THE KING’S BUSINESS
1140
thus save him (cf. John 7:17). There are few passages in the whole Bible which are more abused than this. It is taken as set ting forth the way o f salvation, viz., by fearing God and working righteousness, but if the verse be studied in its context and parallel verses studied with it, it will be seen that this could not possibly be the Peter, after his brief introductory state ment, proceeds to speak the words to Cor nelius, whereby Cornelius and all his house-' hold are to be saved. These saving words are all about Jesus. AH truly saving words are about Him. The truths about Jesus that Peter proclaimed that Cornelius and his household might be saved by hearing them w ere: (1) Peace with God is through Jesus Christ. The words as we find them in our English Version, “ Peace by Jesus Christ,” are incorrectly translated; they should be, “ Peace through Jesus Christ.” For some unaccountable reason this mis translation is found not only in the Author ized, but also in the English Revised Ver sion and in the American Standard Version. There is absolutely nothing in the Greek to warrant the translation, “ Peace by Jesus Christ.” The thought is not that •God preached peace by Jesus Christ, but that He “preached good tidings o f peace through Jesus Christ,” i.e., that peace was not preached by Him, but was to be had through Him, and Him alone (Rom. 5:1). (2) Jesus “ is Lord o f all.” Here was a clear preaching o f the Deity o f Jesus Christ, for God alone is “Lord of all.” (3) “ God annointed Jesus o f Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.” This refers historically to the baptism of Jesus with the Holy Spirit after his bap tism with wafer at the Jordan (cf. Luke 3:21, 22; cf. Luke 4:1, 18). (4) Jesus was crucified, “hanged on a tree” (cf. Gal. 3:13). Peter does not enter here into the doctrine o f the atonement at length. He believed in the doctrine o f redemption and substitution (cf. 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 2:24), meaning o f the passage. Saturday, December 23 . Acts 10 . 36 - 43 .
self when ,we would learn. (2) T o go into God’s presence “ to hear.” So many go, or pretend to go, without any desir.e to really “ hear.” (3) To hear “all things.” So many are eager to hear part o f God’s truth, but they do not wish to hear all God has to say. (4) To hear that which is "com manded of the Lord,” and not merely a man’s own thoughts. What a man has to say is o f little importance, but what a preacher is commanded o f the Lord to say is tremendously important. It would be a great thing if all our Sunday congregations Could say what Cornelius here says. Friday, December 22 . Acts 10 : 34 , 35- In verses 34 to 43 we have the first ser mon to the Gentiles (cf. ch. 15:7), It is full o f precious truths. Peter starts out by telling them what God had taught him at Joppa, and what he had thus been led to see, viz.* that God set no distinction between Jew and Gentile. This indeed is a great truth, and we need always to bear it in mind. Then Peter went on to declare that “ in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is acceptable to him.” Peter does not say that every one that “ feareth God and worketh righteous ness” is saved. No man was ever saved in that way; for in order to be saved in that way one must perfectly keep the law and this no man has ever done (cf. Gal. 3:10-13). 'Furthermore, we are distinctly told in the 11th chapter and 14th verse that Cornelius was not himself saved as yet, and a little further on in his sermon as recorded in this chapter (v. 43) Peter tells him what to do in order to be saved. But while every one who has not definitely accepted Christ and definitely confessed Christ is not saved (cf. Rom. 10:9), nevertheless any one who earnestly seeks to know God’s will and. to do it, even though he has failed to keep the law in every point, as we all have, and is there fore under the curse o f the broken law and in need- o f redemption (Gal. 3:10-13) is “ acceptable to” God as one to whom He will make known the way o f salvation and
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker