Acts chapter 10

vs 1

Oooh, it's going to get exciting now. For me, chapters 1-9 of Acts is like the first book of Lord of the Rings - they get the ring, and then spend all this time faffing around doing nothing.

Philip was like the barrow-downs - starts off exciting, then then end up somewhere else.

But now we're going to go on the inevitable path to Gentiles hearing and accepting the gospel. It's awesome.

So here we have an important man. Centurions aren't a dime a dozen, remember. They are leaders of soldiers.

vs 2

Take careful not that this guy isn't a heathen or a pagan. He's a God-fearer. He knows about God already. He fears him, he prays to him, and he tries to help the poor. This isn't just "any gentile". He is prepared soil.

vs 3

Just, you know, one day in the afternoon. About 3 o'clock. That's when these things happen, apparently.

vs 4

Wow. That's like the most awesome message from God to receive ever. What a blessing!

vs 5-6

All I can say is that this sort of stuff does NOT happen every day. I mean, God may as well have given him the page reference of the UBD to look at. It's an incredible time.

vs 7-8

Cornelius didn't have any problems telling them that he'd just seen a vision from God. He made it clear that this was why they were on their mission to Joppa. In asking his servants to do this job, he's making a big call - because they could just as easily think he's crazy. Well, possibly - perhaps people were more open minded back then.

vs 9

It's interesting getting the two sides of the story like this - the servants from one side, Peter from the other. it has that feeling of a story that has been described by eye witnesses and then put together.

vs 10

We're talking about serious prayer here. Prayer with meal breaks.

vs 11

Now, with the inclusion about the hunger earlier, this trance could easily be misinterpreted as a vision out of hunger. But I think that's exactly why Luke includes it - he wants us to realise that God is using Peter's hunger as part of his communication with him. That's extraordinary.

vs 12

That is, things that Jews aren't allowed to eat.