THE KING’S BUSINESS
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friends, “we are all here present in the sight o f God, to hear all things that' have been commanded thee o f the Lord.” The things to be; especially noted in this state ment are: (1) To get into the presence, not merely of the man who is speaking as God’s messenger, but into the presence of God Himself when we would learn. (2) To go “to hear.” So many go, or pretend to go, but without any desire 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 “commanded o f the Lord,” and not merely a man’s own thoughts? But it is tremendously import ant what a preacher is commanded o f the Lord, to say. It would be a great thing if all our Sunday congregations could say what Cornelius here says." vs. 34-43. "Then {And) Peter opened his mouth, and said, O f a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, etc.” In verses 34 to 43 we have the first sermon to the Gentiles (cf. ch. 15:7). It is full of precious truths, but really is not part of the lesson assigned by the Committee, Lut it is worthy o f careful study, though w e' have not room to go into it in detail here. Peter has been led to see that God set no distinction between,.Jew and Gentile and he began with this great truth. Then he went on to declare “ in every nation, he that feareth Him, and worketh righteous ness, is accepted with Him (acceptable to H im ).” Peter does not say that every one that feareth God and worketh righteous ness is saved. No man was ever saved that way, for in order to be saved that way one must perfectly keep the law and this no one has ever done (Gal. 3 :10-13). Further more, we are distinctly told in the eleventh chapter and fourteenth verse that Cornelius was not as yet saved, and a little further on in his sermon, as recorded -in this chap ter, Peter tells him what to do in order to be saved (v. 43). But while no one who has not definitely accepted Christ and confessed Christ is saved (cf. Rom. 10j9, 10 ), nevertheless, any one who honestly
seeks to know God’s will and to do it, even though he has failed to keep the law o f God in every point, as all have, and is therefore 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 wjll make known the way of salvation and thus save him (cf. John 7:17). There are few passages in the whole Bible which are more abused than this. It fs taken as setting 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 meaning o f the passage. Peter, after his brief introductory statement, proceeds to speak the words to Cornelius, whereby Cornelius and all his household are to be saved. These saving words are all about -Jesus: All truly saving words are about Him. The truths about Jesus that Peter proclaimed that Cornelius and his house hold might be saved by hearing them were: (1) Peace with God is through Him (v. 36).\ The words “ Peace by Jesus Christ” are incorrectly translated, they should be “ Peace through Jesus Christ.” For some unaccountable reason this mistranslation is found not only in the Authorized, but the English Revised Version and in the Ameri can Standard Version. There is absolutely nothing in the Greek to warrant the trans lation “ 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. (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 o f all. (3) God annointed Jesus “with the Holy Spirit and power.” (4) Jesus was crucified,, “hanged on a tree.” Peter does not enter here into the doctrine o f the atonement. He believed in the doc trine o f redemption and substitution (cf. 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 Peter 2:24), but he did not preach it at this time, for he was not so much seeking to bring Cornelius to
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