Before going on to Acts 11, I think I should consider Peter’s speech before Cornelius and his household and friends to highlight a few things that he mentions. We shall begin in Acts 10:34 and continue to the end of the chapter.
Peter equated his own vision as preparatory to his meeting Cornelius and the folks gathered in his home. He began by saying that God is no respecter of men, regardless of their national origins, as far as righteousness is concerned. This is a major breakthrough in Scriptural insight for Peter.
Looking back from the 21st century CE, we sometimes read the word Christian into the events that transpired in the first 10 chapters of Acts. Nevertheless, a Christian, as we would know him today, didn’t even exist until Acts 11:26! All believers in Jesus (before Cornelius) were either Jews or gentile proselytes in the Jewish faith. It was presumed that, if you believe in Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, you must become a Jew. After all, no other religion on the face of the earth could boast of having its roots in the command of God to separate oneself from all others—whether nations or gods—and enjoy an exclusive and special relationship with him. Salvation and Judaism was like male and female, bread and butter, salt and pepper. The two simply went together, but Peter announced here in Acts 10 that God had revealed to him that this simply is not so. No man or no nation was special to God—as far as righteousness is concerned. All men who fear God are accepted by the Lord over all (Acts 10:34).
This idea has its roots in the preaching of Jesus, heard throughout Judea and beginning with the Baptism of John (Acts 10:36-37). The Romans didn’t recognize a national difference between Galilee, Samaria and Judea. All were Jews to Rome, and the only difference among them stemmed from difference in religious practice. Therefore, when Peter spoke of Judea here in Cornelius’ home, his hearers would have understood him in that context, and Peter expected these people to, at least, have heard of both Jesus and the Baptist and the works they had done.
Peter first pointed out that God had anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38). This was in reference to the words of the prophet, Isaiah (Isaiah 61), which Jesus ascribed to himself (cp. Luke 4:18-19). Isaiah’s whole prophecy concerns God’s appointing Jesus to build up and establish the Kingdom of God. How is he doing this? According to Peter, Jesus is building up the Kingdom with men and women from all nations—those who fear God and are kind to one another.
Secondly, Peter tells us in Acts 10:38 that God was continually with Jesus as he went about doing good (Greek—benefacting). The Romans present would recognize Peter’s term reveals a kind ruler or deity as benefactor, bestowing gifts and mercy upon those of lower degree (cp. Luke 22:25; Acts 2:22).
Next, Peter says that Jesus was slain (Acts 10:39). He uses the indefinite pronoun they which by immediate implication refers to Jesus’ countrymen. However, in Acts 4:27-28 Peter says all mankind—gentiles and Jews alike—gathered themselves together against Jesus (cp. Psalm 2:1-3), the anointed Emissary of God, and slew him after each tried him in their courts. But, God overruled the courts of men and raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 10:40) and showed him openly to those chosen men, whom he had appointed to be his witnesses (cp. Acts 10:39-41).
Fourth, by implication, Jesus’ appearances to these men meant that they would testify to others that Jesus is the appointed Judge over all—whether living or dead (Acts 10:41-42). The word judge for these Romans was equivalent to the Jewish Son of Man, a title in Judaism that was rich in meaning in both the Old Testament and in inter-testimental literature. Nevertheless, this deeper understanding would hardly have been understood by non-Jews, hence Peter using the term judge.
Finally, Peter ends by saying: the prophets testified that through Jesus’ Name—i.e. whomsoever believes in him—should receive forgiveness of all their sins (Acts 10:42). The prophets foretold of a coming age when God would simply end man’s rebellion by forgiving him—making peace with mankind through Jesus’ sacrifice (Acts 2:24; cp. Isaiah 53: 6, 11; Joel 2: 32; Luke 24:4;Acts 2:21; 10:35). The proof that the new age of God’s peace and forgiveness extending to all had begun is the descent of his Holy Spirit upon mankind, whether Jew or gentile (Acts 2:32-33; cp. 10:44-47). Therefore, God ended all doubt, concerning whom he has accepted by falling upon Cornelius and his gentile friends. None of them were Jews, and none were circumcised. If God has accepted them, no man dare refuse them on any grounds. It is not given to anyone but Jesus to control or dispense the gift of God’s grace. Rather those who consider themselves religious had better recognize this and rejoice in it.
Smoodock's Blog 
8 responses to “Salvation–God Removes All Doubt”
Hello again Eddie. Happy Thanksgiving!
I have a question for you regarding this part of Acts 10, if you could indulge me.
The LXX says…Dan 12:11 And from the time of the removal of the perpetual sacrifice, when the abomination of desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. LXX
I have seen the blogs on the 1260 and 1290 and 1335 days, but I’m reading Dan 12 as it saying at 1290 days something will occur that sets up the abomination of desolation, then he who waits until the 1335th day (45 days later), he will be blessed.
Is there 1290 days from Calvary (the removal of the perpetual sacrifice) to the death of Stephen? and is there 45 more days until Acts 10:45…Act 10:45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
If not, what event could have occurred 1290 days after Calvary, and what subsequently occurred 45 days later that would bring blessing to those who waited?
My best to you,
Bill
Greetings Bill, and Happy Thanksgiving to you too. Thanks for reading and for your question.
You said you have read my blogs on the 1260, 1290 and the 1335 days, so I won’t link them to you. The Days don’t follow one after the other, according to my studies. The 1260 days begin on the Last Great Day about 3 weeks into Jesus public ministry and end on the day of the crucifixion. The 1290 days begin three days later on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the day the Wave Sheaf was offered (it blessed the harvest season, and Jesus blessed us in that we could from that time be resurrected to immortality). Counting from this day (the day of Jesus’ resurrection) we come to the Day of Atonement, which I believe was the day Stephen was killed. Something happened with Stephen’s death both in natural history and in the spiritual realm. Blood was shed for Christ for the first time, and a persecution against Hellenistic Christians began. At the same time the Levitical priesthood led by Annas and Caiaphas led the nation away from God, setting their authority against Jesus’ authority. This is rebellion, called an abomination, and it ends with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, which the Levitical priesthood sought to preserve. Remember Stephen was accused of blaspheming the Temple and the Law–that Jesus would destroy the Temple and change the Law.
According to my study, I have the 1260 days beginning near the beginning of Jesus public ministry and the 1290 days begin 3 days after the 1260 days ended. They virtually comprise the **week** in Daniel 9 that is referred to as the 70th Week in the 70 Weeks Prophecy. However, Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth three weeks before the Last Great Day (of the Feast of Tabernacles). He began on the Feast of Trumpets and he said “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” If you count 1335 days after this day you will come to the Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks) after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. It is the day the Spirit of the Lord fell upon men (believers in Jesus). The 1335 days end only a few weeks after the 1290 days began, but taken together, all three prophecies comprise the whole of Jesus’ public ministry and his ministry through the disciples up to the time of Stephen’s death.
I hope this helps. Lord bless you, Bill.
Thanks Eddie. I follow the line of thinking.
If you were to conjecture on the timing of Acts 10:45, how long do think it was from the stoning of Stephen until the gospel went to Cornelius? Is there any way to know?
Greetings Bill, and I’m glad I was able to help.
Concerning the timing of the Gospel going to Cornelius, I think I am able to offer a ballpark figure. If we can place Stephen’s death at the end of the 70th week, which began in the fall of 27 AD, then Stephen died in the fall of 34 AD. New pilgrimages and events nearly always began in the spring, so Paul’s going to Damascus was probably around the Passover of 35 AD or shortly before. Paul claims that he ministered the Gospel to Jews and gentiles in and around Damascus for 3 years (Galatians 1:18), and the persecution of the Hellenist Jewish believers was still taking place. This would put Paul’s visit to Jerusalem in about the year 38 AD. Luke tells us that shortly afterwards the churches experienced a “rest”, which I take to mean from the persecution of the Jewish Hellenist believers that began with Stephen (Acts 9:31).
The officiating high priest at this time was Theophilus, the son of Annas (who had Jesus crucified). Luke wrote his Gospel shortly before this time and presented it to Theophilus as a witness (Luke 1:3). Luke is the only one of the Gospel writers that says armies would surround Jerusalem (Luke 21:20), which would be a sign the end was near. At about this time Gaius Caesar had told his general, Petronius, to take his armies to Jerusalem and place an image of himself in the Temple there, by force if necessary. This would most assuredly have begun the war between Jerusalem and Rome decades before it actually occurred. It is my opinion that Theophilus stopped the persecution at this time, and the Lord halted Petronius just north of Caesarea at Ptolemias until word came of Gaius Caesar’s death. After this, Petronius’ orders became moot.
This campaign occurred in 40 AD, according to my estimates. Theophilus was able to see that the prophecy of Luke 21, could have been fulfilled at this time, so he repented (if not in heart, at least by ceasing the persecution of God’s people). Gaius was assassinated in January of 41 AD, and the threat no longer existed, and it wasn’t long before it broke out again in 44 AD with the killing of James, the Apostle (Acts 12:1).
I would place the Gospel going to Cornelius sometime between 39 and 40 AD. The rest of the churches (Acts 9:31) had to have occurred after Paul left Jerusalem in 38 AD, but before Gaius’ death in January of 41 AD. 39-40 AD is my best guess.
Hope this helps, and Lord bless you, Bill.
Wow. Thank you for the insights.
Moving back in time, then, how quickly might have Acts 8:4,5 happened?
Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Act 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
Act 8:15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
Act 8:16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Act 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
I don’t think there is any way to pin down what I’m searching for, I guess. I really want to read Daniel 12 as a progression, but God would have pinpointed it in time if He made it that significant.
Dan 12:11 And from the time of the removal of the perpetual sacrifice, when the abomination of desolation shall be set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. 12Blessed is he that waits, and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days. LXX
I appreciate your help.
Blessings,
B