34 Then G1161 Peter G4074 opened G455 his mouth, G4750 and said, G2036 Of G1909 a truth G225 I perceive G2638 that G3754 God G2316 is G2076 no G3756 respecter of persons: G4381
Wherefore now let the fear H6343 of the LORD H3068 be upon you; take heed H8104 and do H6213 it: for there is no iniquity H5766 with the LORD H3068 our God, H430 nor respect H4856 of persons, H6440 nor taking H4727 of gifts. H7810
For the LORD H3068 your God H430 is God H430 of gods, H430 and Lord H113 of lords, H113 a great H1419 God, H410 a mighty, H1368 and a terrible, H3372 which regardeth H5375 not persons, H6440 nor taketh H3947 reward: H7810
And, G2532 ye masters, G2962 do G4160 the same things G846 unto G4314 them, G846 forbearing G447 threatening: G547 knowing G1492 that G3754 your G5216 G846 Master G2962 also G2532 is G2076 in G1722 heaven; G3772 neither G2532 G3756 is there G2076 respect of persons G4382 with G3844 him. G846
But G1161 of G575 these who seemed G1380 to be G1511 somewhat, G5100 (whatsoever G3697 G4218 they were, G2258 it maketh G1308 no G3762 matter G1308 to me: G3427 God G2316 accepteth G2983 no G3756 man's G444 person:) G4383 for G1063 they who seemed G1380 to be somewhat in conference added G4323 nothing G3762 to me: G1698
Are ye G1252 not G3756 then G2532 partial G1252 in G1722 yourselves, G1438 and G2532 are become G1096 judges G2923 of evil G4190 thoughts? G1261
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
And G2532 for G5228 me, G1700 that G2443 utterance G3056 may be given G1325 unto me, G3427 that I may open G1722 G457 my G3450 mouth G4750 boldly, G1722 G3954 to make known G1107 the mystery G3466 of the gospel, G2098 For G5228 which G3739 I am an ambassador G4243 in G1722 bonds: G254 that G2443 therein G1722 G846 I may speak boldly, G3955 as G5613 I G3165 ought G1163 to speak. G2980
And G2532 they asked G1905 him, G846 saying, G3004 Master, G1320 we know G1492 that G3754 thou sayest G3004 and G2532 teachest G1321 rightly, G3723 G2532 neither G3756 acceptest thou G2983 the person G4383 of any, but G235 teachest G1321 the way G3598 of God G2316 truly: G225 G1909
And G2532 they sent out G649 unto him G846 their G846 disciples G3101 with G3326 the Herodians, G2265 saying, G3004 Master, G1320 we know G1492 that G3754 thou art G1488 true, G227 and G2532 teachest G1321 the way G3598 of God G2316 in G1722 truth, G225 G2532 neither G3756 carest G3199 thou G4671 for G4012 any G3762 man: for G1063 thou regardest G991 not G1519 G3756 the person G4383 of men. G444
Thou shalt not wrest H5186 judgment; H4941 thou shalt not respect H5234 persons, H6440 neither take H3947 a gift: H7810 for a gift H7810 doth blind H5786 the eyes H5869 of the wise, H2450 and pervert H5557 the words H1697 of the righteous. H6662
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,