The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-04-17


of quick and dead.
43. To Him give all the prophets witness,
that through His name whosoever believ-
eth In Him shall receive remission OF sins.
a. While Peter yet spake these words
the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard
the word.
GOLDEN TEXT.-GOd IL no respecter
Of persons.-Acts 1884.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL SECTION.
The TWO visions. ...........A Acts 10: l-23.
Peter and Cornelius. Acts l0:23-%
The Gospel Acts l0:34-43
The Gentiles' Pentecost.... l0:44-+S.
T1ME.-A. d. 81.
PLACE.-Caesarea. and Joppa.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Jewish Bigotry.-The Jews regard
ed all other peoples as common and
unclean." They looked upon them
selves as Gods peculiar, chosen peo-
pie, and upon all others as outcasts
from Gods mercy. The disciples of
Christ were not as yet emancipated
from this view, and hence the Cos
pei could make but little progress
among the Gentiles. In their recep-
tion of the Samaritan converts, how
ever, they had made long step in
the right direction. But for the
church to become zealously mission
ary, it needed that this barrier
should be broken down altogether.
The Two Visions.-Cornelius' name
does not necessarily prove that he
was of noble birth, though there
} were Roman mobiles so named. Nei-
ther does his Office prove him to
have been of very high standing
among the Romans. His almsgiving
indicates that he had some means,
and he may really have been of high
rank. Openly" seems to indicate
that the vision came to him in broad
daylight when he was awake. The
object of the errand upon which he
was to send his servants was left for
Peter TO explain when he came. The
messengers were in sympathy with
him in his faith and hope. Peter
needed more teaching to prepare him
for the journey to Cornelius than the
centurion needed to persuade him to
send for him. The vision was in
tended to teach him that Gods spir-
1t was not bound by Mosaic restric-
tions. He needed, however, the d.
rect and plain directions of verses
10, 20, before he would grasp the
teaching.
Peter and Cornelius Since God
had commanded that Peter be sent
for, He seemed to Cornelius worthy
of great respect, so he met him at
the door and bowed to the ground
before him. The gathering that had
assembled at Cornelius invitation
was larger than Peter expected, but
he began by asking in due form
what was wanted.
The Gospel Preached.-The discov-
cry that Peter announces in verses
"a, IS was not that sincerity and
unselfshness are the only qualifica-
tions needed to come to God, but
that no race or birth disqualifes a |
sincere soul from coming through
Christ. Romans living in Caesarea
might not have learned about Jesus, |
but Peter was probably right in sup
posing that his audience knew of the
Lord, since men as much interested
as were Cornelius and his compan-
ions In the Jewish religion would GER
tainly have heard about the new
sect and its Master. The summary
Of the apostolic preaching Tvs. 81
43) II one of the most admirable,
from . literary point Of view, any
where to be found. It shows clear
ly and briefly the character Of Jesus,
the quality Of His work, the reality
of His death, and resurrection, His
final authority and the purpose of
His work. 1t bears the character of
testimony from personal knowledge.
The Gentiles' Pentecost.-The con-
version of the Gentiles to whom
Peter spoke was less distinctly NOR
al than intellectual, their moral sub
mission to God having been made
before. The gift Of the Holy Spirit
was sign of their full acceptance
Of the Christian faith. The form of
the manifestation was almost exact
ly like that at Pentecost, and was
probably determined by the need
that Peter should be perfectly salts
fed of its genuineness. The bap-
tism following was matter of
course; to have refused it would have
been an insult to the Holy Spirit
PRACTICAL POINTS.
God is no respecter of persons. No
accident of fortune, position or race
commends one in His sight.
That person is acceptable in His
sight who fears God and worketh I
righteousness, no matter what his
race may be.
In every nation there are those
who are acceptable to God, because
they are trying to work righteous
ness.
Those in every nation who are ac-
ceptable to God should be brought to
4 full knowledge Of Christ.