Cornelius’ touch

 Acts 10:1-8; 8/13/2023; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

  Introduction

Belief in the Lord is a very precious thing.  So far, the book of Acts has recorded two large-scale evangelistic meetings and two personal evangelistic meetings.  One large evangelistic meeting is in 2:41, and the other is in 4:4.  There were 3,000 and 5,000 believers respectively.    Personal evangelism, one was Philip preaching the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch in 8:37, and the other was Cornelius in today’s scriptures.  Let’s look at the first point:

See God in vision

For a Gentile to see a vision of God is a miracle in itself. Not only that, but also a grace that transcends the times that God bestows on mankind.  First, the election came to Cornelius.   Who is Cornelius?  This name is an extremely common name in Rome, but when his name appears here, everything becomes not so simple.  He was a centurion stationed in Caesarea,  and he was not a motley army, but an Italian soldier.  Can you feel their sense of superiority?   However, the proud group bred by this sense of superiority cannot prevent God from still being able to carry out selection and salvation in this closed system.  Thinking about our situation today, God also used the power of the Holy Spirit to break through obstacles and save you and me who were chosen by Him in the beginning.  As the scriptures say, God’s selection came to Cornelius.

Second, pray devoutly and lovingly.  We may ask, why did God’s selection come to Cornelius?  Leaving aside the sovereignty of God, He can completely perform miracles alone,   and there is no need to greet anyone or seek advice from anyone.  Let’s take a look at what kind of person Cornelius was?  The Bible says:  “He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.  (Acts 10:2)”  This Gentile is almost perfect on the level of Job, isn’t he?  Let’s look at what the Bible says about Job: “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. (Job 1:1)”  How to give birth to such an almost perfect person out of nowhere, and this is of course by the grace of God!   I wonder if the testimony of the Israelites near Caesarea, or even the Samaritans, had some influence on Cornelius?

Finally, see the messenger of God in vision.  What are visions?  Usually, a vision is an unusual sight.  In this chapter, Cornelius saw it once, and Peter saw it once, so chapter ten is called the chapter of visions.  The vision Cornelius saw was very direct, but not simple. He saw an angel of God.  How did he know it is the messenger of God?    For the Angel of God spoke to him, and called him by name.  It is estimated that the appearance of the archangel is human, but it is so special that Cornelius was terrified when he saw him, so he simply called him Lord and said: “What is it, Lord?”  According to the definition given by the Bible, this messenger of God is an angel who said to him: 

”Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. (Acts 10:4)”  This is something absolutely not simple, going beyond the Old Testament and right into the ranks of the New Testament Gospel.  Let’s look at the second point:

Send for Peter

The role of Cornelius is a typical transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament.  Through Cornelius, the Bible makes time and space flow rapidly.  After passing through the age of the elect and entering the age of faith in the New Testament, you can face Jesus Christ directly.  First, skip the Old Testament.   From the perspective of the distance of human relationship, it seems reasonable that Cornelius should be included in the scope of the Jews.  He was stationed in Caesarea as a centurion of the Italian battalion, the influence should have been Jewish or Samaritan, right?  God’s plan of salvation for him should belong to the Abrahamic type, the witnessing type to be moved to God.  Before the incarnation of Jesus Christ,   Abraham had been witnessing and preaching for the Lord for two thousand years.  However, when Cornelius was alive, he happened to be the same age as Jesus Christ.  Coinciding with the transition between the Old Testament and the New Testament,  Cornelius was chosen by God to become a “double character” who skipped the Old Testament and directly entered the New Testament.  The character Cornelius also has the meaning of preaching the gospel to the Jews,    which means that even Gentiles who are influenced by you Jews can believe in Jesus, so what about you?

Secondly, go to Joppa.  From Chapter 9 we know that Peter was originally in Lydda, and because Dorcas was dying of illness, the disciples of the Joppa church went to Lydda to invite Peter to Joppa.  After Dorcas was raised from the dead, “Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. (Acts 9:43)” Peter went to live in the house of Simon the tanner in order to break people’s prejudice against the uncleanness of the tanner and to expand the kingdom of God.  Why “stay for many days”?  Now we know, it turned out to be to wait for the vision from God, and to go to Caesarea to meet Cornelius to bear a good testimony for God.  While Peter was waiting, the angel told Cornelius: ”Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. (Acts 10:5)” Every waiting in our life is a meaningful stay.  But, are you willing to wait on God?

Finally, to bring back Peter.  Have you ever wondered why Peter was invited?  Although Cornelius was a centurion, he had no sick people in his family, and he himself had no shortage.   What does the angel tell him to invite a fisherman whose social status is far inferior to his?  If it means power, don’t the angels have the power to preach the gospel to Cornelius?  The Gospel was preached to him through Peter precisely to illustrate the truth of Acts 4:12:  “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)”  Of course, asking Peter to preach the gospel to Cornelius the centurion also had the meaning of teaching the proud to learn humility.  Let’s look at the third point:

Tanner Simon’s House

As mentioned earlier, because in the eyes of the Jews, treating all kinds of animal skins with saltpeter has violated the cleanliness etiquette and does not conform to the Jewish law.  Peter seemed a little risky, so he lived in the house of Simon the tanner.  First, Simon sees Simon.  The phrase is from an angel, which makes it interesting.  The angel said, Go to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter.  Of course the angel knew that Peter was Jesus’ great disciple, and that Peter was the name Jesus had given him.  Obviously Jesus was not satisfied with the name Simeon, so he changed his name for him!  We know that Simeon was Leah’s second son to Jacob, meaning hear.  Simeon was cruel by nature, narrow-minded and not a gentleman, and together with Levi, he killed all the males in Shechem.  The old self in Peter’s life was also impulsive, boastful, and even denied the Lord.  So Jesus exhorted him to be as stable as a rock and bear as a cornerstone.   In order to find this Simon called Peter, another Simon had to be found first.   So why did God allow Simon to meet Simon?

Second, the house is by the sea.  Living by the sea, one reason is that seawater is needed to treat animal skins with saltpeter, which has a strong smell and less impact on others.  The second is to avoid the contempt of the Jews for him, thinking that his profession itself is unclean.   Of course, Peter approached him for the gospel.  This is the command of the Bible, which is to turn back and strengthen your brother.  We know that the tribe of Simeon was the only tribe not blessed by Moses.  It may be our past, all lost God’s blessing.  But now in Jesus Christ, there is an eternal blessing brought by faith in Christ!  Peter might have said to Simon the tanner that we were all cursed people in the past, but now we have received blessings we do not deserve because of faith in Jesus, repentance and turning to God.

Finally, tell them.  The angel left after speaking. What about Cornelius?  The Bible says:  ”Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. (Acts 10:7)”  He didn’t send people to invite Peter randomly,  two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.  Asking his family to invite him shows that Cornelius is sincere.  Bring another devout soldier to show the wisdom of Cornelius.  This kind of formation, who else would not accept the invitation?  But more importantly, the Bible says that Cornelius “told them all these things.”  This is both evangelism and discipleship.  These two family members and a devout soldier became people with missions.  This training should take place in our families, where parents should often tell their children the truths and discipleship of the gospel.  Make our home an evangelistic, discipleship center.

 Conclusion

Well, thank the Lord!  Through the inspiration given to Cornelius by the Holy Spirit, a rich spiritual list was pulled out.  Let us see a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, because of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, leading the whole age beyond the old testament and into the new covenant!

Let us pray……

 

Acts 10:1-8

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 

2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 

3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 

5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 

6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 

8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.