Get Up, Peter.  Kill And Eat.

Acts 9:32-10:23a

Key Verse 10:15

“¹⁵The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’”

Intro: In today’s passage God helps Peter to fully embrace all people, even those he believes to be unclean, with God’s sin-forgiving love.  God wants all our stubborn prejudices, especially our generational prejudices, our racial prejudices and nationalistic prejudices and also our strong, divisive opinions removed, so that we can embrace all different kinds of people and share the Gospel of salvation effectively with them.

Read 9:31-43.  In chapter 8, great persecutions broke out against the church and the believers were scattered. (Acts 8:1-3 describe this)  What did Peter do to strengthen the church in Judea? (32a) Where did Peter first go? (32b)  How did Peter end up in Joppa? (38)  How did he show the love and power of Jesus in Lydda and Joppa?  How was God building up his church through these events?

Peter traveled about the region of Judea visiting the saints.  He first went to Lydda and visited the saints there in order to strengthen and encourage them to stand firm in their faith, against the harsh persecutions that were happening.  He went from there to the coast of Judea to Joppa, where he remained for some time.

Lydda is a town approx. 26 miles Northwest of Jerusalem and 12 miles away from Joppa.

Joppa was the main seaport of Judea. (Located in modern day Tel Aviv).

While in Lydda, Peter healed a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for 8 years.  Aeneas was probably a believer since Peter was traveling around visiting the saints.  Peter had compassion on this invalid man.  Peter had Jesus’ love for this man to be restored fully.  This healing reminds us of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic at Capernaum(described in Mat. 9:1-8; Mk. 2:3-12; and Lk. 5:18-26), where Jesus said to the man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 

Peter said, “Jesus Christ heals you.  Get up and take care of your mat.”  The biggest difference is that Peter clearly points out that it is Jesus Christ who healed the man and not himself. Meanwhile in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha (also known as Dorcas and who was ALWAYS doing good and helping the poor), became sick and died.  The disciples in Joppa heard that Peter was close by in Lydda and they sent for him to ‘come at once.’  Peter went and prayed to God for Tabitha and she rose from the dead!  This event also reminds of Jesus’ raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead (described in Mat. 9:23-26; Mk. 5:35-43; and Lk. 8:49-56).

In these two instances we can see the Spirit and power of Jesus working through Peter.  Peter was revealing Jesus’ love to the saints.

Believers were being added and strengthened through these two events.

We can also see that Peter was being led by God first from Jerusalem, to Lydda and onto Joppa, where Peter was content to stay for some time.  But God had led him here not only to strengthen the Church, but to even expand His Church to include even the Gentiles.  From Joppa, God led him to Caesarea to meet with Cornelius.

Read 10:1-8.  Who is Cornelius? How was Cornelius different from other Gentiles? What does it mean he was ‘God fearing’? Why do you think his prayers and gifts had come up before God as a ‘memorial offering’? What did the angel tell him to do? How did Cornelius carry out God’s command?

Cornelius was a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.  A centurion was a commander of 100 men.

Cornelius and his whole family were devout and God-fearing.  They gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

To be God fearing means to realize that God is always present, i.e. to live in God’s presence.  This man realized that God always had His eye on him (as well as all men).

God responded to his prayers and gifts to the poor.  This man was living a ‘righteous’ life before God, i.e. he was doing what was ‘right’ before God.  The prayers of a righteous man are heard. The angel told him to send men to Joppa to bring back Peter.

Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier and told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Read verses 9-16. In the meantime, where was Peter? Describe his vision. Why was Peter revulsed at the command, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat”? What was God’s word to him?

Peter was on the roof praying.  He fell into a trance.

Peter saw Heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.  It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.  Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter.  Kill and eat.”

Peter had been taught from his earliest age that such things were unclean. (Lev. 11)  It was a non-Kosher meal.  It was disgusting to Peter.

“Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”  This happened three times.  Peter was a real slow and stubborn learner and had to have things told to him again and again (usually three times).

Read verses 17-23a.  What was the meaning of the vision and how was it made plain to Peter? (28)  How did the men describe Cornelius and what did they ask Peter to do?  How did Peter receive them?  What does this show about Peter?

While Peter was still trying to figure out what the meaning of the vision was, the men sent by Cornelius arrived and the Spirit spoke to Peter, “Simon, three men are looking for you. ²⁰So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

The Spirit of God revealed to Peter what to do and though obeying the Spirit the vision was made clear to Peter.

Acts 10:28 reads, “ ²⁸He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.”

Acts 10:11 reads, “²²The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

Peter invited them into Simon the Tanner’s house as his guests.  This was a remarkable matter, because Jews did not associate with Gentiles and they were not to enter the homes of one another.  We can see this clearly from verse 17, “¹⁷While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.”  The men sent by Cornelius did not even come to the door of Simon’s house, they stopped at the gate.

Peter made a mistake by insisting his own idea, but when God made it clear to him that he should not call any man impure, even Gentiles, Peter could repent his way of thinking and follow God’s leading through the Holy Spirit.  He did not remain an ‘old wineskin’.  God could help a closed minded person like Peter by the help of the Holy Spirit to repent his fixed ideas.