Centurion host has just bowed down to him when the Apostle approached the group of believers at his own home.
An angel brought Peter and a group of faithful Jews from Joppa at the invitation of their Roman occupiers. (What an odd scenario, it would seem.)
The Roman Legion of the Italian Cohort, a highly regarded army of Caesar, has invited not only Peter to his home, but also many friends and family. This scene might look somewhat like a large home church and our host, Cornelius, recounts for all as witness what has recently taken place:
Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining clothing, and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God. Therefore send some men to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
How else would a Roman Legion know where to find a Jew from Galilee traveling in Judea?
33 So I sent men to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come.
Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Let’s just set this amazing scene in context: A Roman leader of men who God has drawn to the salvation that comes from the Jews invited Simon Peter to preach! WE ARE ALL HERE PRESENT BEFORE GOD… It’s an expression of worship. Tell us what the Lord has commanded you.
[Jesus in Capernaum] Now a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to Him, asking Him to come and save the life of his slave..
..when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof; for that reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You; but just say the word, and my servant shall be healed.
Simon Peter, a fisherman of Capernaum, certainly would have been with the Lord Jesus. And the humility of this centurion mirrors the faithful believer, Cornelius, who now bows down to Peter and then invites him to preach.
Do YOU, my fellow 21st century believer, have trouble with Authority such as this? Listen to this and the Lord's response.
“For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under myself; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
Gospel of Luke 7:8 NASB20
Now when Jesus heard this, He was amazed at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him,
“I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”
Gospel of Luke 7:9 – the Messiah Jesus to Jews on the faith of these romans
34 Opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him.
Acts 10:34-35 – Proclamation of Peter of the Gospel for Gentiles
Peter now speaks to ‘every nation’ – ethnos – not just Romans (who now rule the land). AND now certainly (according to Peter), not exclusively Jews.
Jesus also uses this word frequently, sometimes translated, ‘gentiles,’ a very hebrew concept of unclean men separated from those circumcised by blood as holy to the Lord God.
[Cornelius, a centurion was] a devout man and one who feared G5399 God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.
Acts of the Apostles 10:2 NASB20
Peter uses a universal word from the greek for God: θεός – theos
36 The word [logos] which He sent [apostellō] to the sons of Israel [Ἰσραήλ “he shall be a prince of God”], preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord [κύριος – From kuros (supremacy)]of all)—
Peter points out first to these Jewish proselytes that GOD anointed Jesus as Lord of all.
you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
The Apostle Simon Peter then confirms what many have already seen and heard in Jerusalem over these past months.
“We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the countryside of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
Acts of the Apostles 10:39 NASB20
“God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He [become visible] be revealed, not to all the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
“And He ordered us to [proclaim] preach to the people, and to testify solemnly that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
Acts 10:42 NASB20 of the Apostle Peter
Again, Peter preaches to these Romans who are jewish proselytes with some understanding of Scripture.
“All the prophets testify of Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Acts 10:43 NASB20
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.
Sound familiar?
Then Peter responded,
47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.
What a few days it must have been in Caesarea.. as Peter led these first Romans from baptism to go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ the risen Lord!