Acts 10: of Peter and the Romans in Caesarea

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.

Caesar’s Palace East welcomes PETRUS

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:

So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?”

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.

Peter’s previous witness of Roman faith

Gospel of Luke 7:

[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

THE GOD of Every Nation

Acts 10: of Peter preaching to the Romans at Caesarea

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

Two Acceptable Conditions to God

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.

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• the man who FEARS HIM [God]
  • φοβέω – phobeō
    • Do YOU FEAR GOD, my fellow follower of Christ Jesus?

[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

• and does what is right..
  • ἐργάζομαι – ergazomai
  • δικαιοσύνη – dikaiosynē
    • “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness G1343, for they will be satisfied.
      • δικαιοσύνη dikaiosýnē, dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay; from G1342; equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification:—righteousness.

θεός

Peter uses a universal word from the greek for God: θεός – theos

• God: θεός – theos is written over 1300 times in the NEW Testament
• All of the Gospel writers use ‘God’ to describe the Lord God to gentiles
  • The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God ^G2316 – Mark 1:1
• JESUS uses God: θεός – theos many many times.
  • “The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God ^G2316 remains on him.” – John 3:36
• ACTS of the Apostles speaks of God: θεός more than any book of the Bible θεός – theh’-os 168x
  • “It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. – Acts 2:32 – Peter
• The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) use several words for ‘God,’ this similar to ēl – אֵל

A Gospel History for Roman Brothers and Sisters

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

Romans – (gentiles) BAPTIZED! (another sign)

Atti 10:44-48 Il battesimo dei primi pagani (The baptism of the first pagans)

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? 

Pentecost – a narrative of the fifty days fulfilled

Leadership: Responding to the Spirit of God

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.

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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!