11 And G2532 saw G2334 heaven G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 a certain G5100 vessel G4632 descending G2597 unto G1909 him, G846 as G5613 it had been a great G3173 sheet G3607 knit G1210 at the four G5064 corners, G746 and G2532 let down G2524 to G1909 the earth: G1093
And G2532 he saith G3004 unto him, G846 Verily, G281 verily, G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Hereafter G737 G575 ye shall see G3700 heaven G3772 open, G455 and G2532 the angels G32 of God G2316 ascending G305 and G2532 descending G2597 upon G1909 the Son G5207 of man. G444
Now G1161 to him that is of power G1410 to stablish G4741 you G5209 according G2596 to my G3450 gospel, G2098 and G2532 the preaching G2782 of Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 according G2596 to the revelation G602 of the mystery, G3466 which was kept secret G4601 since the world began, G5550 G166 But G1161 now G3568 is made manifest, G5319 and G5037 by G1223 the scriptures G1124 of the prophets, G4397 according G2596 to the commandment G2003 of the everlasting G166 God, G2316 made known G1107 to G1519 all G3956 nations G1484 for G1519 the obedience G5218 of faith: G4102
Is he G2228 the God G2316 of the Jews G2453 only? G3440 is he not G3780 also G1161 G2532 of the Gentiles? G1484 Yes, G3483 of the Gentiles G1484 also: G2532 Seeing G1897 it is one G1520 God, G2316 which G3739 shall justify G1344 the circumcision G4061 by G1537 faith, G4102 and G2532 uncircumcision G203 through G1223 faith. G4102 Do we G2673 then G3767 make void G2673 the law G3551 through G1223 faith? G4102 God forbid: G3361 G1096 yea, G235 we establish G2476 the law. G3551
And G2532 I saw G1492 heaven G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 behold G2400 a white G3022 horse; G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 upon G1909 him G846 was called G2564 Faithful G4103 and G2532 True, G228 and G2532 in G1722 righteousness G1343 he doth judge G2919 and G2532 make war. G4170
And G2532 the temple G3485 of God G2316 was opened G455 in G1722 heaven, G3772 and G2532 there was seen G3700 in G1722 his G846 temple G3485 the ark G2787 of his G846 testament: G1242 and G2532 there were G1096 lightnings, G796 and G2532 voices, G5456 and G2532 thunderings, G1027 and G2532 an earthquake, G4578 and G2532 great G3173 hail. G5464
After G3326 this G5023 I looked, G1492 and, G2532 behold, G2400 a door G2374 was opened G455 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 the first G4413 voice G5456 which G3739 I heard G191 was as it were of G5613 a trumpet G4536 talking G2980 with G3326 me; G1700 which said, G3004 Come up G305 hither, G5602 and G2532 I will shew G1166 thee G4671 things which G3739 must G1163 be G1096 hereafter. G3326 G5023
Where G3699 there is G1762 neither G3756 Greek G1672 nor G2532 Jew, G2453 circumcision G4061 nor G2532 uncircumcision, G203 Barbarian, G915 Scythian, G4658 bond G1401 nor free: G1658 but G235 Christ G5547 is all, G3956 and G2532 in G1722 all. G3956
That the Gentiles G1484 should be G1511 fellowheirs, G4789 and G2532 of the same body, G4954 and G2532 partakers G4830 of his G846 promise G1860 in G1722 Christ G5547 by G1223 the gospel: G2098
There is G1762 neither G3756 Jew G2453 nor G3761 Greek, G1672 there is G1762 neither G3756 bond G1401 nor G3761 free, G1658 there is G1762 neither G3756 male G730 nor G2532 female: G2338 for G1063 ye G5210 are G2075 all G3956 one G1520 in G1722 Christ G5547 Jesus. G2424
We G2249 who are Jews G2453 by nature, G5449 and G2532 not G3756 sinners G268 of G1537 the Gentiles, G1484
And G1161 that the Gentiles G1484 might glorify G1392 God G2316 for G5228 his mercy; G1656 as G2531 it is written, G1125 For G1223 this G5124 cause G1223 I will confess G1843 to thee G4671 among G1722 the Gentiles, G1484 and G2532 sing G5567 unto thy G4675 name. G3686 And G2532 again G3825 he saith, G3004 Rejoice, ye G2165 Gentiles, G1484 with G3326 his G846 people. G2992 And G2532 again, G3825 Praise G134 the Lord, G2962 all G3956 ye G134 Gentiles; G1484 and G2532 laud G1867 him, G846 all ye G3956 people. G2992 And G2532 again, G3825 Esaias G2268 saith, G3004 There shall be G2071 a root G4491 of Jesse, G2421 and G2532 he that shall rise G450 to reign over G757 the Gentiles; G1484 in G1909 him G846 shall G1679 the Gentiles G1484 trust. G1679
Who G3748 are G1526 Israelites; G2475 to whom G3739 pertaineth the adoption, G5206 and G2532 the glory, G1391 and G2532 the covenants, G1242 and G2532 the giving of the law, G3548 and G2532 the service G2999 of God, and G2532 the promises; G1860
The sceptre H7626 shall not depart H5493 from Judah, H3063 nor a lawgiver H2710 from between his feet, H7272 until H3588 Shiloh H7886 come; H935 and unto him shall the gathering H3349 of the people H5971 be.
And G2532 said, G2036 Behold, G2400 I see G2334 the heavens G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 the Son G5207 of man G444 standing G2476 on G1537 the right hand G1188 of God. G2316
Now G1161 when all G537 the people G2992 were baptized, G1722 G907 it came to pass, G1096 that Jesus G2424 also G2532 being baptized, G907 and G2532 praying, G4336 the heaven G3772 was opened, G455
Again, G3825 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 is G2076 like G3664 unto a net, G4522 that was cast G906 into G1519 the sea, G2281 and G2532 gathered G4863 of G1537 every G3956 kind: G1085 Which, G3739 when G3753 it was full, G4137 they drew G307 to G1909 shore, G123 and G2532 sat down, G2523 and gathered G4816 the good G2570 into G1519 vessels, G30 but G1161 cast G906 the bad G4550 away. G1854
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth H7970 year, H8141 in the fourth H7243 month, in the fifth H2568 day of the month, H2320 as I was among H8432 the captives H1473 by the river H5104 of Chebar, H3529 that the heavens H8064 were opened, H6605 and I saw H7200 visions H4759 of God. H430
In that day H3117 shall there be a highway H4546 out of Egypt H4714 to Assyria, H804 and the Assyrian H804 shall come H935 into Egypt, H4714 and the Egyptian H4714 into Assyria, H804 and the Egyptians H4714 shall serve H5647 with the Assyrians. H804 In that day H3117 shall Israel H3478 be the third H7992 with Egypt H4714 and with Assyria, H804 even a blessing H1293 in the midst H7130 of the land: H776 Whom the LORD H3068 of hosts H6635 shall bless, H1288 saying, H559 Blessed H1288 be Egypt H4714 my people, H5971 and Assyria H804 the work H4639 of my hands, H3027 and Israel H3478 mine inheritance. H5159
The wolf H2061 also shall dwell H1481 with the lamb, H3532 and the leopard H5246 shall lie down H7257 with the kid; H1423 and the calf H5695 and the young lion H3715 and the fatling H4806 together; H3162 and a little H6996 child H5288 shall lead H5090 them. And the cow H6510 and the bear H1677 shall feed; H7462 their young ones H3206 shall lie down H7257 together: H3162 and the lion H738 shall eat H398 straw H8401 like the ox. H1241 And the sucking child H3243 shall play H8173 on the hole H2352 of the asp, H6620 and the weaned child H1580 shall put H1911 his hand H3027 on the cockatrice' H6848 den. H3975 They shall not hurt H7489 nor destroy H7843 in all my holy H6944 mountain: H2022 for the earth H776 shall be full H4390 of the knowledge H1844 of the LORD, H3068 as the waters H4325 cover H3680 the sea. H3220 And in that day H3117 there shall be a root H8328 of Jesse, H3448 which shall stand H5975 for an ensign H5251 of the people; H5971 to it shall the Gentiles H1471 seek: H1875 and his rest H4496 shall be glorious. H3519 And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 that the Lord H136 shall set H3254 his hand H3027 again H3254 the second time H8145 to recover H7069 the remnant H7605 of his people, H5971 which shall be left, H7604 from Assyria, H804 and from Egypt, H4714 and from Pathros, H6624 and from Cush, H3568 and from Elam, H5867 and from Shinar, H8152 and from Hamath, H2574 and from the islands H339 of the sea. H3220 And he shall set up H5375 an ensign H5251 for the nations, H1471 and shall assemble H622 the outcasts H1760 of Israel, H3478 and gather together H6908 the dispersed H5310 of Judah H3063 from the four H702 corners H3671 of the earth. H776 The envy H7068 also of Ephraim H669 shall depart, H5493 and the adversaries H6887 of Judah H3063 shall be cut off: H3772 Ephraim H669 shall not envy H7065 Judah, H3063 and Judah H3063 shall not vex H6887 Ephraim. H669 But they shall fly H5774 upon the shoulders H3802 of the Philistines H6430 toward the west; H3220 they shall spoil H962 them H1121 of the east H6924 together: H3162 they shall lay H4916 their hand H3027 upon Edom H123 and Moab; H4124 and the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 shall obey H4928 them.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 10
Commentary on Acts 10 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 10
It is a turn very new and remarkable which the story of this chapter gives to the Acts of the apostles; hitherto, both at Jerusalem and every where else where the ministers of Christ came, they preached the gospel only to the Jews, or those Greeks that were circumcised and proselyted to the Jews' religion; but now, "Lo, we turn to the Gentiles;' and to them the door of faith is here opened: good news indeed to us sinners of the Gentiles. The apostle Peter is the man that is first employed to admit uncircumcised Gentiles into the Christian church; and Cornelius, a Roman centurion or colonel, is the first that with his family and friends is so admitted. Now here we are told,
Act 10:1-8
The bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles, and the bringing of those who had been strangers and foreigners to be fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, were such a mystery to the apostles themselves, and such a surprise (Eph. 3:3, 6), that it concerns us carefully to observe all the circumstances of the beginning of this great work, this part of the mystery of godliness-Christ preached to the Gentiles, and believed on in this world, 1 Tim. 3:16. It is not unlikely that some Gentiles might before now have stepped into a synagogue of the Jews, and heard the gospel preached; but the gospel was never yet designedly preached to the Gentiles, nor any of them baptized-Cornelius was the first; and here we have,
Act 10:9-18
Cornelius had received positive orders from heaven to send for Peter, whom otherwise he had not heard of, or at least not heeded; but here is another difficulty that lies in the way of bringing them together-the question is whether Peter will come to Cornelius when he is sent for; not as if he thought it below him to come at a beck, or as if he were afraid to preach his doctrine to a polite man as Cornelius was: but it sticks at a point of conscience. Cornelius is a very worthy man, and has many good qualities, but he is a Gentile, he is not circumcised; and, because God in his law had forbidden his people to associate with idolatrous nations, they would not keep company with any but those of their own religion, though they were ever so deserving, and they carried the matter so far that they made even the involuntary touch of a Gentile to contract a ceremonial pollution, Jn. 18:28. Peter had not got over this stingy bigoted notion of his countrymen, and therefore will be shy of coming to Cornelius. Now, to remove this difficulty, he has a vision here, to prepare him to receive the message sent him by Cornelius, as Ananias had to prepare him to go to Paul. The scriptures of the Old Testament had spoken plainly of the bringing in of the Gentiles into the church. Christ had given plain intimations of it when he ordered them to teach all nations; and yet even Peter himself, who knew so much of his Master's mind, could not understand it, till it was here revealed by vision, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, Eph. 3:6. Now here observe,
Act 10:19-33
We have here the meeting between Peter the apostle, and Cornelius the centurion. Though Paul was designed to be the apostle of the Gentiles, and to gather in the harvest among them, and Peter to be the apostle of the circumcision, yet it is ordered that Peter shall break the ice, and reap the first-fruits of the Gentiles, that the believing Jews, who retained too much of the old leaven of ill-will to the Gentiles, might be the better reconciled to their admission into the church, when they were first brought in by their own apostle, which Peter urges against those that would have imposed circumcision upon the Gentile converts (ch. 15:7), You know that God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel. Now here,
Act 10:34-43
We have here Peter's sermon preached to Cornelius and his friends: that is, an abstract or summary of it; for we have reason to think that he did with many other words testify and exhort to this purport. It is intimated that he expressed himself with a great deal of solemnity and gravity, but with freedom and copiousness, in that phrase, he opened his mouth, and spoke, v. 34. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open to you, saith Paul, 2 Co. 6:11. "You shall find us communicative, if we but find you inquisitive.' Hitherto the mouths of the apostles had been shut to the uncircumcised Gentiles, they had nothing to say to them; but now God gave unto them, as he did to Ezekiel, the opening of the mouth. This excellent sermon of Peter's is admirably suited to the circumstances of those to whom he preached it; for it was a new sermon.
Act 10:44-48
We have here the issue and effect of Peter's sermon to Cornelius and his friends. He did not labour in vain among them, but they were all brought home to Christ. Here we have,