BIBLE IN TEN

Acts 10:15

Sunday, 11 September 2022
 
And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” Acts 10:15
 
In the previous verse, Peter replied to the voice from heaven, saying, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” With that, it next says, “And a voice spoke to him again the second time.”
 
The translation is correct. There is no definite article before “voice.” But also, there is no verb and so the action must be supplied. It literally reads, “And a voice again for a second time to him.” It is not unlike the account of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 –
 
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And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9-13
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The Lord has a way of clearing the mind of biases, presuppositions, fears, anxieties, and so on by repeating Himself in order to make a point. In the case of Peter, he spoke out a directive, Peter balked at what was said, and now a voice from heaven comes forth a second time, saying, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
 
Peter will have to consider what is said, and he will. But what is being referred to is more than just the eating of meat, even if the eating of meat is a part of what is being conveyed. The object like a sheet descended from heaven. Hence, God has sent it. The animals are God’s creatures, and their disposition is up to Him. That was clearly revealed to Noah in Genesis 9 when Noah was told that every moving thing that lives shall be food for man.
 
Nothing is stated about impurity, and thus all animals were considered clean according to consumption. But something happened at the giving of the law. The Lord directed that certain animals were to be considered unclean. And so, the question must be asked, “What made the animals unclean?” If they were clean for consumption until the giving of the law, then it was the law itself that made them unclean.
 
This is true with sin. Until the law was given, sin could not be imputed. But when the law was given, Paul says, “sin revived and I died” (Romans 7:9). He says also, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). No person since Noah has ever been imputed sin for eating a particular animal except those of the nation of Israel. This is because only the nation of Israel was given the law.
 
Now, God has said to Peter that such animals are cleansed. The question then must be asked, “For who?” They were not cleansed for the Chinese. The Chinese had no law from God declaring them unclean. The same is true with all nations, except Israel. Therefore, it is for Israel that God has cleansed them through the fulfilling and annulling of the law. As such, Peter is told that he must not call them unclean. Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies clarifies the matter –
 
“The thought goes deeper than merely styling ‘common.’ Lit., do not thou defile. Do not profane it by regarding and calling it common. Rev., ‘make not thou common.’”
 
The point is, and it is obvious, that if the law made these unclean, and that they are not to be considered unclean any longer, then the law is no longer in effect for Peter. He has come to Christ, and in him (meaning Peter), the law no longer has the power to make the animals unclean. Therefore, what God has declared to him as acceptable, he is to no longer proclaim unclean.
 
This cannot be considered the case for those of Israel who have not come to Christ. They are bound to the Law of Moses until they come to Him. Therefore, the law is their standard and it is the gauge by which they will be judged. For Peter, he is no longer under the law, and therefore he cannot be judged by the precepts of the law. As this is so, he is not to then use the precepts of the law to make his own judgments concerning the matters contained in the law. In doing so, he then calls unclean things that are considered clean by God.
 
Life application: It is the law by which God declared foods unclean. In Christ’s fulfillment of the law, He has brought the law to an end for all who believe. Therefore, to call something unclean according to the standard of the law something that is not unclean is to then 1) call into question the efficacy of the work of Christ; 2) reintroduce the law as a means of personal justification; and 3) bring the curse of the law back upon oneself (for a Jew) or upon oneself (for a Gentile) when a precept of the law is violated.
 
Using circumcision as a benchmark for the entire law, Paul says –
 
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:1-4
 
The question for all people is, “Where do you want to hang your hat?” You can trust in the law and be judged by the law, meaning every single precept found in the law, or you can trust in Christ’s fulfillment of the law and be freed from the law. This was one purpose of the law. It was to show us what God expects in order to be right with Him. In seeing the enormity of the burden the law carries, it was to then lead us to Jesus.
 
Hence, to say that we will live according to the law’s standard is to claim a self-righteousness equal to God. It is self-deceiving and it can only lead to condemnation. To trust in Jesus is to trust in God’s provision, thus giving all glory to God, not to self. Be wise, be discerning, and be ready to both enjoy the foods God has given us and also to not judge those who eat something we may find unpalatable according to a standard that does not exist –
 
“Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.” Romans 14:20
 
Trust in Christ’s finished work and, please, pass the bacon.
 
Lord God, thank You for the freedom we possess because of Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to never set an obstacle between ourselves and You by assuming we can be “holier” than Jesus by accomplishing deeds of the law. Instead, may we find our holiness and perfection before the law in His fulfillment of it. To Your glory. Amen.
 

Acts 10:14

Saturday, 10 September 2022
 
But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.” Acts 10:14
 
In the previous verse, the voice from heaven said, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” This was concerning the vision he was seeing of the animals, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. With that remembered, it next says, “But Peter said.”
 
This is in response to the voice from heaven. One would think, “I just heard a voice from heaven, and it is instructing me to do something. I will be obedient.” Such will not be the case. The idea was so repugnant to an observant Jew that Peter cannot process what he is being told to do. And so, in response, he says, “Not so, Lord!”
 
Whether Peter feels this is a test of his faithfulness to the law, or whether he simply cannot participate in something so contrary to what he has always known and held as sacred, he balks. In this, he uses the common word kurios. It can mean anything from “Sir” to “Lord” and even implying the Lord God. As the voice is from heaven, he must mentally assume he is addressing the Lord God. And this is more likely based on his next words, which say, “For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”
 
The words “common or unclean” are rightly explained by Albert Barnes –
 
“That is common - This word properly denotes ‘what pertains to all,’ but among the Jews, who were bound by special laws, and who were prohibited from many things that were freely indulged in by other nations, the word ‘common’ came to be opposed to the word ‘sacred,’ and to denote what was in common use among the pagans, hence, that which was ‘profane,’ or ‘polluted.’ Here it means the same as ‘profane,’ or ‘forbidden.’
 
Unclean - Ceremonially unclean; that is, what is forbidden by the ceremonial law of Moses.”
 
In his response to the voice, Peter is paraphrasing words that he would have heard in the synagogue over the years. In Ezekiel 4, a part of a discourse between the Lord and Ezekiel says the following –
 
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“Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it. 10 And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it. 11 You shall also drink water by measure, one-sixth of a hin; from time to time you shall drink. 12 And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.”
13 Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
14 So I said, “Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”
15 Then He said to me, “See, I am giving you cow dung instead of human waste, and you shall prepare your bread over it.” Ezekiel 4:9-15
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The Lord was instructing Ezekiel to do something that would make him ceremonially unclean under the Law of Moses. This is seen, for example, in Leviticus 5:2, 3 –
 
“Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether it is the carcass of an unclean beast, or the carcass of unclean livestock, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and he is unaware of it, he also shall be unclean and guilty. 3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he realizes it, then he shall be guilty.”
 
Though ceremonially defiled, such a state of uncleanness simply required the appropriate sacrifices to restore him. Ezekiel thought it was repugnant to do this and he also balked at the Lord’s words. But Ezekiel was being used as a sign of what lay ahead for the people of Israel, and so, despite the clean foods he was instructed to eat, he was told to cook them in a manner that was ceremonially unclean. Because of Ezekiel’s concerns about being in a state of uncleanliness among the people, the Lord gave him the allowance of using cow dung.
 
The text of Ezekiel 4 makes it clear that the one speaking to him was the Lord (YHVH) God. Peter, certainly knowing the account in Ezekiel, would also know that the voice from heaven was also the Lord. As he knew at this point that Jesus is the incarnate Lord, the voice would be that of Jesus. In the case of Peter, the instruction would have been a direct violation of the Law of Moses. However, the Lord is going to convey to Peter that the Mosaic Code was no longer applicable to his life. Being in Christ meant something new was available to him.
 
Life application: Some years ago, a fad known as “the Ezekiel diet” came out. It can still be found on the internet and people have profited off it because it sounds biblical – “See, this is what was recorded for Ezekiel and so it must be good.” The same is true with the account in Daniel 1 concerning a diet that was decided upon there.
 
This is irresponsible, and it wholly ignores the context of what happens in Ezekiel. The Lord specifically tells Ezekiel why He was mandating the diet and what it meant –
 
“Moreover He said to me, ‘Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity.’” Ezekiel 4:16,17
 
This was not a diet that was intended to make people healthy. It was a diet that was the result of famine, lack, and affliction. It was a diet that would eventually cause the people to “waste away.”
 
Instead of getting caught up in fad things derived from a misuse of the Bible, live your life for the Lord, enjoy the blessings He has showered you with, and don’t allow people to sucker you into making them rich because of their twisting of Scripture. Have discernment. When people attempt to peddle things to you in the name of God or because of Scripture, they are the ones who will be home eating steak and potatoes while you are eating grass and tiny amounts of grain.
 
Lord God, give us discernment as we live out our lives before You. Help us not to get drawn into fads and novelty lifestyles that will enrich others but do nothing of value for us. May we be thankful for the blessings You have lavished upon us, and may we enjoy those blessings without feelings of guilt because they came from Your open hand of grace. Amen.

Acts 10:13

Friday, 9 September 2022
 
And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” Acts 10:13
 
The previous verse showed that “all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth” were in the object that was like a great sheet. With that remembered, it next says, “And a voice came to him.” The source of the voice is not stated, but it is certainly the Lord Jesus. This is most probable based on his reply in the next verse and what is stated between the two. And the words conveyed to Peter begin with, “Rise.”
 
Rather, it is an aorist participle – “Having arisen.” Peter was obviously still laying or kneeling as during his praying. And so, the voice lets him know that once he has gotten up, he is to take a particular action. After this, and calling him by his given name, the voice continues with, “Peter; kill and eat.”
 
This is obviously in response to his state of being “very hungry” as was seen in verse 10:10. The voice instructs Peter to look upon the vast multitude of animals without distinction and to take whatever he desired for himself.
 
In this, Peter is clearly being shown that the dietary laws of the Law of Moses have been annulled. He is being returned to a time when Israel did not have the law and lived under the general command of God to Noah –
 
“And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” Genesis 9:2, 3
 
The importance of this is not to be missed because if the dietary laws are annulled, then the entire Mosaic Code is annulled. It is a single body of law, no part of which could be left unfulfilled without guilt being imputed –
 
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:18
 
If the dietary laws are annulled, thus meaning that the Law of Moses is annulled, then it means that the law has been fulfilled. Those of Israel who accept the completion of Christ’s work are brought out from the bondage and yoke of the law and into a new and as yet unexplained dispensation. Those who are not of Israel, and who had never been under the law, are imputed the righteousness of the law’s fulfillment because of Jesus.
 
This is all being seen, or at least hinted at, in the details provided in this one verse. The voice is from heaven, indicating that it is of God. It is in connection with the presentation of unclean animals to Peter, indicating they have been divinely sanctioned to be eaten, and it is given in typology of the people who already eat such animals because they are not, and never were, under the law of Moses.
 
Life application: The Lord would not present supposedly unclean animals to Peter and admonish him to eat them if it were a violation of His own law to do so without a particular reason for doing so. Hence, without going forward in the text, it is clear and explicit that these animals are no longer to be considered unclean.
 
And yet, there are innumerable teachers of the word, and even entire denominations, that adamantly state Christians are bound to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law. If this is so, then they are also bound to every other precept of the law – without exception – and they must fulfill them perfectly. They have set aside the grace of Christ, and they have fallen back on a system that was never effectual in removing sin, except in the anticipation of its own fulfillment by Jesus.
 
Be sure to get what the meaning of grace is. It is not, “I have done and so now you must do.” Grace is unmerited favor. Salvation is solely and absolutely a work of the Lord. It is true that there are things we are told to do under the New Covenant, but these things are to be accomplished because of our state in salvation, not as a means of either earning it or maintaining it.
 
Lord God, thank You for the grace You have bestowed upon us through the giving of Christ Jesus. All that stood against us is now taken away because of Him. Praise You, O God, for what You have done! Amen.
 

Acts 10:12

Thursday, 8 September 2022
 
In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. Acts 10:12
 
The previous verse referred to the “object like a great sheet [sail]” descending to Peter from heaven to the earth. That now continues with, “In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth.”
 
The translation is not acceptable. It is stated without exception, saying, “all the quadrupeds of the earth.” It is a new word, tetrapous, that signifies “four” and “foot.” It will be seen here, in Acts 11:6, and then in Romans 1:23. Every four-footed animal that is to be found on earth was included in this display. That is followed by, “wild beasts.”
 
This word, thérion, is not included in some manuscripts, but it is found in Peter’s description of the account in Acts 11:6. It is possible a scribe either missed it in this verse, or it was purposefully inserted to reconcile the two accounts. Either way, the word comes from the word théra, signifying a trap used for hunting. Thus, this is a generic word for any wild animal. Next noted are “creeping things.”
 
The Greek word is herpeton. It also is a new word, and it signifies any crawling animal, reptiles, and especially a serpent. It is comparable to the Hebrew word remes first found in Genesis 1:24. The Greek word is the etymological root of our modern word herpes which is a disease that creeps. Finally, it says, “and birds of the air.”
 
Rather, the Greek reads, “and the birds of the heaven.” There is no qualifier saying, “clean birds.” Rather, it can be assumed that all birds of the heavens are included in the scene before him.
 
Though getting a bit ahead of the narrative, what is being seen is a picture of the cleansing of the Gentiles through Christ’s work. The sail is the means by which the message goes forth, signifying movement on the seas, even to the furthest parts of the world.
 
The sail being made of linen provides its own picture of purity. All that are noted upon it are cleansed by the blood of Christ, apart from deeds of the law, and are deemed as acceptable to God because of Him.
 
The sail having four corners signifies that the gospel will go forth to every part of the earth, the four corners representing the entire earth. And the animals, regardless of the kind are included in the scope of the transmission of the gospels.
 
Under the law of Moses, animals were specifically divided into clean and unclean. The two main records of this are found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. To fully understand the typology, please refer to the appropriate Superior Word sermons on these passages.
 
Israel was set apart under the law and was permitted to eat only certain foods derived from a select list of animals. Gentiles have no restrictions on them concerning dietary laws. This goes all the way back to Genesis 9 –
 
“And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.” Genesis 9:2, 3
 
The law was introduced as a tool for Israel, and Israel alone, to conduct its affairs. The Gentiles were never placed under that law, and no dietary restrictions, apart from drinking blood (Genesis 9:4), were placed upon the people of the world. With the law fulfilled by Christ, it was set aside. The Gentiles who ate unclean animals are no longer considered unclean. This will be made explicit in the coming verses.
 
The descending of this object from heaven to the earth was to signify to Peter that a mystery was being revealed. That mystery is then explained by Paul –
 
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.” Ephesians 3:1-7
 
Despite Paul being the one through whom the mystery of the church is conveyed to the Gentiles, it is the same mystery that is first revealed to Peter, and which will be confirmed by Peter in Acts 10. Once again, as has been seen several times in Acts, the same working of God, meaning the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is given by both Peter and Paul. The focus of the ministry for that gospel (meaning Peter’s toward the Jews and Paul’s toward the Gentiles) is the only difference. It is one gospel to all people.
 
Life application: The Chinese people have a saying, “If it moves on the earth, if it is found in the oceans, or if it flies in the sky, we will eat it.” This is a truth found throughout the Gentile world to some degree or another. No dietary restrictions exist except those that are self-imposed or that may be imposed by a particular nation or by some false religion.
 
For example, Islam and Hinduism restrict the eating of certain foods. Also, there are things that are just culturally not considered acceptable. Various bugs have always been eaten in parts of Asia, and even the Levitical law allowed for the consumption of locusts.
 
However, until recently, it was considered socially unacceptable in the western world to eat bugs. It was not prohibited, but it was something looked down on as boorish and objectionable. With the modern green movement, bugs are in, and beef is out. This is not a dietary law. Rather, it is just an attempt to manipulate the populace for a perverse agenda.
 
Despite this, the vision that Peter is seeing is exactly what is found in the Gentile world. The old saying, “You are what you eat,” is on full display here. Gentiles eat snakes, bugs, and lobsters (to their delight by the way) while Jews do not. And so, what is being seen is more than just the acceptance of Gentiles into the plan of God, but the acceptance of what they eat as well. The two are not to be disassociated from one another.
 
And yet, heretical cults and false teachers will use Acts 10 to say that the typology only points to the cleansing of Gentiles, but not the cleansing of foods. This is incorrect and it is dispelled both in the coming account of Acts 10, throughout the Pauline epistles, and the book of Hebrews as well. Don’t be fooled by perverse people with an agenda to push you under the constraints of the Law of Moses! Pass the whale blubber and bacon and enjoy the freedom God has given you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
Lord God, how precious it is to know that by faith alone in Jesus and in His fulfillment of the law we are pleasing to You. He lived out the law, He shed His blood, dying in fulfillment of it, and He rose again, setting aside its ordinances so that we are justified not through our deeds, but through His. In Him, reconciliation and forgiveness of sins have come! Now, we have a blessed and eternal hope. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord, O God. Amen.  

Acts 10:11

Wednesday, 7 September 2022
 
and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. Acts 10:11
 
Taken with the previous verse, the words form a complete thought – “Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.” With this noted, the words can now be looked into, starting with, “and saw heaven opened.”
 
Rather, the first verb is present tense to more poignantly bring the reader into the narrative – “and beholds heaven opened.” It isn’t that he went into a trance and saw. He went into a trance, and he beholds. It is right there before him as he looks. While beholding this marvelous scene it next says, “and an object.”
 
This is all happening while he beholds. This thing, described here as an object, takes hold of his vision. The word simply means a vessel by which something is contained. In this case, the object is “like a great sheet.” The word is othoné, and it is found only here and in verse 11:5 where Peter explains to others what he saw. It is fine linen, and thus it refers to a sheet or a sail. It is a piece of linen, obviously square (as will be seen), and extremely large.
 
Some speculate that this may be a tallit, a fringed prayer shawl used by Jews. If it were such an item, and because Peter is a Jew, he would have certainly said so when later describing it. Rather, it appears to simply be “like” a great sheet, and thus something specifically used for this purpose. Of this object, it next says that it was “bound at the four corners.”
 
This now gives a better sense of what the object may be. As noted, the word used to describe it is a sheet or a sail. The Weymouth New Testament uses the word sail –
 
“The sky had opened to his view, and what seemed to be an enormous sail was descending, being let down to the earth by ropes at the four corners.”
 
This is probably what is being conveyed. Peter bar Jonah (his full name as seen in Matthew 16:17) was a fisherman and well acquainted with sailing. He had just been called from Joppa where centuries earlier Jonah had sailed aboard a ship going to Tarshish. As he was by the sea at Simon the tanner’s house (Acts 10:6), he would have daily seen ships coming and going. When describing this object in Acts 11, it would be much more normal for him to use this description with those he talked to – “I saw this thing descending like a huge sail!”
 
The description of it being a sail would then fit more readily with the typology of what will later be described for other reasons as well. Of this great object like a sail, it next says it was “bound at the four corners.”
 
The word translated as “corners” means “beginnings.” It is the very extremity of the sail, and this is what would naturally be done to a sail. The billowing square sail of a ship is what catches the wind and impels it forward as it is bound by its corners. This is just what the word was used to indicate in ancient Greek as noted by Vincent’s Word Studies –
 
“Dr. J. Rawson Lumby suggests that the word, ‘applied to loose, bellying sails of ships,’ may indicate that the form of vessel which appeared to Peter ‘recalled an image most familiar to his previous life - the wind-stretched canvas of the craft on the Lake of Galilee’ (‘Expositor,’ iii., 272).”
 
The verse finishes with the words, “descending to him and let down to the earth.” The number four in Scripture is defined by Bullinger as the number of creation. It is the world number and especially the city number. This object bound at the four corners descended down to the earth. As such, it would indicate the four corners of the earth noted elsewhere in Scripture, such as in Isaiah 11:12. It is a way of describing the totality of a location, such as a city or a country, or even the earth itself.
 
As this has descended from heaven, its origin is in heaven. Due to its great size and the fact that it has four corners, and that it has descended to the earth, it is emblematic of the entire earth. These things can be deduced even before the next verses are given.
 
As a point of interest, the word used to describe this sail has a kindred noun, othonion. That is seen in the gospels when referring to the linen strips used to wrap Jesus’ body. That word is not used, but it is an interesting connection to help understand the word that is being used by Luke.
 
Life application: At times, the Bible provides information in typology, metaphor, and comparison and asks us to think through what is being said. It can be an imperfect science to interpret these things, but the more we read the Bible, the more clearly such things begin to be understood.
 
The consistency of the Bible in its use of various literary devices, especially combined with the life or circumstances of those who are highlighted in the passages, can give us even more assurance of what is being conveyed. For example, Peter is being used to convey imagery to the church at this time. Who he is, what he did, and the surrounding passage all give us clues as to what the imagery is conveying.
 
From there, we can then make logical deductions about what is being expressed. In other words, read your Bible, think about what it says, and remember these things as you continue. When an interesting passage comes before you, then you can take your store of information and make such conclusions. Be careful, however, because some people can make anything mean anything by incorrectly analyzing what is being described. Don’t just jump on the first commentary’s explanation but be willing to research the matter fully in order to get the best hint of what is being expressed.
 
Lord God, thank You for the wonders and delights that are found in Your word. They give us a lifetime of things to study, contemplate, and consider. Someday, we long to see the word fully explained to us so that we can behold the marvel of all that it contains! Thank You for this precious gift, Your wonderful word. Amen.
 

Acts 10:10

Tuesday, 6 September 2022
 
Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance Acts 10:10
 
The previous verse noted Peter going up to the housetop to pray at about the sixth hour. Now, it says, “Then he became very hungry.”
 
It is a word found only here in Scripture, prospeinos. It is a compound word signifying “toward” and “hunger.” Therefore, it signifies “hungering further,” and thus “very hungry.” This is not without purpose because it next says, “and wanted to eat.”
 
That is the usual thing that happens when one gets hungry. However, satisfying a hunger can be immediate, such as when grabbing an apple to eat, or it can take longer, such as waiting on a cook to prepare something. Peter has been praying, he got hungry, and so he obviously told someone that he would like to eat because it next says, “but while they made ready.”
 
The verb is a present participle, “they were preparing.” Nothing is said about anyone else in the narrative, so an answer to who “they” is must be mentally inserted by the reader. Whoever “they” are, they were preparing something for him to eat. As they were doing this, it next says, “he fell into a trance.”
 
Rather, the Greek reads with the same word found in Acts 8:16, saying, “an ecstasy fell upon him.” In Acts 8:16, it referred to the idea of the Holy Spirit falling on those of Samaria. It will be seen again in that context in Acts 10:44 and 11:15 when referring to the conversion of Cornelius and those with him. HELPS Word Studies says that the specific word used, epipiptó, comes from epi, on or upon, and pipto, to embrace (with affection) or to seize (with more or less violence, literally or figuratively).
 
In this case, it is a trance that has fallen upon Peter. It is not the same word, translated as “vision,” that described what happened to Cornelius in verse 10:3. This word, ekstasis, was seen in Acts 3:10 when describing the amazement of the people when the crippled beggar had been healed. It signifies a displacement of the mind. Thus, it is bewilderment or ecstasy.
 
Peter has entered into a different and bewildered state. It is in this state that he will start to understand particular points of theology that he never had considered before. Unfortunately, in his learning, he will afterward not always apply what he has learned. This is particularly noted in Galatians 2. For now, Peter has had a trance fall upon him for his learning, for our learning, and as a descriptive account of how it came about.
 
Life application: What Peter will see and be told in the verses ahead is rather clear, and it stems from symbolism going back to the book of Ezekiel, and it carries with it information that could only be conveyed to a person like Peter after the finished work of Jesus on the cross in fulfillment of the Law of Moses.
 
Despite being a descriptive account, it is clear and unambiguous in what it conveys. Some people ignore what is given here entirely. Others accept about fifty percent of the lesson and stop there. But what will be presented is so clear and obvious that it truly takes a full-blown case of cognitive dissonance to reject the lesson.
 
Pay heed to what is coming in the verses ahead, set aside any presuppositions that you may have about various matters, and carefully think about what is presented. In doing so, the difference between works of the law and the grace of Jesus Christ will become perfectly evident. It will also reveal the extent of this grace in relation to the people of the world.
 
Lord God, even the most studious of us may fail to understand what You are saying in Your word, simply because we have a presupposition or a bias about a particular doctrine. Help us to set such things aside and look to what You are conveying to us. Help us not to insert into the text what we want to see, but to draw out from it those things You want us to see. May it be so, to Your glory. Amen.

Acts 10:9

Monday, 5 September 2022
 
The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Acts 10:9
 
The previous verse noted that Cornelius sent his servants and one of his soldiers off to Joppa. With that noted, it now says, “The next day.” At this point, it may seem that these messengers actually started their journey the next day, but this is not likely.
 
They had immediately left the house of Cornelius, eventually stopped for the night, and are now continuing on the journey. Depending on where the starting and stopping points are in the cities, the journey is 35-40 miles, or even more. This would take 10-13 hours to walk at a normal pace. If they had donkeys, it could go a little quicker. If they had horses, they would have to tire them out to meet the time stated in this verse if it was on the same day of their departure. For now, it continues with, “as they went on their journey.”
 
The verb is a present participle, “as they are journeying on the way.” Luke is taking us through a methodical set of steps concerning what occurred to show us how the Lord perfectly timed everything that will transpire. In this journeying, it next says, “and drew near the city.”
 
It is another present participle, “and are approaching the city.” Again, Luke is drawing the reader directly into the events as they unfold. They have left Caesarea. They are journeying on the way. They are approaching the city. Now, at that same time as these things are coming to their conclusion, it says that “Peter went up on the housetop to pray.”
 
The timing of the two events coincides at this moment. The people who have been sent by Cornelius because of the visitation of a messenger when he was seeing a vision are coming near the city just as Peter is going up to the housetop to pray. The housetop was most likely unoccupied at this time. If it was a sunny day, the sun would be high. Unless there was a purpose in going up there, people would more likely remain in the shade.
 
But more to the point, the housetop was a place people would go for various reasons, including worship. This is seen, for example in these passages from the Old Testament –
 
“And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled like the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and poured out drink offerings to other gods.” Jeremiah 19:13
 
“Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord,But who also swear by Milcom.” Zephaniah 1:5
 
Despite these people improperly worshiping the Lord or other gods, these verses show us that the housetops were used for “getting closer to God,” just as the people would go to the high places for worship throughout all of the Old Testament. The idea is that of being elevated and in the open so that God could supposedly be more accessible. With Peter now having gone to the housetop, Luke records that it is “about the sixth hour.”
 
This would be right at midday. This shows that the journey most probably began on the day before. Unless they got up extremely early in the morning when it was still pitch black, they could not have arrived this quickly at Joppa. Hence, they immediately left Caesarea, they traveled until evening, and then they resumed travel again the next day. This is all to be considered in how the events will come together at the same time.
 
Life application: Don’t be afraid to read various versions of the Bible. One can really miss out on the actual feeling of what is happening if the translators are wrong in their wording, choice of verbiage, the tense of verbs, and so on.
 
Luke is purposefully drawing his readers into the narrative, leading them as if they are following along as the events take place. Using the past tense in place of the present tense may still convey the same general idea, but it loses the flavor of what is presented. Being captivated by one version, especially when it is wrong in such ways, means you may miss out on the delight of the moment.
 
So, feel free to read several versions as in a parallel Bible. You are sure to get a fuller appreciation for what is said. If you have a real question that develops between the versions, then you can research more fully to find out what is nagging at you. Most Bibles convey the same overall thought, and so the passage is clearly understood, but the subtleties can make a difference in how you might enjoy what is being presented.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to be attentive to the little differences in translations of Your word. We might get a different sense from one than from another, even if they convey the same overall meaning. Help our study of Your word to be a delightful experience where we find real intimacy with You through Your wonderful word. Amen. 

Acts 10:8

Sunday, 4 September 2022
 
So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa. Acts 10:8
 
In the last verse, Cornelius had called his servants and a devout soldier. With that remembered, it now says, “So when he had explained all these things to them.” The word translated as “had explained,” signifies to completely bring forth and thus to thoroughly explain. This means that Cornelius didn’t just tell them, “You three are to go to Joppa and fetch a guy named Peter.” Instead, he told them the entire substance of what occurred including the vision, the visitation, the words of the messenger, and so on.
 
This shows that Cornelius was on the friendliest of terms with his servants and his soldier. They deserved no explanation, but they were provided with it. It is another hint of the caliber of the man who deemed those around him deserving of more than just an arrogant, commanding attitude. Understanding this, and only after fully declaring the matter, it next says that “he sent them to Joppa.”
 
As it was the ninth hour (3 pm) when he was given the vision, it shows the truly obedient nature of Cornelius to get about the task without delay. It also shows his true desire to get about hearing what Peter would have to say. Nothing is said of them leaving in the morning, but that they called, and he sent them out.
 
Life application: Paul, citing the Lord, says –
 
“‘In an acceptable time I have heard you,And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
 
The prayers of Cornelius had been heard, and he had been told that the day of salvation had come. He didn’t delay in getting about the business that had been set before him. There are people that really want to hear the word. Their hearts are already primed for responding favorably to the gospel. Others might be so far from the Lord that the gospel is the last thing one would expect they would want to hear. And yet, at the right moment, it is presented to them, and tears of joy flood their faces as they realize the significance of what Jesus had done for them.
 
We cannot know what type of reaction we will receive when we share the gospel, but we will never know if we don’t... share the gospel. Today may be the only day we ever come across a particular person. We should probably get about what we have been called to do lest we are later filled with regret over our negligence.
 
Let us be ready and willing, at all times, to share the wonderful news that Jesus has come!
 
Lord God, we can look around the world and think we have plenty of time to do this or that but then find out it is too late, and our window of opportunity is closed. How sad is the regret in such times. And how much more so when we have failed to share the good news about Jesus. Help us not to be  in our sharing of the gospel, O God. Amen.
 

Acts 10:7

Saturday, 3 September 2022
 
And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. Acts 10:7
 
The previous verse had the messenger saying to Cornelius that Peter was lodging with Simon the tanner and that Peter would be the one to convey to Cornelius what he was to do. With that, Luke next records, “And when the angel who spoke to him had departed.”
 
In verse 10:3, it said the messenger had come in a vision. Now it says that he had departed. This tells us that he really was there, even if it is in a manner we cannot readily understand. One cannot come and then depart unless he is present at some point, and yet a vision is normally something that is thought of as being a one-sided event, actually only occurring in the perception of the one having the vision.
 
But this isn’t really so. In 2 Kings 6, there is an account of the Syrians coming to make war against Israel. One of the servants of Elisha saw the army and was afraid, but Elisha told him, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). After that, Elisha prayed, asking the Lord to open his servant’s eyes. When he did, it said, “And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:17).
 
Thus, there is a realm that exists, and which can be perceived when the Lord allows it to be so. Cornelius was allowed to see into it in order to receive the words of the messenger. Now that time is ended and so it says that “Cornelius called two of his household servants.”
 
In verse 10:2, it said that Cornelius was “a devout man and one who feared God with all his household.” This would have included these two because they are a part of his household. Luke next continues with, “and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.”
 
It is the same word used to describe Cornelius himself in verse 10:2. This was a respectful, reverent soldier that was assigned under Cornelius who was obviously highly trusted and who would understand the weight of the matter that would be taking place as it unfolded. Of these words, Charles Ellicott says, “It is obvious that all such facts are interesting as throwing light on the character of Cornelius, and showing that, to the extent of his power, he sought to lead those over whom he had any influence to the Truth which he had found precious as leading him to a higher life.”
 
Despite being pagan, Cornelius understood his accountability before God. But it wasn’t something he just carried around inside of him without instilling that in others. Rather, to his utmost, he expected this conduct of those who he held close to himself in his household and in those under his charge.
 
Life application: Although it is impossible to tell the level of godliness of Cornelius in comparison to all of the other people on the earth who were alive at his time, we could pick an arbitrary number on the bell curve based on the description of him in Acts. Assuming he was just as described, and he was described this way because he was exceptional, then we might pin him in the top five percent of people who were devout and god-fearing.
 
Supposing that this is so, we could then say, “Well, if anyone had a right to boast before God, it would be him.” And yet, Paul says of Abraham, the father of those who believe –
 
“What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.” Romans 4:1-4
 
As godly and devout as Cornelius was, he was – like Abraham – wholly in need of God’s grace. God is not grading humanity on a bell curve. He is evaluating man based on His infinite perfection. Because of this, all people stand condemned before Him (John 3:18). We must be imputed to His perfection, or we must be forever separated from Him, because of His perfection. It is Jesus Christ, and He alone, who makes this possible.
 
Cornelius will be told what he must do. The choice is up to him. Will he depend on his own supposed righteousness, or will he set that aside and believe the gospel which highlights his own insufficiency before God? To accept that Jesus Christ died for our sins is to admit that we have sinned. God cannot fellowship with a person who denies his obviously fallen state. But even if someone does acknowledge that he is a sinner, God cannot fellowship with him merely because of this. Such a person must accept the remedy to his state. That remedy is Jesus. Be sure that people know. In knowing, and in accepting what they now know, only then can God receive them.
 
Lord God, thank You that because of Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life. We may be devout without Jesus, but never enough that we can be accepted by You. Rather, we need His perfection, and You have offered it to us by grace. May those we talk to be willing to accept the premise, have the faith needed, and then be reconciled to You. Help us to share this life changing word. Amen.
 

Acts 10:6

Friday, 2 September 2022
 
“He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” Acts 10:6
 
Cornelius is still receiving instruction from the messenger from God. He was just told to send men to Joppa and to find Simon whose name is Peter. It now continues with, “He is lodging with Simon, a tanner.” This gives the reason for specifying “Simon whose name is Peter.” Normally, one would go to a residence looking for the occupier of that residence.
 
In this case, Simon the tanner opened his house to Simon Peter. Without identifying which Simon was to go, they both may have had to make the journey, just to be sure. Ananias was not an apostle, and yet, he was summoned to go to Straight Street and place his hands on Paul. Without this explicit instruction, they may have thought the Lord purposefully wanted a tanner to meet with a Gentile because he was used to interacting with Gentiles, or whatever.
 
As noted in the commentary on Acts 9:43, being a tanner was not necessarily something that caused defilement. It was a part of the normal lives of people within the society. Even if some Jews found it an unclean lifestyle, that was their problem, but it was not necessarily an issue with the law.
 
In the modern world, people may look down on garbagemen, but that doesn’t mean a thing about the person. The position may be filled by the greatest guy in town. And so, this cannot be used as an indication that “the Jewish law was losing its hold on Peter” (Vincent’s Word Studies). Rather, it meant that Peter was willing to stay with a person who was looked down upon by others and who may have stank to high heaven.
 
Next, it says, “whose house is by the sea.” This would easily identify where to go, and which tanner was being referred to if there was more than one in town. Being by the sea was a convenient place for tanning as noted in the earlier commentary referenced above. Lastly, it says, “He will tell you what you must do.”
 
These words are left out of various texts. Of this omission, Cambridge says –
 
“These words are not in the oldest MSS. In Peter’s own account of the visit to Cornelius (Acts 11:14) we have ‘who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved;’ and this is one of the numerous instances found in some later texts of the Acts where an attempt has been made to form a complete narrative in the earlier chapters by gathering together and adapting statements which appear in their proper place in later chapters.”
 
Cambridge immediately assumes that “older is better,” and that the omission demonstrates that this was an insert to reconcile the two accounts. However, it could just as easily be that the omission was an error in the earlier text and that text was then rejected because of it. Unless there is definite proof of one or the error, the addition of a footnote in the Bible translation is a useful tool to let the reader know the disparity between the various texts. Either way, no information is lost because Chapter 11 includes it. So, it was either stated twice or it was stated only once, but it was – in fact – stated.
 
Life application: Be sure to read the footnotes if your Bible includes them. And when you buy a new Bible, look for one that includes footnotes. There are many important points that are noted in them that will help the true student of the Bible to determine what is going on and to then help them think those things through clearly.
 
When you come to a footnote you are not fully understanding, then you can read up on that passage in longer commentaries. Eventually, you will usually find a suitable resolution to the issue you are trying to resolve.
 
Heavenly Father, may we be faithful and careful stewards of Your word, always thinking it through, contemplating it, and meditating upon it. It is too precious to simply ignore. It is light, and it conveys life. May we treat it with the highest care and respect all our days. Amen.

Acts 10:5

Thursday, 1 September 2022
 
Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. Acts 10:5
 
In the previous verse, Cornelius was told that his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God. Because of this, he is told, “Now send men to Joppa.”
 
The encounter and the directions are not unlike that which were given in Chapter 9 –
 
“Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, ‘Ananias.’
And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’
11 So the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.’” Acts 9:10-12
 
This time, however, instead of a believing Jew receiving instructions to go to an unbelieving Jew to have his eyes opened, it is a Gentile being told to send men to a believing Jew so that the sender may have his heart rightly turned to God. It is obvious, even before the next clause, that it is Peter who is to be summoned. The account of him in Joppa was just referred to in the last verse of Chapter 9. That thought is confirmed with the words, “and send for Simon.”
 
Here, his original Jewish name is given. It is what he was known as until Jesus designated him Peter as is recorded in the gospels (see Matthew 16:17-19, Mark 3:16, and Luke 6:14). After that, Luke records, “whose surname is Peter.”
 
Whatever “surname” meant in the past, it now means a hereditary name common to all members of a family. In this case, his surname would be his father’s name, Bar-Jonah, or “son of Jonah,” seen in Matthew 16. Hence, this more rightly reads, “who is named Peter,” or “who is called Peter.”
 
Cornelius has been directed to specifically call for Simon who is called Peter. This is to avoid any confusion between him and the man he is staying with, Simon the tanner. Rather than this messenger telling Cornelius the message of Jesus, the responsibility is given to an apostle of Jesus. But more, it is given to Simon Peter. There is a reason for this that will be explained later in the passage.
 
Life application: A responsibility was laid upon the apostles. That expanded to the disciples as the apostolic age continued and eventually ended. The message of Jesus Christ is a message that has been given to us to share. Angels do not convey it to men, and it would be contradictory for us to think that such would be the case.
 
Paul says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). It is true that someone may pick up a Bible or a tract with the gospel and read it and then come to faith. But someone had to translate the Bible, it had to be published, it had to be purchased, it had to be given, and so on.
 
The responsibility for people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ rests upon us. Just before Paul’s words of Romans 10:17, he said –
 
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14, 15
 
People need to hear the word. The word will not get out unless people get involved in the process. Yes, it is good to support preachers, but it is equally as good for any and all saved believers to also join in the process. As the psalm says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” (Psalm 107:2). Open your mouth and speak. Carry a Bible and pass it on. Have tracts available to share. Be a participant in the great thing God has done and continues to do, even to this day. If not you, then who?
 
Lord God, how marvelous it was on the day we heard the good news about what Christ had done for us. Someone took the time to share that news, and we were blessed to be included in Him because of it. Help us to carry that thought with us always. Help us to be responsible with our time and abilities by now being included in those who share this wonderful message of hope and truth. Amen.

Acts 10:4

Wednesday, 31 August 2022
 
And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?”So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Acts 10:4
 
The previous verse is where Cornelius saw in a vision an angel of God having come to him. Now, Luke records, “And when he observed him, he was afraid.”
 
Both verbs are aorist participles. “And having looked intently on him and having become afraid” (BLB). The word translated as “observed,” atenizó, is one that indicates being completely fixed in staring at something. It is giving full attention to what is seen. One can see hints of the word “attention” in it. Cornelius was praying and all of a sudden, this messenger was there. This caught his full attention and brought him to a state of terror.
 
With this state over him, it next records, that he “said, ‘What is it, lord?’” The word kurios is used. It can be used in a reference to the Lord, meaning Yehovah. It can be used as a title of respect to one greater than another, as in, “My lord, what can I do?” It can be used as a title of general respect, such as, “Sir, what is it?” And etc.
 
In this case, he understands that he is a divine messenger, “What is it, lord.” This seems to be the case because of the terror just noted. If it was a senior from his military chain of command, he would have simply said, “Yes, sir, I am almost done praying.” With his state of terror, and with his question spoken, Luke next says, “So he said to him.”
 
This is now the messenger speaking to Cornelius. He has come for a reason, he has been asked about what his coming is for, and so he now gives a reply, saying, “Your prayers and your alms have come up.”
 
The same word used to describe the alms the beggar asked for in Acts 3:2 and that also described the charitable deeds of Tabitha in Acts 9:36 is used here. These alms are derived from compassion that is directed to the poor and needy. Those, along with his obviously heartfelt prayers are said to have ascended. The meaning is that they were as an offering burned on an altar that had then become a fragrant aroma. These are then specifically noted, “for a memorial.”
 
This is the third and last time that the word mnémosunon, or “memorial,” is seen in the Bible. The word signifies a reminder. It is something that is worth remembering such as in Matthew 26:13 and Mark 14:9, both of which speak of the same event –
 
“Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.” Matthew 26:13
 
In this case, the prayers and deeds of Cornelius were something worthy of remembrance, as it says, “before God.” Taken together with the word “ascended,” it is as an offering on an altar that is described in Leviticus. They were a true and complete sacrifice that would otherwise be acceptable to God. They were not enough to save him, however. This is evident based on the rest of the passage.
 
However, they demonstrate that his heart was set in the right direction. Charles Ellicott states the matter well, as long as it is understood that apart from faith in Jesus (which will come as the chapter continues) his deeds cannot justify him, only his faith can –
 
“If we ask, in the technical language of a later theology, how they could be accepted when they were offered prior to a clear faith in Christ, and therefore before justification, the answer is that ... He was believing in the Light that lighteth every man, though as yet he did not identify that Light with its manifestation in Jesus as the Christ (John 1:9). He had the faith which from the beginning of the world has justified—the belief that God is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).” Charles Ellicott
 
The ellipsis in the quote from Ellicott removes something that may lead to a false sense of what is being said.
 
Ellicott is close in his analysis, but it must be understood that when he says, “he had the faith which...justified,” it must mean a potential justification, not actual at this time. People all over the world have faith, they do good deeds, and they really believe there is a God that we must answer to. The issue isn’t that they believe this. The issue is, first and foremost, that sin must be dealt with. Abraham was surely the same person before and after the note in Genesis 15:6. But he had to have faith in God’s provision first.
 
Abraham believed in the Lord (YHVH), and He credited it to Him as righteousness. Cornelius believes in God, in a general sense. Now, in Acts 10, he will be introduced to the Lord (Jesus who is YHVH) and he will believe in a specific sense. This is what brings justification. Sincere people can believe in a false gospel or a false messiah and not be saved. Cornelius has faith and it is now going to be directed to the One who can mediate that faith before God in an acceptable way. That will become explicitly clear in verse 10:43.
 
Life application: We must never waffle in our theology and say that someone has faith that can save apart from Christ. A person can have great faith and misdirect it and not be saved. Only when the faith is directed to Jesus, the Lord God incarnate, can a person then be saved.
 
Those of the past who knew of the Lord’s promise of Messiah, such as Job, had the appropriate faith because they had faith, and they believed in the right Person to come. Now, all must believe in the right Person who has come. This may seem like splitting hairs, but it is not. The resolution to man’s problem, meaning sin, must be dealt with. The only One who can deal with it is Jesus who is the Christ (Messiah).
 
Jesus is the Lord (YHVH). Any other “messiah” is not the Lord (YHVH) and is thus a false messiah. With more revelation has come more precise responsibility. Only through the name of Jesus can man be saved.
 
Lord God, help us to not error in our wording and thus lead others astray through misunderstanding. May we carefully think through our presentation of the gospel and then give it in a manner that will convict and then heal the person who hears it. Help us in this, O God, that people will come to a right and saving knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.