Exclusivity and Inclusivity (Acts 10)

• How can you be both exclusive (Jn 14:6; Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22; Ac 4:12; Eph 3:12; Heb 10:20) and inclusive (Jn 3:16; Mt 5:45)--like Jesus (Mt 5:46-48; 1 Cor 5:21)? What happens when you're exclusive or inclusive or both?

1. As Cornelius and Paul encountered God (Ac 10:3, 13), has God ever "said" or shown anything to you? How do you "hear" or "listen" to God (Ps 1:2; 119:97)?
2. Why did Cornelius call together his relatives and close friends (Ac 10:24)? Should one with a higher status expect to be honored more than others (Ac 10:25-26; Jas 4:10; Mt 11:29)?
3. How many Acts messages by Peter are there (Ac 2:14-39; 3:12-26; 4:8-12? How does God show no favoritism (Ac 10:34; Mt 5:45)? How can we (Mt 5:46-48)? How should we regard others (Dt 10:17-19; Ac 10:28, 34; Gal 3:28)? Who does God accept (Ac 10:35, 4, 22)? Does fearing God and doing what is right save us (Jn 1:12)?
4. What does the Holy Spirit do [for us] (Ac 10:38-39, 42; 1:8)? Who did the Risen Christ appear to (Ac 10:41; 1 Cor 15:5-8)? How does God judge us (Ac 10:42; 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 2:16; 1 Sam 16:7)?
5. What does the entire OT testify to (Ac 10:43; Lk 24:27, 44)? Why is "forgiveness of sins through [Jesus'] name" (Ac 10:43b; Lk 24:46-47; Isa 53:4-6, 11; Jer 31:34; Eze 36:25; Dan 9:24)?
6.  How is the story of Peter and Cornelius a tale of 2 sorts of conversions (Ac 10:34, 44-48)? Is it "harder" for a good Christian like Peter to be converted (Ac 10:14; Isa 64:6; Gal 2:11-14) than for a non-Christian like Paul (Ac 9:17-18)?

Luke uses repetition to emphasize the importance of the issues involved, as with Paul and Cornelius' conversion. Luke repeats Paul's and Cornelius' conversion 3 times each [or even 4 times with Cornelius' story between Acts 10 and 15]. Why? Saul is not your "typical" Jewish convert to Christianity, nor Cornelius your typical Gentile convert. Yet Luke places special stress on them, because they serve as the catalyst to change the character and general direction of the early church. Luke presents this important story of Gentile synagogue adherents--those at the fringes of Judaism--who become Christians, and also those with some social standing and status--the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius. Saul's call to go to the Gentiles and Cornelius' response to the heavenly vision and reception of the Holy Spirit brought about a crisis--which was resolved in some measure at the "apostolic council" recorded in Acts 15. Acts 9-10 are a turning point leading to the Jerusalem church endorsing an outright mission to the Gentiles--which is what God had always intended (Gen 12:3; Exo 19:6; Isa 49:6).

Fulfilling divine will toward a universal religion--both in its geographical and social scope (Acts 10:1-11:18)--requires human action. The move in a Gentile direction comes directly from God, as the visions and messengers--divine and human--are employed to confront, convict, convince and even convert Saul and Cornelius. God's divine plan of universal salvation is worked out AND requires humans to respond to it and carry out their part in the drama. The visions and messages Peter and Cornelius receive are divinely ordained, but they are incomplete without human reflection and action. The human action and response is not viewed as either automatic or coerced. There are 7 scenes as follows:

1. Cornelius' vision (10:1-8). Send for Simon. Peter is sent for by Cornelius.
2. Peter's vision (10:9-16). Food for thought. Kill and eat.
3. Peter's puzzlement--meeting with messengers; journeying to the Gentiles/to Cornelius' house (10:17-23).
4. Peter's dialogue with Cornelius about the visions (10:24-33). Peter refused to allow Cornelius to treat him like a god, and he refused to treat Cornelius like a dog. [John Stott]
5. Peter's sermon (10:34-43). Peter preaches to Cornelius' household. By word.
6. Divine intervention and Cornelius' baptism (10:44-48). And the Spirit.
7. Recapitulation by Peter of what happened in scenes 1-6 to the Jerusalem church (11:1-18). Peter justifies his actions. Justification in Jerusalem. Compare Ac 11:1; 8:14.
1. Peter is called to account (11:1-3).
2. Peter recalls God's direction and control (11:4-17).
3. The church acknowledges God's leading (11:18).

How the gospel spread out from Jerusalem (Ac 1:8). A reason Luke wrote Acts was to show people like Theophilus (Ac 1:1; Lk 1:1-4) how a religious phenomenon which began as a Jewish messianic movement spread not only geographically but also spread across ethnic barriers and social boundaries. Acts 8:4-9:43 shows step by step how the gospel fulfilled the promise of Pentecost (Ac 2:38-39) and became universal:

1. from the persecution after the martyrdom of Stephen (Ac 8:1, 3; 9:1-2; 11:19),
2. to the gospel in Samaria (Ac 8:4-7, 12, 17, 23),
3. to the Ethiopian eunuch (Ac 8:27ff),
4. to the conversion and call of Saul, the missionary to the Gentiles (Ac 9:3-5, 17-19),
5. to the gospel moving upward along the coast [Lydda and Joppa] (Ac 9:32-42), and then
6. to the pure Gentile--Cornelius (Acts 10)--whose conversion will force the church 
7. to accept God's will to take the gospel to the Gentiles and is ready
8. to break out into Antioch (Acts 11), the 1st Gentile church in Acts, and then
9. to the missionary journeys of Paul (Acts 13-28).

References:

1. Osborne, Grant. Acts. Verse by Verse. 2019. Cornelius: The Gospel goes to the Gentiles (10:1-48).
1. Cornelius and Paul see preparatory visions (10:1-16).
2. Peter encounters Cornelius (10:17-33).
3. Peter gives a sermon in Cornelius' house (10:34-43).
4. The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit (10:44-48).
2. Witherington III, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles. A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. 1998. The Petrine Passages (9:32-11:18).
   
1. Peter the Healer (9:32-43).
2. Peter's Vision and Missionary Ventures (10:1-11:18).
3. Stott, John. The Message of Acts. 1990. Through the Bible through the year, Daily reflections from Genesis to Revelation. 2006. 
4. Peterson, David G. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar NT commentary. 2009. The Word Advances in Judea and Syria (9:32-12:25). Peter's Role in the Evangelisation of the Gentiles (10:1-48).
1. 2 significant visions (10:1-16).
2. 2 significant journeys (10:17-29).
3. Salvation for Gentiles in the Fellowship of the Spirit (10:30-48).
5. Marshall, I. Howard. Acts. Tyndale NT commentaries (TNTC). 1980. The Beginning of the Gentile Mission (9:32-12:25).
1. Peter's mighty works (9:32-43).
2. The conversion of Cornelius (10:1-11:18).
3. The church at Antioch (11:19-30).
4. The imprisonment and escape of Peter (12:1-25).
6. Wright, N.T. Acts for Everyone, Part 1. Chapters 1-12. 2008.
1. Peter's vision (10:1-16).
2. Peter goes to Cornelius (10:17-33).
3. Telling the Gentiles about Jesus (10:34-48).

Questions:

1. What is a "centurion"? "The Italian Regiment" (Ac 10:1)? What was Cornelius doing in "Caesarea" (Acts 10:1)?
2. What is meant by Cornelius being "God-fearing" (Ac 10:2a)? To whom did Cornelius give generously? Why did Cornelius call the angel, "Lord" (Ac 10:4)? How must Cornelius have prayed and given alms (Ac 10:4; Mt 6:1-6)? How do you pray and give alms? Why did the angel come to Cornelius (Ac 10:5)?
3. Where was Peter staying (Ac 10:6)? Why was Peter staying with a tanner poignant and significant (Lev 11:26-28)? Who were Cornelius' emissaries to Peter (Ac 10:7)? Why did Cornelius explain everything rather than simply issuing an order (Ac 10:8)?
4. What happened to Peter when he was praying on the roof (Ac 10:9-10)? How big was the "large sheet" (Ac 10:11-12)? Why did Peter refuse to obey God (Ac 10:13-14; Dt 14:3-20)? What traits distinguish the "clean"  from the "unclean" animals? Why is God telling Peter to eat everything (Ac 10:15; 21:25; Mk 7:15-19)?
5. What happened "three times" (Ac 10:16-17)? Why? Who engineered the impending meeting between Peter and Cornelius (Ac 10:18-25)?
6. Why did Peter tell Cornelius, "Stand up. I am only a man myself" (Ac 10:26)? What did Peter know by this time (Ac 10:28-29)? How much time elapsed between the angel's appearance to Cornelius and Peter's arrival at Cornelius' house (Ac 10:30)? How did Cornelius prepare (Ac 10:24)? Why? Do you love your relatives and close friends?

Q1. "Regiment" meant 1/10th of a Roman legion, with 6,000 soldiers. A regiment, or a "cohort" had 600 soldiers. Rome drew regiments from across its empire; the Italian Regiment was drawn from Italy. Each regiment's 600 soldiers were organized into 6 "centuries" of 100 soldiers.

Q1. Caesarea, the region's largest and the most strategic port city, was the capital of the Roman province of Judea, and therefore the home of the Roman governor and the home base of his military garrison.

Q4. Joppa is 50 km/31 miles from Caesarea.

Q4. The animals, fish, birds God allowed as food are lower in the food chain--herbivores or those that feed on fresh non-plants (scaled fish, some birds). Those God forbade are higher up the food chain and can eat their prey after they died (eagle, hawk) or scavengers that eat the dead and decomposing (vultures, lobsters).

Q4. What about the "hare" (Dt 14:7), a herbivore? Though a herbivore its diet is rich in cellulose, which is hard to digest. The hare resolves this by passing two types of feces: hard droppings, which it leaves, and soft, black droppings, which it immediately eats again for a second chance at digesting the cellulose. So the hare eats its own feces, much like the swine. When God says something is "unclean" (Dt 14:7), it is.

Why should we fear God when He called us His friend and children?

How much more does God favor an affluent Christian in a 'developed' nation compared to a poor one in a 'developing' nation?

Is Peter saying that to be "accepted by" God, a gentile must be one who "works righteousness" (Acts 10:35)?

What is exceptional about the statement quoted in Acts 10:34-35?