The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-03-31

April 4. Peter and Cornelius. Acts
10 :1-48.
While in our present times, the oft
repeated facts of this lesson my not
appear of signal Importance, they
were heightened with great things
for the early Christian church. 1t
will be rem embered that at the very
beginnings of the Jewish people, God
chose Abraham as founder, and in
the centuries which followed the
Hebrew race held to the faith of the
one true invisible God. and did not
countenance the worship of idols.
Thus it was woven into the every
fibre of loyal Jew that favor with
God came only through His people, or
those who became. as Jews by submit
ting to the rites of the faith and OBJ
serving its ceremonies. While Jesus
laid the foundations for the broaden
ing of the new religion to all people
as in His talk to tie woman Of
Samaria, He kept personally in the
confines of Palestine. and gave special
att ,rtion to the Jewish people. 1t
would appear that Peter and the other
leaders of the early Christian church
held to the idea that the pathway to
salvation in Jesus. led through being
Jew or confession of that faith and
then embracing the gospel message.
1t was to thoroughly and furever
open the eyes of Peter and the lead
ers of the Christian church to the
truth that the gospel was for all,
that the conversion of Cornelius the
Gentle. took place, under the pc
culiar circumstances which it did.
1t would appear that in the year
40 A. d. there was stationed Roman
officer at Caesarea Palestine named
Cornelius. He was the commanding
officer of soldiers. Gentle and in no
way Jew. He lad become be-
lever in Jehovah. the God of the
Jews. and prayed to Him in an &C.
ceptable manner, and further showed
his heart right. by generosity to the
poor. proper governing Of his house.
hold. and his daily life. The life of
this man was not unnoticed by God, in
his prayers were heard, and to him
was to come q signal blessing. He
was divinely told to send to Joppa for
one Peter and to learn from him as to
his duty in life. This command he
at once obeyed.
As is we'll known, one of the things
which separated Jews from Gentiles
was the manner Of their eating and
the character of the food. The law
OF Moses laid special stress on this
matter and thus again it was ground
into the very being Of Jew that he
was to be particular what, and with
whom. he ate. To prepare Peter to
preach willingly to the Gentiles he
was given a dream or vision in
which he is invited to eat things
which he said were not lawful for
him to partske, as Jew. When he
said his objection. the voice of God
said to him. "What God has cleansed,
call not thou COMMON This oc.
CURED three times. Immediately on
awaking there came the call to him tc
60 NTH the messengers to the home
of Cornelius, the Gentle.
Peter arrived at the home of Cor.
nelius, and asked an explanation a.
to why he was called. The Officer
related in simple words his recent ex.
periences and the command of God t.
him. Then the flood light of Gods
true relationship to mankind illumi
mated Peter. and he gave utterance te
this mighty truth which is the great
things of the lessons:
"Of a truth perceive that God
is no 1especter of persons. but
that in every nation he that fear
eth Him and worketh righteous
ness is accepted of Him. -
The full meaning of this truth which
| is absolutely true. sweeps awav race