Acts 10:42

You will notice throughout this short address by Peter how very careful he is to speak not at all upon his own authority, but wholly upon the authority of the Most High. He commences his conversation by saying that God had shown him that it would be right for him, as a Jew, to commune with Gentiles. God had shown it to him—he had not, therefore, broken through Jewish law as the result of his own judgment, but under Divine direction. He goes on to commence his sermon by saying, "The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel."

we are witnesses of all . . . he did--not objects of superstitious reverence, but simply witnesses to the great historical facts on which the Gospel is founded. slew and hanged--that is, slew by hanging. on a tree--So Ac 5:30 (and see on Ga 3:13).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

You will notice throughout this short address by Peter how very careful he is to speak not at all upon his own authority, but wholly upon the authority of the Most High. He commences his conversation by saying that God had shown him that it would be right for him, as a Jew, to commune with Gentiles. God had shown it to him—he had not, therefore, broken through Jewish law as the result of his own judgment, but under Divine direction. He goes on to commence his sermon by saying, "The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel." He had come, therefore, not with a Word of his own inventing, but with a Word of God's sending. "That Word, I say, you know." Then he speaks of Jesus of Nazareth Himself as anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. And he speaks of himself and his fellow Apostles as "witnesses," bearing testimony to what the Lord Jesus had done. Now, this way of speaking was, perhaps, rendered the more necessary by the mistaken reverence which Cornelius had rendered to his person, for he fell down at the Apostle's feet and worshipped him, but it should be the constant habit of all the ministers of Christ. It is ours to keep within the boundaries of our commission and shield ourselves behind its authority. What are we that we should, of ourselves, have anything to say unto you, my Brothers and Sisters? What is our authority and by what right can we speak of ourselves? Verily, we have no such power over you and if we come unto you in our own name, bid us not God speed! Every true minister must speak because he is commanded to speak. He must speak what he is commanded to speak and he must be prepared to fall back upon the authority of the Word of God continually.

THESE two verses are an extract from a very remarkable sermon, a sermon preached by Peter in the house of Cornelius upon the occasion of the Gentile Pentecost. I think we are entitled to call the event by that name, for then the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles.

THESE two verses are an extract from a very remarkable sermon, a sermon preached by Peter in the house of Cornelius upon the occasion of the Gentile Pentecost. I think we are entitled to call the event by that name, for then the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the Gentiles. Peter preached at the first Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell upon the company of Jewish Believers and it is remarkable that he should be the preacher at the second Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon those of the uncircumcision while they were listening to the Gospel. Philip was at Caesarea and might have been called in, but God had determined that the strict Peter, the minister of the circumcision, should himself open the door of faith to the Gentiles. Paul was, at that time, converted and it might have seemed to be more appropriate to have used him in enlightening this Italian officer, but the Lord thought not so—He would send the Spirit upon the Gentiles in connection with the same person who preached when this visitation blessed the converts of Israel. Peter preached, as it were, upon the ruins of the middle wall of partition which once divided the sons of men. The occasion was very special and hence the sermon is the more worthy of our earnest consideration. What kind of discourse is that which is likely to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? We may learn something upon that point from the instance before us. Notice that it was a sermon "preached by request." I have seen those words printed upon the title page of very poor sermons—as a sort of apology for their being printed. I have wondered who it was that requested them and whether the requesters were pleased with what they got by their petition. I should think that they would hardly have asked that the same words should be spoken to them again.

And he commanded us ... - ; Mat 28:19-20; Mar 16:15-16. And to testify - To bear witness. That it is he ... - See the notes on Joh 5:22-27. Compare the references in the margin. Of quick - The living. The doctrine of the New Testament is, that those who are alive when the Lord Jesus shall return to judge the world, will be caught up in vast numbers like clouds, to meet him in the air, without seeing death, 1Th 4:16-17. Yet before this they will experience such a change in their bodies as shall fit them for the judgment and for their eternal residence - a change which will liken them to those who have died, and have risen from the dead. What this change will be, speculation may fancy, but the Bible has not revealed. See 1Co 15:52, “The dead shall be raised, and we shall be changed.”