Evening star., 1920-02-14
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
PETER AND CORNELIUS
Acts, 10.1-11-1S.
Golden Text.-The same Lord
is Lord of all. and is rich unto all
that call upon Him-Rom., 1912.
BY REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.

BY REV. HUGH r. STEVENSON.
Christianity destroyed the racial and
religious prejudice that sought to limit
the faith of Jesus to the precepts. prin-
ciples and practices of the teachings Of
Moses. who forbade social and religious
intercourse with the heather. This
weeks study shows how the new era
was opened by the two visions that
brought Peter and Cornelius together
and by the extension of the Christian
brotherhood started a new order that
sought to remove the prejudices and
convictions of the ages. THE story of
the reception of the first gentle into
the Christian fellowship forms a drama
that in three acts reveals the success
sive steps by which the Divine hand
nodded the progressive preliminary
steps that inaugurated the new age.
1t was God who by revelation to Cor
relius directed the piouS. prayerful Roman
centurion to send the three messengers
to the ancient seaport of Joppa, which
was thirty miles away. where Peter,
the guest of Simon, the tanner, was
being prepared to preach the gospel to
the gentiles. The apostle was indffer-
ent to the narrow nationalistic preju-
dices that placed the tanners under a
| BAN as a despised and Comparatively
outcast class. Their trade requiring con-
| tact with dead bodies rendered it un-
ciean. BY accepting the hospitality
OF the tanner Peter was being pre-
pared to accept the hospitality of
gentle and to welcome him into the
spiritual brotherhood of the Christian
church.
Peter would never have taken that
step except he was directed of God in
vision that brought to an end the
gradual broadening process that had
been going on in the apostles mind for
some time. God never works contrary
TO psychological laws Peter was in an
environment and in the spirit to see the
vision. that by its revelations removed
the prejudices of his faith and training
NO one can remain narrow who looks
out upon the sea for some time The
vision of the Mediterranean from the
nousetop OF Simon. the tanner, would
by Its VastneSs naturally raise the ques-
ton in the apostles mind concerning
where he would go next He had come
TO the very border of the sea that had
led out into the world. Jonah. because
OF his antagonism to the heather, had
shipped on ship from that port to
escape Gods call to preach the gospel
to Ninevah. The logs for the temple at
Jerusalem had been brought there in
rafts from Tyre. Peter was hungry.
The noon meal was delayed. He was
unconscious of the influence of the
place and hour when God gave him
vision that was destined to usher in a
new epoch in the history of Christianity.
Absorbed in his devotions. Peter
was overtaken by an ecstasy that by
it's revelations ushered in a new age
in the history of>>humanity by it's
message of spiritual brotherhood
Slowly he saw descending from the
depths of the heavens a thing that
appeared to be vast linen cloth.
gathered un at it's four corners into
! tour ends. by which it was suspended
from the skies. 1t dropped down
slowly until it approached the apostle
so that he could see within it every
kind of animal known to his land
both clean and unclean. mixed up to-
gether. While he gazed, a voice
seemed to be saying to him. Rise.
Peter kill and eat" and to the un-
known speaker the apostle made a
characteristic reply: by no means
Lord. for common and unclean things
never entered into my mouth" The
reply of the mysterious voice. What
God did cleanse. make thou not COM
mon," gave the keynote Of the vision
When for the third time Peter heard
this important message. the sheet
was suddenly withdrawn by some in
visible hand.
He was meditating upon the strange
sight and message when the three
| strangers. who had been sent the day
previous by Cornelius in response to
divine vision. approached, seeking
Peter. Fastening down the stairs,
which led from the roof on the out
side. near the tanners vat (if the
house shown today as Simon's is like
the one where Peter had the vision
and the odors would suggest that
possibly it was the same). he well
coined the strangers and personally
admitted them within the home.
Providence furnished Peter. through
the report of their Masters experience
the previous day and his message re-
IQuesting the apostle to visit Cesarea,
a correct Interpretation of his vision
He saw that the abolition of the dis
tinction between clean and unclean,
as to foods. was symbolic of the de-
struction OF the walls of partition,
which had separated the Jew and the
heather. Peter clearly saw that God
was seeking to teach him that the
| Jew IL he accepted Jesus Christ as
his Lord. The apostle recognized that
in the bond of allegiance to the
| Master there existed a tie that would
bind into a spiritual brotherhood all
believers. both Jew and gentle.
When he reached Caesarea Peter
was ready for larger developments
Of the Church Of Christ. This ex-
plains his taking the six members
Of the Joppa Church with him to
share in the new developments.
were assembled to hear the message
of God when the seven were con-
Quoted into the presence of the wait
ing congregation by Cornelius.
Peter commenced his sermon by de-
claring the vital principle of de-
mocracy. that God is no respecter
of persons, but in every nation he
| that feareth Him and worketh right
eousness is acceptable to Him" Hav-
ing encouraged them with the as
surance that God had no favorites,
pnfap inf
that presented Jesus as the Lord OF
ALL" He summed UP the divine life
OF the Christ by pointing out how
God had consecrated the Master, who
went about doing good" healing
all who were oppressed by the devil,
apostles were the witnesses Of His
life. labor and resurrection. While
Peter was speaking about the mis-
sion of Jesus as the Savior Of men,
pointing out the means. universality.
candition and nature of salvation.
the sermon was interrupted by the
utterly unexpected outpouring of
the Holy Spirit upon the gentiles.
In this gift to the hearers OF
Peters sermon the six witnesses. who
like Cornelius and Peter. saw the
evidence Of the genuineness Of the
gentiles' religious experience. 1t is
one of the pivotal points in the de-
velopment Of Christianity. When the
Holy Spirit came at Pentecost He
When He came at. Caesarea He con-
firmed Peters sermon by placing
upon the gentle elievers the seal
of heaven. Every true Christian is
born of the spirit. is baptized by Him,
ence of the spirit dwelling in the
believer the Christian comes to live
the conquering spiritual life in