Acts 10:1-8
Acts 10:1-8. CORNELIUS IS DIVINELY WARNED TO SEND FOR PETER... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 10:1-8. CORNELIUS IS DIVINELY WARNED TO SEND FOR PETER... [ Continue Reading ]
ἦν omitted with אABCEL. _Vulg_. has ‘erat.’ 1. St Luke now brings to our notice the circumstances which attended the first preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles. The Apostles, though informed by Christ’s commission that they were to ‘teach all nations,’ yet tarried the Lord’s leisure, and waited t... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΣΕΒΉΣ, _a devout man_, i.e. he was a worshipper of the true God, but had not joined himself to the Jews in the observance of the Law. The language of St Peter in Acts 10:28 shews us that he was not a proselyte. It is noteworthy that wherever in the N.T. we find mention made of Roman centurions th... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἾΔΕΝ ἘΝ ὉΡΆΜΑΤΙ ΦΑΝΕΡΩ͂Σ, _he saw in a vision openly_, i.e. he was not in a trance, as we read afterwards concerning Peter, but was employed in prayer when the angel appeared. See below Acts 10:30. ὩΣΕῚ ΠΕΡῚ ὭΡΑΝ ἘΝΆΤΗΝ, _about the ninth hour_. The ὡσεὶ makes the point of time less definite. Corne... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔῈ�, _and when he had fastened his eyes on him_. The dazzling brightness of the vision would first rivet the centurion’s gaze, and the terror would come afterwards when he realized that he was in the presence of an angel. Cf. Manoah’s alarm from a similar cause. Judges 13:21-22. ἜΜΦΟΒΟΣ. When fou... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΊΜΩΝΆ ΤΙΝΑ with ABC. _Vulg_. ‘Simonem quemdam.’... [ Continue Reading ]
οὖτος λαλήσει σοι τί σε δεῖ ποιεῖν omitted with אABCELP. The _Vulg_. represents these words. 6. The words omitted from the text in this verse (see notes on readings) are an adaptation of Acts 11:14, where St Peter is giving an account of his visit to Cornelius, and are another example of the desire... [ Continue Reading ]
For τῷ Κορνηλίῳ read ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘qui loquebatur illi.’ Omit αὐτοῦ after ΟἸΚΕΤΩ͂Ν, with אABCE. 7. ὩΣ ΔῈ�.Τ.Λ., _and when he was departed_. The reality (see φανερῶς in Acts 10:3) of the angelic presence is strongly marked by this language, which speaks of his going away just as if h... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΞΗΓΗΣΆΜΕΝΟΣ ἍΠΑΝΤΑ ΑΥ̓ΤΟΙ͂Σ, _when he had declared all things unto them_. The confidence which Cornelius placed in those who attended on him is shewn by this open communication with them at once on the subject of his vision. They had known all his former hopes and prayers, and so were fit persons t... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΈΒΗ ΠΈΤΡΟΣ ἘΠῚ ΤῸ ΔΩ͂ΜΑ, _went up upon the housetop_. With the flat roofs of houses, to which access could be obtained from outside without passing through the rooms of the building, the housetop formed a convenient place for retirement. It was the place chosen by Samuel (1 Samuel 9:25-26) for his... [ Continue Reading ]
PETER IS PREPARED BY A VISION FOR THE COMING OF CORNELIUS’ MESSENGERS... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ for ἐπέπεσεν with אABC. _Vulg_. ‘cecidit.’ 10. ΠΡΌΣΠΕΙΝΟΣ, _very hungry_. The word is found nowhere else. ἬΘΕΛΕΝ ΓΕΎΣΑΣΘΑΙ, _he would have eaten_. γεύομαι is not commonly used for taking a meal, but (LXX. Genesis 25:30) the hungry Esau says γεῦσόν με�. ΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΑΖΌΝΤΩΝ ΔῈ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν, _but whi... [ Continue Reading ]
Omit ἐπ' αὐτὸν after ΚΑΤΑΒΑΙ͂ΝΟΝ with אABCE. The words are not represented in the _Vulg_. δεδεμένον καὶ omitted with אABCE. They are not represented in the _Vulg_. 11. ΚΑῚ ΘΕΩΡΕΙ͂ ΤῸΝ ΟΥ̓ΡΑΝῸΝ�, _and he beholdeth heaven opened_. For θεωρέω of the vision of things heavenly, cf. Acts 7:56; Acts 9:7.... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ τὰ θηρία omitted with אABC. Unrepresented in _Vulg_. 12. ἘΝ Ὧ ὙΠΗ͂ΡΧΕΝ, _in which were_, i.e. as it seemed in the vision. ΠΆΝΤΑ ΤᾺ ΤΕΤΡΆΠΟΔΑ Κ.Τ.Λ., _all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and fowls of the air_. The vision represented the entire animal creation. There... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΣΤᾺΣ ΠΈΤΡΕ ΘΥ͂ΣΟΝ ΚΑῚ ΦΆΓΕ, _rise, Peter, kill and eat_. He was hungry before he fell into the trance. In the vision there is presented the means of satisfying his hanger. But with this there comes an instruction to disregard the Mosaic distinction about clean and unclean meats. His waking mind i... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΗΔΑΜΩ͂Σ, ΚΎΡΙΕ, _not so_ (by no means), _Lord_. Cf. Ezekiel 4:14, where the prophet being shewn that the children of Israel shall eat defiled bread among the Gentiles, exclaims in words very like St Peter’s, ‘There never came abominable flesh into my mouth.’ For the care with which the devout Jew o... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΦΩΝῊ ΠΆΛΙΝ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and a voice came again the second time_. As there is no verb in the sentence, ἐγένετο, as in 13, must be supplied. ἘΚ ΔΕΥΤΈΡΟΥ defines precisely what was not definite with πάλιν only. Ἃ Ὁ ΘΕῸΣ ἘΚΑΘΆΡΙΣΕΝ ΣῪ ΜῊ ΚΟΊΝΟΥ, _what God hath cleansed that make not thou common_. The he... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕΥ̓ΘῪΣ for πάλιν with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘statim.’ 16. ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ ΔῈ ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ ἘΠῚ ΤΡΊΣ, _and this was done three times_. The threefold repetition of the vision was meant to leave no doubt in the Apostle’s mind about its nature, and the reception of the whole into heaven again was designed to point out that... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ before ἸΔΟῪ omitted with אAB. Unrepresented in _Vulg_. 17. ὩΣ ΔῈ ἘΝ ἙΑΥΤΩ͂Ι ΔΙΗΠΌΡΕΙ, _now while he was much perplexed in himself_. διαπορέω implies ‘to be thoroughly at a loss, and not to know which way to turn.’ It is used (Luke 9:7) of Herod’s perplexity about Christ, when men said that John... [ Continue Reading ]
ARRIVAL OF THE MESSENGERS FROM CORNELIUS. PETER GOES WITH THEM TO CÆSAREA... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΦΩΝΉΣΑΝΤΕΣ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and called, &c_., i.e. they attracted by a call the attention of the persons in the house, and brought some one out. These messengers, like Cornelius himself, were most probably Gentiles, but Gentiles of such a sort as to respect Jewish scruples, and so might not feel justifi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΔῈ ΠΈΤΡΟΥ ΔΙΕΝΘΥΜΟΥΜΈΝΟΥ ΠΕΡῚ ΤΟΥ͂ ὉΡΆΜΑΤΟΣ, _now while Peter pondered over the vision_. He was turning over his difficulty in his mind, and asking what God would have him learn by this lesson about the abolition of differences in meats. And while he was thus pondering the explanation came. ΕἾ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑΤΆΒΗΘΙ, _get thee down_. Peter was still on the housetop. ΜΗΔῈΝ ΔΙΑΚΡΙΝΌΜΕΝΟΣ, _doubting nothing_. The same words are rendered James 1:6 ‘nothing wavering’ (A.V.). There is a difference in the best MSS. between the reading here and in Acts 11:12, where instead of the middle voice we have the activ... [ Continue Reading ]
τοὺς� omitted with אABDELP, and unrepresented in _Vulg_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟΎΜΕΝΌΣ ΤΕ ὙΠῸ ὍΛΟΥ ΤΟΥ͂ ἜΘΝΟΥΣ, _of good report among all the nation_, i.e. for the alms-deeds which he did, and on account of his reverence for the true God. They say not only among the people of Cæsarea was the piety of Cornelius known, but among all the Jews. ἘΧΡΗΜΑΤΊΣΘΗ, _was divinely war... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΣΤᾺΣ for ὁ Πέτρος with אABD. _Vulg_. ‘surgens.’ 23. ΕἸΣΚΑΛΕΣΆΜΕΝΟΣ ΟΥ̓͂Ν ΑΥ̓ΤΟῪΣ ἘΞΈΝΙΣΕΝ, _then he called them in and lodged them_. This was the first step towards laying aside the scruples to which the Jews were so much attached. ΤΗ͂Ι ΔῈ ἘΠΑΎΡΙΟΝ�, _and on the morrow he arose and went forth w... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΗ͂Ι ΔῈ ἘΠΑΎΡΙΟΝ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and the morrow after they entered into Cæsarea_. Their road lay the way along the coast, and as Apollonia was situate about halfway between Joppa and Cæsarea, it is most likely that they passed the night there. Ὁ ΔῈ ΚΟΡΝΉΛΙΟΣ ἮΝ ΠΡΟΣΔΟΚΩ͂Ν ΑΥ̓ΤΟΎΣ, _and Cornelius was waiti... [ Continue Reading ]
ARRIVAL OF PETER. CORNELIUS EXPLAINS WHY HE HAS SENT FOR HIM... [ Continue Reading ]
ὩΣ ΔῈ ἘΓΈΝΕΤΟ ΤΟΥ͂ ΕἸΣΕΛΘΕΙ͂Ν ΤῸΝ ΠΈΤΡΟΝ, _and as Peter was come in_. This is a solitary case in the N.T. of the substantival infinitive in such a construction, and it is very difficult to see an explanation of it. That it could so stand is clear from a parallel sentence in _Acta Barnab. Apocryp_. 7... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔῈ ΠΈΤΡΟΣ ἬΓΕΙΡΕΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΌΝ, _but Peter raised him up_. Cf. with the way in which Peter declines such reverence the language of the angel to St John (Revelation 19:10) refusing similar worship. ‘See thou do it not. I am thy fellow-servant.’... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΣΥΝΟΜΙΛΩ͂Ν ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ΕἸΣΗ͂ΛΘΕΝ, _and as he talked with him he went in_. So the previous part of the interview had been without. The action of Cornelius in thus coming forth to meet Peter is in the spirit of that other centurion in the Gospel, who said (Luke 7:6) ‘I am not worthy that thou shouldes... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΜΕΙ͂Σ ἘΠΊΣΤΑΣΘΕ, _ye know_. The pronoun is perhaps meant to be emphatic. Ye, who, though ye be not Jews, have lived in friendship with Jewish people and so know their customs. ὩΣ�.Τ.Λ., _how that it is an unlawful thing_, &c. It is said expressly by Maimonides, _Hilechoth Rozeah, &c_. Acts 12:7 ‘It... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΝΤΙΡΡΉΤΩΣ, _without gainsaying_, i.e. I have followed the guidance of the Spirit, though I did not see fully what God would have me do.... [ Continue Reading ]
νηστεύων καὶ omitted with אABC. Unrepresented in _Vulg_. ὥραν omitted with אABCD. 30. ἈΠῸ ΤΕΤΆΡΤΗΣ ἩΜΈΡΑΣ, _four days ago_. The notion of the phrase is ‘from the fourth day,’ i.e. which will be the ‘fourth if we reckon backwards. ΜΈΧΡΙ ΤΑΎΤΗΣ ΤΗ͂Σ ὭΡΑΣ ἬΜΗΝ ΤῊΝ ἘΝΆΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΌΜΕΝΟΣ, _until this h... [ Continue Reading ]
ὃς παραγενόμενος λαλήσει σοι omitted with אAB. Not represented in _Vulg_.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ for τοῦ θεοῦ with אABCE. _Vulg_. ‘Domino.’ 33. ἈΚΟΥ͂ΣΑΙ ΠΆΝΤΑ ΤᾺ ΠΡΟΣΤΕΤΑΓΜΈΝΑ ΣΟΙ ὙΠῸ ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΥΡΊΟΥ, _to hear all things that are commanded thee of the Lord_. Cornelius infers that as he had been instructed to send for Peter, so Peter had God’s command for his conduct and speech. By ‘hea... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠ' ἈΛΗΘΕΊΑΣ ΚΑΤΑΛΑΜΒΆΝΟΜΑΙ Κ.Τ.Λ., _of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons_. The verb καταλ. implies the grasping of something with the mind which has hitherto not been comprehended, and indicates some degree of strangeness in what is accepted. St Peter is constrained to say, I a... [ Continue Reading ]
SPEECH OF PETER TO CORNELIUS AND HIS FRIENDS... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΕΚΤῸΣ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι ἘΣΤΊΝ, _is accepted with Him_, i.e. is acceptable unto Him. God has no longer a chosen people, but calleth all men to repent, and will accept all penitents.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸΝ ΛΌΓΟΝ ὋΝ�.Τ.Λ. The construction in this verse and in the following is very involved. τὸν λόγον seems, in the intention of the speaker, to have been used first with reference to the language in the previous verse, and to have meant the message there recited, that whoever feareth God and worketh r... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΜΕΙ͂Σ ΟἼΔΑΤΕ ΤῸ ΓΕΝΌΜΕΝΟΝ ῬΗ͂ΜΑ. The ῥῆμα is the teaching about Jesus which went forth when John the Baptist began to preach, and seems to be more restricted in sense than the λόγος which refers to the whole message of salvation through Christ. About the Baptist and his preaching, Peter either assu... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΗΣΟΥ͂Ν ΤῸΝ�, _Jesus of Nazareth_. In Him was the whole accomplishment of the ῥῆμα and the λόγος. This was the entire scope of what had been preached even from the first: Jesus who had lived as a man in Nazareth, had yet been God’s Anointed Son, the promised Messiah, and shewn to be so by the mighty... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐσμεν omitted with אABCDE. 39. ΚΑῚ ἩΜΕΙ͂Σ ΜΆΡΤΥΡΕΣ, _and we are witnesses_. Because they had seen His mighty works through His whole ministerial life (Luke 24:48). ὯΝ ἘΠΟΊΗΣΕΝ. For this attraction see note on Acts 1:1. ὋΥ ΚΑῚ�.Τ.Λ., _whom also they slew, hanging Him on a tree_. He does not mentio... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ἜΔΩΚΕΝ ΑΥ̓ΤῸΝ ἘΜΦΑΝΗ͂ ΓΕΝΈΣΘΑΙ, _and gave Him to be made manifest_. The literal translation implies more than the A.V. Christ was not _openly shewed_, but by many proofs it was made clear to those who saw Him that it was the same body which had been wounded on the cross that was alive again, tho... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓ ΠΑΝΤῚ ΤΩ͂Ι ΛΑΩ͂Ι, _not to all the people_. For they, having rejected Moses and the prophets, who foretold Christ’s coming, and the nature of His kingdom, were not likely, as Jesus Himself had said of some others of like character, to be converted by the rising of any one from the dead. ΜΆΡΤΥΣΙΝ... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΠΑΡΉΓΓΕΙΛΕΝ ἩΜΙ͂Ν ΚΗΡΎΞΑΙ ΤΩ͂Ι ΛΑΩ͂Ι, _and He commanded us to proclaim to the people_. This was among the commandments alluded to Acts 1:2. Compare the charge given by Christ, Matthew 28:19, where the wide commission ‘Go ye, teach _all nations_,’ is one that anticipated the preaching of the Gosp... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΎΤΩΙ ΠΆΝΤΕΣ ΟἹ ΠΡΟΦΗ͂ΤΑΙ ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟΥ͂ΣΙΝ, _to Him give all the prophets witness_. Cornelius and his friends could be referred to the prophets, for though not Jews, they were students and followers of Jehovah’s law. The prophetic words to which allusion is specially made are such as Jeremiah 31:34 ‘Th... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΠῚ ΠΆΝΤΑΣ ΤΟῪΣ�, _on all them which heard_. On the nature of this hearing, which made the men fit to receive so great a gift, see above on Acts 10:33.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOLY GHOST IS SENT UPON CORNELIUS AND HIS FRIENDS, AND THEY ARE SUBSEQUENTLY BAPTIZED... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ἘΚ ΠΕΡΙΤΟΜΗ͂Σ, _they of the circumcision_, i.e. those six Jewish Christians mentioned in Acts 11:12 as companions of St Peter from Joppa.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἬΚΟΥΟΝ ΓᾺΡ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ν Κ.Τ.Λ., _for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God_. As to those first called in the Jewish Church, so here to the first called of the Gentiles, God pours forth His gifts of grace. This was the Gentile Pentecost. (See Acts 2:11.)... [ Continue Reading ]
ΜΉΤΙ ΤῸ ὝΔΩΡ ΔΎΝΑΤΑΙ ΚΩΛΥ͂ΣΑΊ ΤΙΣ ΤΟΥ͂ ΜῊ ΒΑΠΤΙΣΘΗ͂ΝΑΙ ΤΟΎΤΟΥΣ; _can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized?_ Here is another instance of the genitival infinitive so common in N.T. Greek. But here, as κωλύειν may have a genitive of the thing from which any one is hindered, the const... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΗΣΟΥ͂ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ͂ for τοῦ κυρίου with אABE. _Vulg_. has ‘Domini Jesu Christi.’ 48. ΠΡΟΣΈΤΑΞΕΝ ΔῈ Κ.Τ.Λ., _and he commanded them to be baptized_. Peter seems to have refrained from baptizing converts, and we know that St Paul did so, and the latter indicates a reason which may have influenced all the... [ Continue Reading ]