Backstory: The Gospel Unites the Unlikely
Acts 9:32-11:18 | Session 7
Jim Dalrymple | Ozark Christian College
Review
The Gospel for the unlikely:
● The Gospel transforms the unlikely
− Saul
− Gentile Centurion
● Jesus uses the willing:
− Ananias—the one who goes
− Barnabas—the one who brings
− Peter—the one who goes & brings
2 unlikely stories repeated 3 times in Acts:
● The conversion of Saul (Acts 9, 22, 26)
● The conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10, 11, 15:7-9)
Peter’s Journey to Joppa
Acts 9:32-35—Peter visits Lydda and heals Aeneas
● The scene picks up with Peter traveling from Jerusalem to Joppa (in Judea)
● Peter looks like Jesus (Lk 5:17-26)
● Philip has already been through this region on his way to Caesarea (Acts 8:40)
Acts 9:36-43—Peter visits Joppa and heals Tabitha (Aramaic / Gk=Dorcas “Gazelle”)
● Joppa (near modern day Tel Aviv) was 10 miles west of Lydda. It was the port city where Jonah attempted to run from his mission to warn the Ninevites (Jonah 1:3).
● Peter looks like Jesus (Lk 7:11-16). Even the phrase, “Tabitha arise” is verbally similar to the Aramaic phrase, “Talitha cumi” (cf. Mk 5:41).
● Simon the tanner who lives by the sea (10:6).
● It is in Joppa that Simon (bar Jonah) will be called to go to the home of an occupying Roman Centurion in the Roman port city of Caesarea.
Peter’s Journey to Caesarea from Joppa
Acts 10:1-8—Cornelius the Centurion in Caesarea
● Caesarea Maritima is 32 miles north of Joppa along the coast.
● Centurions were responsible for a centuriae (around 80 soldiers) who were part of a larger cohort (around 480 soldiers). A Roman legion often consisted of 10 cohorts with the 1st cohort being larger than 2nd-10th for a total of around 5,200 men.
● Centurions in the NT are almost all depicted in a positive way:
Jesus was amazed at his faith (Lk 7:9)
Crucifixion scene (Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39; Lk 23:47)
Cornelius (Acts 10-11)
This man is a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29)
Two centurions guard Paul’s transfer (Acts 23:23)
Julius and Paul’s shipwreck (Acts 27-28)
● Italian Cohort – not much is known but likely a conscript from the region
● Cornelius is a God-fearer who is well respected (similar to Tabitha in Joppa).
● Cornelius sends two servants and a soldier south to Joppa—a trip that took two days. They would return in four days’ time (Acts 10:30).
Acts 10:9-23a—Peter’s Vision in Joppa
● Notice God’s orchestrated timing:
Peter goes up to pray (6th hour = 12 PM)
He is hungry and has a vision about food (cf. Lev 11)
Three times (10:16)
Just then, the delegates from Cornelius arrive from their two-day journey.
● “Texts written by Roman authors such as Juvenal (Sat. 14.104ff.) and Tacitus (Hist. 5.5) show that Jews did regularly refuse to associate with Gentiles, and were objects of suspicion because of their “antisocial” behavior” (Ben Witherington).
● However, Peter again is going to be called upon to unlock the doors for outsiders (Samaritans in Acts 8; cf. Mt 16:19).
Acts 10:23b-48—Peter visits Cornelius in Caesarea
● God does not show favoritism (lit. “face-taker”).
● Notice there are no OT quotations like previous sermons (there are allusions).
● Table fellowship in Luke-Acts—there are 10 scenes of table fellowship in Luke’s gospel and he is the only one to mention the pharisee’s accusation that Jesus “eats with sinners” (three times—5:29; 15:1; 19:7).
Acts 11:1-18—Peter’s Report and Opposition
● “The circumcision party criticized him” (11:2)—the inclusion of the Gentiles is going to become a major controversy and source of opposition throughout the remainder of the narrative and the NT (cf. Galatians and Romans).
● Peter will again refer to this episode in Acts 15.
● “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way? (11:17)—this is God’s moving as seen in the Old Testament and commanded by the resurrected Jesus.
We need to be reminded 3 times too! In Acts, 2 stories repeated 3 times:
● The conversion of Saul (Acts 9, 22, 26)
● The conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10, 11, 15:7-9)
Caution: Don’t Close the Doors God is Opening
