Hello,
Read Acts 10.23b-48
Today we find Peter with Cornelius and his household. Peter preaches the good news of Jesus and the Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles, leading to a “Gentile Pentecost” and officially opening the church to all.
Cornelius, the God-fearing Roman centurion, has been waiting days for Peter to return. Cornelius is full of expectation, and has asked friends and family to come and listen to what God would say through Peter. How many of us truly expect God to speak in a certain conversation, or worship service to us? What would happen if we went into worship or specific conversations eagerly expecting a word from God?
Peter begins by mentioning how according to the Law he shouldn’t even be in Cornelius’s house, but thankfully God had just shown him it was okay. Peter opens his message with an incredible summary statement of Acts, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (10.34-35). God longs for relationship with people. It doesn’t matter their background, or what they’ve done in the past, anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.
This brings to my mind Micah 6.8, “God has told you , O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This is a desirable posture and framework to live our lives by. Are we committed to justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God?
Peter is blown away that while he is still speaking the Holy Spirit comes on the Gentile believers, and so how could he not baptize them with water if they received what he and the other disciples (Acts 2.1-4) and the Samaritans (8.17) already received.
Pentecost is such an important day in the church, the church’s birthday. Yet it is when God pours out the Spirit on both Samaritans and Gentiles, people from every nation, that gives me the most hope and reminds me of God’s gracious welcome of me into being a part of His people. May you reflect on God’s generous welcome of you into the family of God.
Grace and Peace,
Matt
Inductive Questions: (These will be included each day and your work on them will be the foundation we build upon at our Wednesday evening in-person and Zoom Bible Study as we explore the church, mission, and Holy Spirit in Acts.)
Pick at least one of these to be a focus for all of Acts, but answer as many of them as you want.
- What does the church look like in Acts? Who is a part of it? What do they do? How is it formed? How does it relate to mission and the Spirit? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the ecclesiology of Acts?
- What does mission look like in Acts? Who does it? What do they do? How does it happen? How does it relate to the church and the Spirit? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the missiology of Acts?
- What does the Holy Spirit look like in Acts? What does the Spirit do? How is the Spirit active? How does it relate to church and mission? In other words (fancy, technical terms) What is the pneumatology of Acts?
Answer the question with the language of Acts as much as possible and cite the chapter and verse reference in your notes.