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Advent Lessons

Lesson 3 · October 15, 1892

Peter's Vision.—Acts 10:1-29

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(Memory Verses, 1-4.)

Golden Text.—"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons." .

  1. 1.Describe the character of Cornelius the centurion. .

Notes

In the case of Cornelius we have a striking illustration of Christ's words, "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." . God wants to save men. He is on the lookout for men to save. So anxious is he to save them that he rejects no candidate, but wherever he sees one feeling after him, he at once takes his hand and leads him out into the clear light. Of his servant, in whose hands is the difficult task of making holy people out of the most unpromising material, he says: "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth." .

  1. 2.What appeared to him one day as he was praying? .
  2. 3.What message did the angel bring him? .
  3. 4.What did he do in response to the words of the angel? .
  4. 5.As the men drew near to Joppa the next day, what was Peter doing? .
  5. 6.Relate Peter's vision in detail. .

Notes

There are probably few nowadays who take so superficial a view of this portion of Scripture as to suppose that it is meant to teach that all animals are equally clean, and may be eaten. The distinction between clean and unclean beasts was not an arbitrary one, but was inherent in the nature of the beasts. That nature remains the same to-day that it always was. Moreover, Peter plainly tells the object of the vision. It was intended as an impressive lesson to teach him that he was not to sit in judgment on men, calling one clean and another unclean. He is not to judge that one man is beyond the possibility of salvation, but is to sow beside all waters, not knowing "whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good." .

  1. 7.What followed as soon as the vision passed? .
  2. 8.How was Peter prepared to receive the message which the men brought? .
  3. 9.In what words did they reply to Peter's question as to their business with him? .
  4. 10.When did they return to Cæsarea? .
  5. 11.What precaution was taken to have witnesses of what took place? , last part.
  6. 12.What preparation had Cornelius made for Peter's arrival? .
  7. 13.What took place when he met Peter? .
  8. 14.What did Peter say when he went in and found the company assembled? .
  9. 15.What law forbade a Jew to keep company with one of another nation?

Notes

The student will search in vain throughout the Old Testament to find any law whereby God forbade the Jews to associate with the Gentiles. It is true that he forbade them to intermarry with the heathen, and so he still forbids his people to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. Likewise he calls his people to come out from the world, and be separate. As in the old time, so now, he wants his people to be a peculiar people; but nowhere do we find in ancient times he wanted his people to be any more distinct and separate from the world than he does now. The law to which Peter referred was simply one of the traditions of the Jews by which they made void the law of God. See ; . God was emancipating Peter from the shackles of Jewish tradition. If he had not been so firmly bound, he would have learned the same lesson from the life of Christ, who never paid any attention to the traditions which Jewish bigotry had invented.

  1. 16.What did Peter say that God had showed him? , last part.
  2. 17.What are God's people not to do? ; ; .
  3. 18.When only is judgment to be rendered? .
  4. 19.When will the saints be allowed to judge men? .
  5. 20.Until that time what is the church's only office? ; .
  6. 21.State some of the evidences that before the first advent of Christ, as well as after, God wanted his people to be missionaries.

Notes

That God's design for the Jews was that they should be a missionary people, is plainly shown in the Scriptures. To Abraham God said, "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." . He had also said to him, "Thou shalt be a blessing." Therefore all who are children of Abraham must likewise be a blessing. Long before the first advent of Christ, God had spoken of himself through Isaiah as "a light to the Gentiles," as well as the Restorer of Israel. . Moses had said to Israel: "Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." . This shows that they were to let the nations know of God's truth. The case of Naaman the Syrian, of the queen of Sheba, of Jeremiah, sent to the nations round about Israel (, etc.), and of Jonah, sent to the Ninevites, shows that God desired the salvation of other nations no less than of Israel, and that he wished to use the Israelites as the agents in their salvation.

Bible texts in this lesson

Acts 10:34 · Acts 10:1 · Acts 10:2 · John 7:17 · Isaiah 42:3 · Isaiah 42:4 · Acts 10:3 · Acts 10:4-6 · Acts 10:7 · Acts 10:8 · Acts 10:9 · Acts 10:10 · Acts 10:11-16 · Ecclesiastes 11:6 · Acts 10:17 · Acts 10:18 · Acts 10:19 · Acts 10:20 · Acts 10:21 · Acts 10:22 · Acts 10:23 · Acts 10:24 · Acts 10:25 · Acts 10:26 · Acts 10:27-29 · Matthew 15:1-9 · Mark 7:1-13 · Acts 10:28 · Matthew 7:1 · Romans 14:4 · James 4:11 · James 4:12 · 1 Corinthians 4:5 · Daniel 7:22 · Matthew 5:14-16 · Philippians 2:14-16 · Genesis 12:3 · Isaiah 49:6 · Deuteronomy 4:5 · Deuteronomy 4:6 · Jeremiah 27:1-4

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