Gentiles Receive the Gospel
Book of Acts Chapters 10 and 11
We know that it was the Apostle Paul who was the Apostle to the Gentile world but before Paul, it was the Apostle Peter who first took the "Gospel" to the Gentiles.
God knew that Peter would have to be convinced that the Gospel was also written to the Gentiles, which means to all the world and not just to the Jews.
The Jews would have kept the Word of God to themselves if they could have.
This is known as discrimination. Everywhere we go we find that people are different.
People differ in beliefs, religion, speech, looks, color, behavior, status, and many other ways.
This has been true since the time of Cain and Abel.
In our nation today all these things are brought together in one word, racism.
There is only "one race", and it is the "human race" and we are all full of flaws.
In our lesson today we find that God treats everyone the same and He encourages the Church to treat everyone the same.
We all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross!
The Jews had their own laws and customs and they looked upon Gentiles with suspicion.
We should keep in mind that the Jewish people have always been mistreated, enslaved, and persecuted more than any other people upon this earth.
They had been conquered by army, after army, after army and by the millions they had been removed from their nation and scattered all over the world.
Their religion is what has kept them together all these years and their belief in the One true God.
They opposed anyone who threatened or attempted to break their laws of religion or the laws of their nation.
Instead of proclaiming God to the world, the Jews claimed God was the God of the Jews and to no one else.
All gentiles were called dogs.
A gentile could have no dealings with the Jews until they were ritually cleansed.
They would never help a Gentile to give birth for the fear that another Gentile would be born into this world.
The Jews were too stubborn to change their ways, but God was not going to allow Christianity to follow that same path.
If God could convince Peter, then all the Apostles could be convinced of this truth.
God will not allow prejudice any room in Christianity!
God had convinced Peter of all these things the day before Peter had gone to visit Cornelius, a Roman Centurion.
*****Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Act 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
It was the Apostle Peter who first preached to the Gentiles the means of salvation to all people.
God does not show partiality or favoritism to any person because of looks, position, or circumstances.
God has no favorites in the Church! We may think so, but the fact is God looks upon all His saved children exactly the same!
God will never discriminate between His children!
Appearance, or position, abilities, works, health, or stature do not make any person acceptable to God!
God has always said these things even throughout the Old Testament but hardly anyone paid attention to Him.
Deu 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
Deu 10:18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
2Ch 19:7 Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.
And God does not ever change in the New Testament:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
God simply does not play favorites!
God's love is in equal portions to all!
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
There are two things that grab God's attention:
1) Fearing God.
This fearing of God is a reverent fear of God along with an absolute fear of God.
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
2) Working righteousness according to the Word of God. (To be right and to do right).
Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
We cannot just stress righteousness but we must also do righteousness.
We cannot just believe but we must be a doer of the Word.
We must walk the talk as some would say.
There are so many who claim to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and acceptable to God, but they neglect obeying God and serving Him.
Loose living allows one to go out and do pretty much as he desires. He may feel secure and comfortable in his faith. He knows that what he does may affect his fellowship with God, but he also does not think it affects his salvation.
In reality this is false righteousness! It is self-righteousness or legalism.
There is no such thing as righteousness without living righteously!
We must obey the law of love and acceptance! God loves us and accepts us not because we do good but because we love and trusts the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
We have no righteousness in ourselves.
There are no laws that can keep us righteous and we certainly cannot judge the actions of others to try to be as righteous as they are.
Our goal is to be like the Lord Jesus Christ!
We cannot be acceptable to God without being made righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ!
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
*****Act 10:36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
Act 10:37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
It is true that God sent His Word through Israel.
The Word of God is very clear that a Savor, the Messiah would arise out of the Jewish nation and from that point the knowledge of Christ the Savior should spread to all nations under Heaven.
Joh 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Israel was the first nation to receive the Word of God:
The Apostle Paul wrote:
Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Rom 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Rom 9:5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
None of these things can be denied.
God sent the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Christ, God's very own Son.
These things being true, the Word of God was not meant for Israel alone.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not come just for Israel's salvation!
God is no respecter of persons.
God accepts people from every nation.
The Lord Jesus Christ is Lord of all!
1Co 8:6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
There is almost no one today who can truthfully say they have never heard some part of the Word of God!
The world still pays no attention to what God says.
Today people will tell you that the Word of God is not relevant to the world of today.
In America many say the same thing about our Constitution and the Word of God is much more important than our Constitution.
The "Gospel" of Jesus Christ has been published around the world today, it is just ignored by most of the world.
Jesus began preaching the Word of God in Galilee just after John was imprisoned.
Mar 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus then preached the Word of God in every city and village.
Luk 8:1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
There are no excuses for rejecting the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!
There is no excuse for ending up in Hell at your death.
The ignorance of the Lord Jesus Christ will put you in Hell!
*****Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Act 10:39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
Jesus Christ is the Anointed One of God, the Messiah, God's Anointed Savior!
The word Christ in Greek and the Hebrew Messiah denote the Lord Jesus as the "Anointed One" of God.
Jesus was anointed with God the Holy Spirit but he was anointed in a way that no other person has ever been anointed.
The Holy Spirit was given without measure to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Joh 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Joh 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
Joh 3:35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
What did Jesus say?
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He could go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil.
What are some the things the Devil will oppress us with?
Evil spirits and demons, lying and deception, bitterness and hatred, killings and wars, selfishness and greed, immorality and lust, power over death and many other things.
When we receive the Holy Spirit, the devil will have lost any and all power over us!
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This part of the "Good News" we can witness to others about.
There is proof that the Lord Jesus did all these things.
The disciples were with the Lord for about three years and were eyewitnesses of all these things.
The Lord Jesus did not come to debate the Word of God!
The Word of God stands as the absolute truth for this world!
The Lord Jesus may no longer be upon this earth in body, but He is still working in lives today. Still delivering from the oppression of the Devil.
The Scripture speaks of at least four anointings:
1) The anointing of respect or of hospitality.
Mar 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2) The anointing for service:
Exo 28:41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
3) The anointing for medical purposes.
Luk 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
4) The anointing of God's Son. (Our Scripture)
Act 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Many of the disciples of Jesus Christ were also witnesses to His death!
Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Act 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
But God raised Him up from the dead.
*****Act 10:40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Act 10:41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
There was no doubt that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was done in such a way that showed He had victory over Death, over Hell, and over the Grave.
The Lord Jesus appeared to a selected group of witnesses.
1) God showed Jesus openly. He was visibly, openly, and publicly seen as the Risen Lord.
2) The Lord Jesus appeared to chosen witnesses who were chosen for a reason.
3) Certain witnesses did eat and drink with Him after He arose from the dead.
Peter tried to stress that the person we know as Jesus, did die, and did raise from the dead and did have fellowship with His disciples.
Peter tried to emphasize that he and the other disciples, men and women were as closely associated with Jesus as people can be. These were all true, verifiable witnesses.
Peter emphasized that the Lord Jesus Christ actually died and actually rose from the dead and he was certain of it!
The person that rose from the dead was the same person that died. He was the same Jesus that they knew before He died!
His body was a real body, not as a ghost, but a body that could only be described as "glorified".
He was real. He could eat, drink, speak, and do all things that people do, but He could do all sort of Heavenly things also.
The same body that was buried was the same body that was resurrected!
This same Lord Jesus who they had traveled with also repeated some the same commands He had already given to them.
*****Act 10:42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
Peter said we had all get it very clear, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Judge of the living and the dead of all nations and all peoples.
He will judge the Jew and the Greek and all other nationalities and He is no respecter of persons!
He is ordained of the same God that the Jews had worshiped all these years beginning with Abraham.
Jesus Christ is the One and Only Judge of all people no matter who they are or where they are, alive or dead.
He and He alone will judge all their works from the day they were born to the day they die within His creation.
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
All the prophets of the Old Testament when they spoke of the Messiah, they were speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.
*****Act 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
The Bible from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation tells the story of God's Messiah, our Savior.
Peter had been convincing of this truth.
Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
It is the believing in all these truths that He allows the forgiveness of sins.
There is no other way to be forgiven by our Heavenly Father!
So, what are the results when people hear and understand the truth of God?
*****Act 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Without the Holy Ghost we cannot be "Born Again".
Without the Holy Spirit we will have no power against the Devil.
Without the truth of the Word of God we will remain lost in a dying world.
1Th 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
While Peter was still preaching, faith entered into these Gentiles and they were gloriously saved.
Hearing the Word of God is a requirement before the Holy Spirit will enter into the soul of any human.
Our "Faith" must be based upon the truth. Not just any truth but the truth of God!
Jehovah God caused the Holy Spirit to fall upon these Gentiles because they had become believers.
No man not even Peter had anything to do with God pouring out His Spirit upon these believers.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is an act of God!
They received the Holy Spirit because they received the truth of Jesus Christ and believed.
The Jewish believers who were present with Peter were astonished. They had been taught since childhood that the Holy Spirit was available to only the Jews.
They in their teachings had developed a hatred for the Gentiles.
The signs they saw were identical to what the Jews had seen on that day of Pentecost and could not be denied.
We know that speaking tongues was them speaking in a language they could not have known, probably the Jewish language as these were Greek speaking Gentiles with some knowing Latin.
This called the "baptizing of the Holy Spirit.
Note: Even today the Jews are always seeking some sign that what God does is true. Their faith has always been lacking.
*****Act 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
Tongues is simply another word for languages.
The words of Jesus:
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
*****Act 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Act 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Peter then challenged those Jewish believers to see if they would deny water baptism.
There could be no question that these Gentiles were just as saved as those Jewish believers.
God will never teach a lie!
The door to the Gentile world was now opened.
It seems it was the Jewish believers who baptized these Gentile believers.
They all believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they all became part of the Church, the Bride of Christ.
They were all baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Father God said:
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
God the Son said:
Mat 22:9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
The Holy Spirit directed all these things to be written down so we would all have the truth!
Amen
