Acts (Written)

Description of Indian in previous commentary photo.

Sunday, 28 August 2022

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, Acts 10:1

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The final verse of Chapter 9 told of Peter staying in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner. Now, Chapter 10 begins with the words, “There was a certain man in Caesarea.” Caesarea has already been mentioned twice in Acts. It was first noted when Philip is said to have preached in cities until he came to Caesarea (8:40). It was also mentioned in verse 9:30 where it noted that the brethren brought Saul down to Caesarea and sent him off to Troas.

The direction of Acts is going to shift greatly in Acts 13, from the ministry of Peter to that of Paul. But before that happens, the introduction of Gentile converts is to now be noted. This will begin the shift from Jew to Gentile, from Jerusalem to the rest of the world, and from the focus of Peter’s ministry to that of Paul’s. Of thischange, Charles Ellicott rightly notes concerning this man –

“His admission into the Church, even if it were not the first instance of the reception of a Gentile convert as such, became, through its supernatural accompaniments and (in the strict sense of that word) its ‘prerogative’ character, the ruling case on the subject. Whether it were earlier or later than the admission of the Gentiles recorded in Acts 11:20, we have no adequate data for determining.”

The man now to be referred to is “called Cornelius.” Some place the name Cornelius (Greek: Kornélios) as being Latin, coming from cornu, or horn. Abarim defines that as coming from the Greek keras, or horn. And that, in turn, comes from the Hebrew qeren also meaning horn. They say, “The name Cornelius probably stems from an adjective and a diminutive form combined, and means A Bit Like A Horn or, slightly more striking: Of The Little Horn.” For brevity, it means “Little Horn.”

Of this man, Luke next says he is “a centurion.” Ellicott says of this –

“Cæsarea was at this time the usual residence of the Roman Procurator of Judæa, and was consequently garrisoned by Roman troops. Greeks, Jews, and Romans, probably also Phœnicians and other traders, were mingled freely in its population.”

Concerning his rank, Cambridge gives a full description of his minimal scope of authority, saying, “This was not a distinguished office. He was commander of the sixth part of a cohort, i.e. of half a maniple. The name must have been given to such [an] officer when his command was over a hundred men. The Roman legion in these times was divided into ten cohorts, and each cohort into three maniples, so that the nominal strength of the legion would be 6000 men.”

Based on this, Cornelius is just a moderately positioned soldier. He has men over him and he is the leader of about one hundred under him. This is defined by the word “centurion.” In Greek, it is hekatontarchés, coming from hekaton, one hundred, and archó, to rule. Hence, he rules over a hundred. Of this ruling position, Luke says it was “of what was called the Italian Regiment.”

He is an Italian in a unit that is part of a greater unit forming the tenth part of a legion. The word translated as regiment was used in the gospels in regard to those stationed in Jerusalem at the time Jesus was crucified (see Matthew 27:27). Noting him as being of the Italian Regiment is probably expressly stated to identify the entire regiment as being from Italy and not hired or conscripted natives from other areas. This regiment may have been designated to provide protection for the Roman proconsul who ruled in the area.

Life application: Without even reading ahead in the story, it is obvious based on how the structure of the Bible, including Acts, is laid out that this person now being mentioned will become the focus of attention for a certain amount of time.

As he is a Gentile, he is outside of the covenant given at Sinai. He would be considered an unclean Gentile to the Jews. As a soldier, he is not in any special category within Roman society. He is just a person who follows orders and who would also give orders depending on his position. But his orders would only be to those who were also soldiers. As a centurion, he is in a very moderate position of authority. It would be easy to blame him for problems that occurred under his authority, and it would be rare for him to be given a great notice even if his soldiers were exemplary in their conduct.

In other words, Cornelius is just a run of the mill guy who is living a pretty average life but with nothing exceptional in it to make him stand out among a crowd. He would fit the description provided by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1 rather well –

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. ²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Those who are in high positions will feel secure in who they are, thinking they are great and in God’s good favor. Their concern is not how to please God because they feel they must already be pleasing to Him. Those who live mediocre lives will normally understand that their position in society is not great. Therefore, they may more often be inclined to want to be pleasing to God. It is such people who will then be more willing to try to find out what it is that God finds pleasing.

When the gospel meets up with such a person, and when it is responded to, he has no place for boasting. Instead, he gives God the glory for what he has been freely offered. This is what God finds pleasing. When we trust in Him and not ourselves, He can, and He will be, satisfied that we have placed our hopes in the right place. If you want to be pleasing to God, don’t revel in your own goodness, but His. Be grateful for the gospel and glorify God through Jesus Christ whom He has sent to reconcile us back to Himself.

Lord God, how wonderful it is to have been called back to You through the gospel. You have done all that is necessary to reconcile us to You. Thank You for that! All glory belongs to You. We receive the gift! We believe the gospel! We accept Jesus! Amen.

Indian with peace pipe. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.

Saturday, 27 August 2022

So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner. Acts 9:43

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

This is now the last verse of Chapter 9. The previous verse noted the extent that the news of the miracle of raising Tabitha had traveled, saying that it had “gone throughout all Joppa.” With that, it now says, “So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa.”

The meaning of “many days” is impossible to determine. It could have been weeks, months, or even years. The same expression was seen in verse 9:23 and it was a period of around three years. It is simply an indeterminate amount of time that means Peter stayed and conducted his affairs.

During this time, one can imagine Peter evangelizing those who had not received Jesus, providing doctrine and actual accounts of the work of Jesus, and performing or assisting in baptisms of those who had come to faith in the Lord. These and other things would have eventually led to this location becoming a hub for the word to go out. It is at this location that Jonah attempted to escape from the Lord, and as ships came in and went out, there was always the chance of the word being conveyed to those who were on them. While there in Joppa, it says that Peter stayed “with Simon, a tanner.”

It is the same name as Peter, who is “Simon Peter.” The Greek word translated as tanner is burseus. It will be seen three times in Acts 9 and 10, all associated with this person. In Chapter 10, it will note that his house is “by the sea.” Having a tannery meant a lot of refuse that needed disposal. Being by a flowing river or the sea would be an ideal spot. Further, the salt water of the sea would assist in the treatment process.

As for the job itself, being a tanner, the man would carry around an odor with him. If the tanning was accomplished on site, the whole place would have a really bad stench tied to it. Records of the Jews show that it was considered a lowly, contemptible profession.

The job itself cannot be equated, as some scholars do, with a job that was impure according to the law. That would be dependent on the types of hides he tanned (e.g., see Leviticus 5:2), the way they were obtained, and so on. None of these things are mentioned, and so any such thought would have to be inferred. In the law, the use of hides is explicitly noted –

“And the priest who offers anyone’s burnt offering, that priest shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering which he has offered.” Leviticus 7:8

Further, the hides of animals were used in the construction of the Tabernacle of Meeting, and they are noted as coverings for people in the Bible, such as John being “clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist” (Matthew 3:4). These and other references show that being a tanner may have been a stinky, lowly profession, but it was not necessarily something that caused defilement. It was a part of the normal lives of people within the society.

The fact that Peter is with this person, however, does appear to bear on what will transpire in Acts 10. Peter was a Jew who was raised under the law. He saw the law completed in Christ, but he did not yet understand the full extent of what that meant or the scope of its effects. He understood that the legalistic and societal judgments of the Jews were obstacles to interpersonal relationships. He certainly remembered Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, and he was willing to live with a person who was considered contemptible to many. But that is only a step forward toward what he will next learn.

Life application: There are plenty of jobs people do that others might look down on. Treating wastewater might come to mind – “Eeeew, who would want to do that?” Cleaning public toilets would for sure be something many would not dare to do – “Yuuuuck, I’m glad I don’t have to do that!” Picking up trash and cigarette butts probably doesn’t seem too appealing to the folks who are coming into the local store to get their morning coffee – “Egad, I’m glad I’m not him. Off to the office, I go.”

Each of these jobs may seem rather unappealing, but someone must do them. One thing is for sure, if the wastewater doesn’t get properly treated in the nation for one week, the incidents of disease would begin to multiply and would quickly get out of hand. If the public bathrooms were never cleaned, people would be reticent to even go out, lest they had a need to use one! And if things weren’t picked up around the local shops and malls, they would quickly begin to look like third-world nations, or maybe San Francisco or some other liberal city. Rats would quickly move in, and from there disease could easily start to spread.

The people that do these things perform hugely important functions that others look down on with contempt. But without their efforts, society would quickly begin to collapse. When you drive down the road and smirk at the guy blowing off a parking lot, remember that your lawn also needs to be mowed and your drive needs to be blown off. Simon was a tanner and yet Peter stayed with him. Maybe you can spend some time with people you think you’re better than. You might find out that they are, in many ways, above you. A little humility in life goes a long way.

Lord God, there are innumerable jobs to keep a society going. Some don’t pay so well. Some are stinky or dirty. Some are hot and miserable to be accomplished. But each person that does his job is someone who was created in Your image. If he is a believer, then he is way ahead of the richest and most powerful person who has not come to Christ. Help us to make right judgments about the people we see and come into contact with each day. Yes, help us with this. Amen.

Capitol Dome, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Friday, 26 August 2022

And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. Acts 9:42

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Over the past verses, the death and raising of Tabitha have been recorded. The last verse said that Peter “presented her alive.” With that noted, the main purpose of her being brought back to life is given. As it says, “And it became known throughout all Joppa.”

The restoration of her life was not, first and foremost, to bring happiness to those who had experienced loss. Nor was it so that she could continue doing good works for the people of Joppa. It was also not to relieve her of the state of death. Paul’s words concerning that state have already been noted where he says that to depart and be with Christ “is far better” (Philippians 1:23).

Rather, the miracle was primarily for people to hear about it and then to accept that the Lord had accomplished it. And that is what occurred. As it next says, “and many believed on the Lord.” Rather than “in the Lord,” Luke says, “on (or upon) the Lord.” He, Jesus, is the object of the belief. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon identifies this as “a direction toward a person or thing, ‘after verbs of trusting and hoping.’”

The people have looked to Jesus and placed their trust in Him based on their knowledge concerning the miracle that has been accomplished. Any other reason for Tabitha’s raising is secondary to this. But more in their trusting of Jesus, the Father is then glorified. In John 12, Jesus said –

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.’
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.’” John 12:27, 28

A main purpose of Christ’s coming was to bring glory to God. The Father acknowledged this and said He had glorified His name, and He would do it again. That then follows with Jesus’ words to the apostles –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14

And this is now what has occurred. The people heard of what Peter had done in the name of Jesus (this is not explicitly stated, but it is implied because of Peter’s prayer) and they believed on the Lord. In believing in Jesus, the Father is glorified in the Son.

Life application: What has come about in Christ Jesus, both during His ministry and in the acts of the apostles in His name, is satisfying to God. Everything about the exaltation of Christ was by the design, and with the approval, of God. Christ Jesus’ preeminence in all things was God’s intent from the very beginning.

Jesus Christ is the means by which God receives glory in all things. Jesus is the Word, the Creator. God receives glory through His creative acts. Jesus Christ is the incarnate Word, the Redeemer. God receives glory through His redemptive acts. And so on. Such things about God are revealed to us through Christ Jesus. He is the focal point for us to understand God, fully and completely. Further, it is through Jesus Christ that God will ceaselessly and endlessly reveal Himself to us.

Those who believe that they are “good with God” but who do not have Jesus Christ are as far from God as the greatest sinner. Jesus Christ is the One to heal the fracture between God and man. The Bible has been given to provide us with a written record of what God has done in and through Christ. The miracle of Tabitha’s raising is a testament to God’s approval of Jesus. Jesus is the means by which God receives glory. Have faith in Jesus Christ, and God will be pleased with you.

And more, read the Bible from this perspective. Remember, it is the word that is telling us about Jesus. Cherish this word and look for Jesus in it. When you do, God is pleased that you are doing so.

Lord God, how precious it is to know that by faith in Jesus we are pleasing to You. In Him is reconciliation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal hope. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord who makes these things possible. Yes, thank You for Jesus. Amen. 

Mormon statue memorializing apostasy.

Thursday, 25 August 2022

Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. Acts 9:41

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse detailed the restoration of life to Tabitha (Dorcas). With that having occurred, it next says of Peter, “Then he gave her his hand.” The verb is an aorist participle, saying, “And having given her his hand.”

It is speculated that this is noted because up until this time nothing has been said of physical contact between the two. If there was, Peter would have been ceremonially defiled according to Jewish law. That is found in Numbers 19:11, which says, “He who touches the dead body of anyone shall be unclean seven days.”

This is unlikely because it also says in Numbers 19:14, “This is the law when a man dies in a tent: All who come into the tent and all who are in the tent shall be unclean seven days.” The tent in that passage is to be equated to an enclosed area which is just where Tabitha’s body had been laid. The prophets of the Old Testament also went into the dead in the same manner as Peter, and they had physical contact with them while dead. That is seen in 1 Kings 17 (Elijah) and 2 Kings 4 (Elisha). But more to the point, in Christ, the types of defilement that are seen under the law are fulfilled and the law is set aside.

Regardless of this, Peter extended his hand to her. In doing so, he “lifted her up.” The order of events was different when Jesus restored life to the twelve-year-old girl. In Luke 8, it says –

“But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Little girl, arise.’ ⁵⁵ Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat. ⁵⁶ And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened.” Luke 8: 54-56

Jesus first took the hand of the girl. He then directed her to arise. Peter directed her to arise and then took her hand. The difference is possibly because the life itself flowed from the Lord to the little girl whereas this is to show that the life of Tabitha was restored through Jesus and not from Peter. Only after her restoration does he take her hand to help her up. Next, it says, “and when he had called the saints and widows.”

The distinction between saints and widows is certainly not intended to mean the widows were not believers, but that they are the ones who were most affected by the charitable deeds of Tabitha. She tended to those who were unable to support themselves and were dependent on others for their needs. Having noted this, it is to these previously mournful souls that Peter “presented her alive.”

The miracle had been wrought, Tabitha was restored to those who had been mourning her loss, and the joy of her presence was probably accompanied by a great amount of praising the Lord for His tender mercies upon them all.

Life application: There are many people who say they believe in Jesus and yet they don’t accept the early Genesis account as literal history. This generally extends to Genesis 11 where they begin to accept it as true and literal, as if God suddenly started telling us the truth about what was happening at that time.

There are people that say they are believers and yet they do not accept the idea of predictive prophecy. In other words, the prophecies in the Bible that are fulfilled were written after they occurred.

There are people who claim to be Christians, but they dismiss the miracles, healings, and raising of the dead as fabricated stories.

A lot of these categories overlap too, meaning it is the same group of people in two or even all three of the categories. Some only fall into one of them. But all of them show a lack of faith in God, and they do not accept the “Jesus” who is presented in Scripture. Jesus held to the absolute authority and truthfulness of the Genesis account including the story of man’s creation (Mark 10:6), the killing of Abel (Luke 11:51), the flood of Noah (Matthew 24:37, 38), and so on.

Jesus refers to prophecies that were written long before His coming, and which were either fulfilled in His coming (such as Luke 4:18) or that would be fulfilled in the future (such as Mark 13:14). The number of such prophecies is rather extensive.

And more, Jesus is said to have performed miracles, healings, and the raising of the dead. After His ascension, these continued on through the apostles who were empowered by the Lord to do so, such as in the raising of Tabitha in Acts 9.

Although it is possible to be saved and hold to these erroneous views, it is both illogical and contradictory to do so. And to then teach these things to others will lead to the presentation of a false Jesus and thus a false gospel.

Where is your faith? If you cannot trust the word that tells of Jesus, you are not demonstrating faith in the Jesus who is presented in Scripture. Have faith, accept the word, and trust that what is presented is literal and truthful.

Lord God, help us in our times of unbelief or in our failure to accept Your word as it is given.  May we stand approved before You as those who trust that Your word is literal, and it is true. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

More mormon stuff on display. Supposedly heroic march out to find the promised land and etc.

Wednesday, 24 August 2022

But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. Acts 9:40

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse spoke of the widows weeping and showing to Peter the tunics and garments that Tabitha (Dorcas) had made. With that, the words of this verse are given. The NKJV does not do a great job with the verbs, so Young’s translation will be used. It says –

“And Peter having put them all forth without, having bowed the knees, did pray, and having turned unto the body said, ‘Tabitha, arise;’ and she opened her eyes, and having seen Peter, she sat up.”

With that noted, it says, “And Peter having put them all forth without.” Peter excused those who were in the room in order to have his full attention devoted to the matter at hand. Jesus did this with the young girl as is recorded in Matthew 9:25, but we see in Mark 5 that the parents, Peter, James, and John were with Him. This is also confirmed in Luke 8. In this case now, however, Peter is alone. From there, it says, “having bowed the knees.”

After having solitude, he takes a position of humility before the Lord. There is no arrogance or pretentiousness in him. Rather, he is as one who is seeking the Lord from the heart and in a state of reverence. With that, it says he “did pray.” In the account of the girl from the gospels, Jesus simply spoke forth His words, and the girl was raised. In John 11, at the raising of Lazarus, Jesus prayed to the Father, but it was an open prayer intended to be heard for others to perceive and understand the intimacy that exists between the Father and the Son as well as the authority that the Son possessed.

Peter yielded himself to God through prayer, not claiming any authority of his own. With that, it next records, “and having turned unto the body said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’” Though recorded in Greek, these would have been the same words as spoken by Jesus in Mark 5. He said, “Talitha cumi,” meaning, “Little girl, arise.” Peter would surely have spoken Aramaic and said, “Tabitha, cumi.” The closeness of the words is remarkable but coincidental. Next, after Peter’s spoken words, it says, “and she opened her eyes.”

As dead people do not open their eyes, the miracle that was hoped for has been realized. She is brought back to life by the power of God and through the petition of Peter. With that noted, the verse finishes with, “and having seen Peter, she sat up.”

Not only was she brought back to life, but she was also brought back to a state of vigor that allowed her to rise up on her own. The power of God is realized in the miracle.

Life application: Peter’s words, “Tabitha, arise,” were words of confidence. This is the same person who asked to come out to the Lord on the raging waters of the Sea of Galilee. There it said –

“So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:29, 30

Peter took his eyes off the Lord and looked at the dangers surrounding him. His faith faltered, and he began to sink. In this account, Peter removed the distractions of the women and their sadness and focused on the Lord through prayer.

We can, and should, learn from this. Hebrews 12:2 implores us to fix our eyes on Jesus. If we don’t do this, we will be ineffective in what we determine to do as believers because we will always be distracted by the things of the world. When our eyes are set on Jesus, our attention is likewise going to be set on Him. And when that is the case, our priorities and our determination will be properly focused. May we consider this all the days of our lives. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus!

Lord God, even the most confident of us are just one step away from sinking among the raging waves of life if we don’t keep our eyes on Jesus. But with Him as our focus, we can be confident that the path we are taking is correct, and that it will lead to the right and proper end. What happens along the way is temporary and will pass, but the goal on which we focus – Jesus our Lord – is eternal joy in His presence. Help us to remember this all our days. Amen.