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THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
February, 1935
ing the treatment that Jesus received. In spite o f His good deeds, He had1 been hanged on a tree (v. 39). Peter did not charge Israel with the death o f Jesus, be cause he was speaking to Gentiles; and for their salvation it was necessary only that they should believe that Jesus had died for their sins, and that God had rais ed Him from the dead1(v. 40). Peter and his associates were witnesses of these things. The Lord’s follower boldly testi fied to the fact that Jesus was alive (vs. 40, 41), and that He would return again to earth, because He was ordained by God to be the Judge o f both the quick and the dead (v. 42). These facts sum med up the gospel for which Cornelius waited: Christ came to earth and proved by the works He did that He was sent from God. Only God could do what Jesus Christ accomplished. Christ had died for sins, but had risen again the third day, thus revealing that God had accepted the sacrifice offered in the death of His Son, and had recognized the Person offering the sacrifice. It was this One, the Saviour, who one day would be the Judge o f all. The application o f the sermon followed at once (v. 43). Peter declared that to Him —Jesus of Nazareth, the One who had died and risen—all the prophets gave witness. They all spoke o f the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should fol low. And they all bore witness “that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission o f sins.” What Christ is, has done, and will do, is the gospel of salvation. The only condi tion laid down for its acceptance is that the one who would be saved shall believe. W e have often beclouded the simplicity of the gospel by insisting upon many things that, while good in themselves, should have no place in the preaching of the gospel to the unsaved. It is not “whoso ever has the proper feelings,” or, “who soever repenteth,” shall be saved; but, as Paul says, “to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungod ly, his faith js counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4 :5 ). Peter said nothing about works—except that work which Christ had accomplished and would accomplish. The universality of the gospel is seen in the word “whosoever.” There are none left out, none who cannot be saved if they will, none to whom the door is shut. The reason for the university o f the gospel is found in the universality o f sin (Rom. 3:23). III. T h e G o spel E ffe c tiv e A m o n g t h e G e n t il e s (44-48). The results of Peter’s sermon are im mediately seen (vs. 44-48). While he was yet speaking, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (v. 44). “And they . . . which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift o f the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God” (vs. 45, 46). The Jews were amaz ed to see the Gentiles receive the same, manifestation o f divine favor that they themselves had received when they believ ed. But after witnessing this scene, they could never doubt that God was the God o f the Gentiles as well as o f the Jews. That the Jews might know that God was now sending the gospel beyond the con fines o f Jewry, this sign was bestowed upon the Gentiles. This divine attestation was proof to the Jews that these Gentiles were genuinely saved by believing on Jesus—that they had received remission o f sins, that they had been born again,
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or risk anything. You will receive complete instructions by mail. You can start right away and have the money you need coming in. It will certainly pay you to give this a trial. Bet ter sit down and write your name and address on the coupon or on a penny card and mail it to him at once. ^ALBERT MILLS, President, I 7451 Monmouth Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio. J I I have some time 1 can spare and need I extra money. Without obligation, please I | tell me about your plan for helping me. I 1 _____________ _____________ 1 (This Offer Not Good Outside the U. S.) j in every religion, but about men “in every nation.’’ In the second place, notice that Peter is not discussing whether or not men can be saved apart from Christ. To Peter that question was settled forever (cf. Acts 4:12). What Peter is now de claring is that salvation through Christ is available to Gentiles as well as to Jews. Salvation apart from Christ is utterly un known to the New Testament preachers and writers. 2. It is interesting to note that nearly the entire sermon o f Peter discusses the ministry of Christ in relation to the “chil dren of Israel” (vs. 36, 37, 39, 41, 42). But when he comes to the final verse, the door is thrown wide open by the words “who soever believeth” (v. 43). There was a divine magic in these words, for the next verse declares: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (v. 44). Let us be sure that we close every message with “whosoever believeth.” Only so can we be sure of the blessing o f the Holy Spirit upon our testimony. 3. Verses 44-48 provide an instructive lesson on baptism. On this point men are inclined to divide into two extreme camps. One makes baptism essential to salvation. The other drops it as o f little account. Both are wrong. In this passage God | Name............................................................. I Address_________________— ---------------- ~ ~ ' '
DO YOU NEED MONEY? Perhaps you, too, are in urgent need of money to meet pressing bills. You may have some spare time you want to turn into cash. Then you will want to write this man at once. There will be no obligation on your part. He will write and tell you about a wonderful plan he has for helping you. He is President of a large million-dollar manu facturing company. He does business in every section of the country— in your very locality. He started a few years ago with an idea. It was this; He said, “ I will share the profits of my business with the folks who help me.’*He pros pered. His business became most tremendously successful. And today it is still growing. Right now he needs 300 men and women in all parts of the country. He needs someone in your sec tion to help handle increased business. To ev eryone who comes with him he guarantees a and that they were, in all spiritual re spects, like unto the Jews who had like wise believed. Because of this understanding, there was no hesitancy on the part o f Peter to baptize these believing Gentiles “in the name o f the Lord” (vs. 47, 48). To the Jews, this baptism was a most important ceremony, and they would never have con sented to the Gentiles’ receiving the rite, had not the Gentiles’ conversion to Christ clearly borne the stamp o f the approval of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, from this time on, there would be no distinction in Peter’s mind between Jew and Gentile, in the matter o f acceptance before God. Later, this incident was emphasized by Peter when he spoke before the first church council, assembled in Jerusalem for the purpose of discussing the status o f the Gentiles in the church (cf. Acts 15). The first two verses of this lesson (Acts 10:34, 35) have been very seriously misused by those who like to believe in what Tennyson called “the larger hope.” No matter what your religion or theology, they say, if you fear God and do good, He will accept you. But this view misses the point o f Peter’s words entirely. Notice, first, that Peter is not talking about men Points and Problems 1.
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