Acts 10

— one that feared God with all his house.] Piety, like the sun, communicates itself to all around it. The manners of a family are often in great measure guided by those of the master. His principles and practices frequently diffuse themselves through the house, and the piety or profaneness, the sobriety or intemperance, the sloth or diligence of servants, discover to the world the nature of that fountain from which they flow. Bp. Horne.

— prayed to God alway.] That is, daily, and at the stated hours of prayer. Dr. Whitby.

— about the sixth hour:] About noon, being one of the hours of daily prayer. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 10:2

2. A devout man, &c.] “Devout” is the term which, throughout this book of Acts, is used for all uncircumcised Gentile converts, who had renounced idolatry, and

Acts 10:3

3. — about the ninth hour of the day] The ninth hour, or three o’clock in the afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; and the observation of it by Cornelius shews that he must have been instructed in their religion. Bp. Horne.

Acts 10:4

4. — Thy prayers and thine alms &c.] Thy piety and thy charity are so acceptable to God, that, in recompense for them, He now intends thee a free and full discovery of the true religion and the perfect way of salvation. Pyle.

Cornelius pleased God through his faith in the promise of Christ to come, as all just men under the law did: which faith God did so long accept after Christ was come, till His coming and the mystery of redemption wrought by Him were fully and clearly made known and preached. This had not happened to Cornelius till this time: for though he had heard of Christ’s preaching in Galilee and Judea, and of His having been crucified by the Jews, yet he had not heard of His resurrection from the dead, and ascension into glory, or was not assured of it, till it was now confirmed to him by one sent from God Himself. And it is probable, that, having heard indistinctly of the Apostles’ preaching, and of the Jews opposing their testimony, and so not knowing what to believe, he had earnestly besought God in his devotions to lead him in the way of truth,

4. — expounded it by order] Regularly expounded the several particulars. Bp. Mann.

Acts 10:6

6. — call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:] Christ having said to Simon, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church,” we find accordingly that the foundation of a church among the Jews was laid by St. Peter at chap. ii. 47, and here among the Gentiles. Dr. Whitby.

The angel did not himself convert and baptise Cornelius; for the dispensation of the Gospel was committed not to angels, but to men, and all things must be done in order, as God has thought proper to appoint in the Church. Bp. Horne.

Extraordinary means of information are never to be expected, when ordinary instruction can be found. A truth, which destroys enthusiasm in every shape, and places the faith of the Gospel above imposture or deceit. Brewster.

Acts 10:9

9. — upon the housetop &c.] Probably for privacy; see note at 1 Sam. ix. 25; or for the purpose of praying towards Jerusalem, as did Daniel, Dan. vi. 10.

Anno DOMINI 41. an heavenly vision. Peter goeth to Cesarea. Anno DOMINI 41.

as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

Acts 10:14

14. — common or unclean.] By common food, the Jews meant such as was eaten by the Gentiles, but by the law of Moses forbidden to the Jews, to whom therefore it was unclean. Bp. Mann.

15. — shall be saved.] Will be placed in a state of salvation. Abp. Newcome.

Acts 10:15

15. — What God hath cleansed, &c.] What God hath by this action declared to be clean, do not thou pronounce to be unclean. Bp. Pearce.

This vision is evidently formed upon the legal distinction of clean and unclean creatures, which are here made to represent, by their different properties and qualities, the corresponding different tempers and dispositions of good and bad men, believers and unbelievers, Jews and Gentiles: so that, by the union of clean and unclean in the mystical sheet, which contained all manner of creatures, was denoted the purification of the Gentiles by faith, who were once unclean, and their junction with the believing Jews in the Christian or universal Church. Bp. Horne.

It was necessary and expedient that this liberty of eating meats indifferently should be thus fully declared to the Jews, because, since the laws restricting them in these matters were given by God for the very purpose of separating them from other nations, they did not dare to transgress these laws without a Divine revelation. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 10:16

16. This was done thrice:] As Pharaoh’s dream was doubled, to convey a certain assurance of the thing, Gen. xii. 32. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 10:17

17. — the like gift] The Holy Ghost enabling them to speak with tongues, chap. x. 46, as He had done the Apostles at the day of Pentecost. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 10:18

18. — they held their peace,] They ceased from expostulation, they acquiesced or were quieted. Abp. Newcome.

Acts 10:22

22. — a just man.] Rather, “righteous man,” one who was a strict observer of what was esteemed the practical duty of a Jew. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 10:23

23. — certain brethren from Joppa] Brethren or fellow Christians. Bp. Mann. They were six in number; see chap. xi. 12. St. Peter seems to have taken these brethren with him as witnesses of all that might occur, and to prevent misrepresentations. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 10:26

26. But Peter took him up, &c.] Observe here that St. Peter refused to be worshipped; nor can he be supposed in his glorified state to desire, or to accept, that worship, which, be intimates in this passage, ought to be paid to God only, and not to man or any creature. Bp. Mann.

— I myself also am a man.] I am one encompassed with the infirmities of mortality, like yourself; a fellow-creature, whose duty it is to join with you in the worship of Him to whom alone worship is due. This is one part of St. Peter’s conduct, amongst many, which his pretended successors in the see of Rome have been very far from solicitous to imitate. Bp. Horne.

Acts 10:28

28. — Ye know how that it is an unlawful &c.] It was not unlawful so to do by the law of Moses; but the comment of the scribes upon the law, or

Acts 10:30

30. — Four days ago I was fasting until this hour.] His meaning is, that, four days since, he was fasting till the same hour of the day, as that in which he was now speaking to St. Peter. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 10:34

34. Then Peter opened his mouth.] In this speech, St. Peter appeals to the general knowledge even of the Gentiles, in the regions through which the Gospel was preached, of the active benevolence and miracles of mercy performed by Jesus Christ, in the course of His ministry, as the surest test that God was with Him. He vouches the reality of His miracles, of His crucifixion, and of His resurrection, by the testimony of the Apostles, His chosen witnesses, who, from their number, knowledge, and integrity, were sufficient to satisfy the most scrupulous inquirers. And he supports the testimony of the Apostles to these facts, by the whole series of ancient prophecy, addressed to the Jews indeed, but foretelling the universal redemption of mankind through faith in Christ. Dr. Hales. — I perceive that God is no respecter &c.] That is, God does not shew favour to the Jews because they were the children of Abraham, if, by rejecting the Gospel, they cease to behave and act like Abraham; which, if the Gentiles, by receiving the Gospel, do, they will be accounted children of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Bp. Horne.

Acts 10:35

35. But in every nation &c.] That is, the partition wall is broken down, and the people of every nation as well as the Jewish, are accepted, upon the same terms of faith and obedience, whenever, by God’s grace, they come into them, as Cornelius did, and as the whole heathen world afterwards did, upon the publication of the Gospel. Bp. Horne. We hence collect, that, so long as we are careful to remember and acknowledge that Christ is the only Redeemer, by whom we have access to the Divine mercy and favour, and that there is no other name under heaven given unto men by which they may be saved, we may fairly allow to these words an extensive signification; and we may be permitted to say, that God, the universal Father of all, hath put it in the power of every one who comes into the world to perform his duty; that He requires no more than He has given him; that He will extend His mercy to all those who act a sober and rational part to the best of their understanding and ability, and that, to such, Christ is a Saviour, though they never had the opportunity and the happiness of knowing Him. Dr. Jorlin. This declaration must be considered as applying to those only who were never made acquainted with the Gospel; and still their acceptance will be for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died as a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. The merits of His death are not limited to those who call upon His name, for “How shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” Rom. x. 14. St. Paul, by thus shewing that it has been absolutely impossible for a great part of mankind to believe in the Gospel, intimates that their unbelief will not be imputed to them for a fault. He also says, that “the Gentiles are a law unto themselves,” Rom. ii. 14; therefore Gentiles, Jews, and Christians have all had their respective rules of conduct equally derived from God, by which they will be judged at the last day: and the salvation of the Jew and the Gentile will be no less owing to the merits of Christ, than that of the Christian; “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Bp. Tomline. Some persons have grafted a dangerous error on St. Peter’s declaration of the terms of acceptance with God, that of undervaluing and excluding Christianity, as if to fear God and work righteousness, under any forms of religious belief, were the only duties essentially necessary to salvation. Such an opinion, however, is fully refuted by the case of Cornelius himself, who, though he possessed these requisites, was further, by a special revelation, required to embrace Christianity; also by the general commission of the Apostles, to publish the Gospel throughout the whole world, or glad tidings of salvation on the further terms of faith and baptism in the name of the Trinity. Upon both these accounts St. Peter required Cornelius to be baptized, or admitted into the Christian Church, and entitled thereby to its higher benefits and privileges. Dr. Hales.

Acts 10:36

36. — preaching peace by Jesus Christ:] Peace; that is, pardon of sins, and reconciliation with God for those who believe in Jesus Christ. Bp. Pearce. — (he is Lord of all:)] God having exalted Him to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins, chap. v. 31. Dr. Whitby. the Holy Ghost falleth on them. Anno DOMINI 41.

Acts 10:38

38.—and with power:] The power of confirming His mission by stupendous miracles. Dr. Whitby.

—who went about doing good.] The great work and business of our Lord, during His ministry on earth, was to do good; the most pleasant and delightful, the most happy and glorious, work in the world. He did good to the souls of men by endeavouring to promote their spiritual and eternal happiness; He did good also to the bodies of men, by procuring their temporal good, and contributing as much as possible to their happiness in the present life: and, in both of these particulars, we ought to make His example the object of our imitation. Abp. Tillotson.

Acts 10:41

41. Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen] We have a strong and well known example of the fairness of the sacred writers, in their unanimously stating, that Christ after His resurrection appeared to His disciples alone. The most common understanding must have perceived, that the history of the resurrection would have come with more advantage, if they had related that Jesus appeared, after He was risen, to His foes as well as His friends, to the Scribes and Pharisees, the Jewish council, and the Roman governour: or even if they had asserted the publick appearance of Christ in general unqualified terms, without noticing, as they have done, the presence of His disciples on each occasion, and noticing it in such a manner, as to lead their readers to suppose that none but disciples were present. They could have represented it one way as well as the other. And if their point had been to have the religion believed, whether true or false; if they had fabricated the story from the beginning; or if they had been disposed either to have delivered their testimony as witnesses, or to have worked up their materials and information as historians in such a manner, as to render their narrative as specious and unobjectionable as they could; in a word, if they had thought of any thing but of the truth of the case, as they understood and believed it; they would, in their account of Christ’s several appearances after His resurrection, at least have omitted this restriction. At this distance of time, the account, as we have it, is perhaps more credible than it would have been the other way; because this manifestation of the historians’ candour is of more advantage to their testimony, than the difference in the circumstances of the account would have been to the nature of the evidence. But this is an effect which the Evangelists could not foresee, and I think it was by no means the case at the

time the books were composed. Archdeacon Paley. See the note from Bishop Horsley at Mark xvi.

Acts 10:42

42.—the Judge of quick and dead.] Our Saviour tells us, that “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, John v. 22. And again: “The Father hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man,” John v. 27. How happy it is for us to have a Judge so favourable to us, that He was content to be Himself the sacrifice to redeem us from the punishment due to our sins! When we consider ourselves, how wretched and weak we are, how perpetually doing wrong, either wilfully or ignorantly, and contemplate the infinite majesty, holiness, and justice of God, what account can we hope to give of ourselves to Him, whose eyes are purer than to behold iniquity? But God hath withdrawn His terrours, and hath given a Man to be the Judge of men: so that we may say of our Judge, what the Apostle to the Hebrews says of our High Priest; “We have not a Judge which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Bp. Sherlock.

Acts 10:44

44.—the Holy Ghost fell on all them &c.] Enabling them to speak with divers tongues, ver. 46. This giving of the Holy Ghost before baptism, contrary to the usual manner, seems to have been intended for a proof to the Jews here present, that God would have the Gentiles called into Christianity, and that what St. Peter had done (as is said at ver. 23, &c.) was by Divine appointment. Bp. Pearce.

This was a second confirmation of the admission of the Gentiles to the Gospel; a miracle added by God to the doctrine preached by St. Peter, that nothing was now to be accounted common or unclean; for, when He had poured the Holy Ghost upon the uncircumcised as well as upon the circumcised, there was proof sufficient that God now intended no difference between them. Dr. Lightfoot.

Acts 10:47

47. Can any man forbid water, &c.] These words contain a plain and convincing demonstration of the error of the doctrine maintained by the Quakers, that water-baptism is unnecessary to those who have received the inward baptism of the Spirit; since the Apostle here not only declares that water-baptism ought to be administered to these persons because they had already been baptized with the Holy Ghost, but also commands them to be baptized on this very account. Dr. Whitby.

These effusions of the Holy Spirit, liberal, glorious, Peter accused for going in to the Gentiles. THE ACTS. He maketh his defence. which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?

Acts 10:48

48. — in the name of the Lord.] Into the belief of Jesus Christ. Dean Stanhope. According to the form appointed at Matt. xxviii. 19. See note there from Abp. Secker.

Thus did St. Peter first exert the power of the keys granted to him by his gracious Master, (Matt. xvi. 19,) by being the foremost of the Apostles to open the door of faith to the firstfruits of the Jews, on the memorable day of Pentecost, and of the Gentiles, on this equally memorable day of their conversion. Dr. Hales.

Chap. XI. ver. 2. — they that were of the circumcision] Those converted Jews who still retained a religious regard to the legal rites, to those especially which tended to distinguish the Jewish from the Gentile people. Pyle. — contended with him,] We here observe, that the

Christians who had been converted from Judaism took upon them to call St. Peter to account. But surely they would not have dared to do this, or to contend with him, if he had been then acknowledged for supreme head of the Church, and infallible judge of controversies. That doctrine was certainly unknown in those days. Nor does St. Peter’s conduct on this occasion at all countenance such an opinion; for, instead of silencing them by his authority, he patiently pleads his cause before them, and convinces their understanding by his reasoning. Bp. Mann.