Today's Bible Study Lesson
“Good News for All”
Aim: Explore
the
gift of
the Holy Spirit in our lives;
Value
the
leadership of Peter in the early church and his relationship with
Christ; and Spread
the
Good News that Christ is for all who want to know Him.
Background:
Acts 10:34-47
Bible Lesson:
Acts 10:34-47
Memory
Verse:
“Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I
perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he
that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
Acts 10:34-35 KJV
Some
Highlights:
-
The
physician Luke is credited with authorship of the books of Luke and
Acts. The book of Acts is sometimes
referred to as
the
Acts of the Holy Spirit or the Acts of the Apostles. This book
records the history of the early church.
-
Peter
the impetuous apostle, who often gave quick responses and who denied
knowing Jesus thrice is the main personality in our study this week.
Peter, who was very active in spreading the Good News of Jesus
Christ has an experience that refocuses his view of who is eligible
to receive the Gospel. Prior
to his experience, he viewed the spread of the Gospel to be
restricted to
the Jews. In
Acts 10:9-20, Peter’s vision made
it clear to
him that the
Gospel was not
only for the Jews, but it was
equally available to the Gentiles. God through an angelic messenger
directed Cornelius, a Gentile and a Roman
commander
of
a
military detachment of
100
soldiers strong, to
send
for Peter to come and
share
the Gospel with his household. God’s advanced
preparation
of Peter and Cornelius made ready the opportunity for the Gospel to
be introduced to the Gentile community. Peter
willingly
accompanied the delegation from Cornelius back to his home and
brought several of his
Jewish companions with
him.
-
Even
though God offered the Gospel to the Jews first, many Jews resisted
accepting the Gospel and held on to their traditional Jewish beliefs
even though the prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah.
They like many today wanted to accept Jesus on their own terms and
had their own preconceived expectations of how the Messiah would
look and behave.
-
Our
study opens with Peter proclaiming
to Cornelius and his household that the Gospel and salvation is
available to all who reverence God
and who accept Jesus as Savior and Lord. He explained
that he was an eyewitness to the earthly ministry of Jesus including
Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist with
the miraculous announcement from heaven that Jesus, the Son of God
possessed God’s pleasure. Peter gave witness that
Jesus went about doing good and healing many in Judea and Jerusalem.
He also described
how he had
witnessed the crucifixion of the Lamb of God for our sins. Peter
further testified
that
God raised
Jesus from the dead with all power after being dead and
buried in a tomb for
three days. After His resurrection, Jesus was seen by chosen
witnesses who were compelled
to
share their experience. Peter described how he and others had shared
meals with the Resurrected Savior. Peter explained that Jesus had
commissioned him and others to
preach
and to share that Jesus was the one appointed by God to judge both
the living and the dead. Peter told Cornelius and his household that
the prophets testified that all who believe in Jesus would have
their sins forgiven through Jesus’ substitutional death on the
cross.
-
While
Peter shared the Gospel with Cornelius and his household, the Holy
Spirit fell upon all who were listening to his
message. And just as it
occurred
on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled
all to speak in tongues giving praise to God (Acts
2:1-4).
Peter’s Jewish companions were amazed by what they saw and heard
for they had never
seen the Holy Spirit poured out
upon
Gentiles.
-
After
the advent or
coming of
the Holy Spirit within this
Gentile gathering, Peter asked the question “how could these
Gentiles be prevented from the being baptized, which would be
outward sign of what had occurred within their hearts?” This
marvelous
event marked
the beginning of the spread of the Good News or the Gospel within
the Gentile community. God’s Plan from the beginning of time was
for salvation to be available to all humankind who would accept
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It was to begin with the Jews first
and then to spread to all nationalities!
Take
Aways:
-
The
Gospel is available to all who will believe and accept Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior.
-
We
like Peter are to witness to other of the Goodness of God and the
opportunity of salvation through Jesus Christ.
-
We
must not allow differences of nationality, education, position,
stations in life, economic status, etc. to
be
obstacles to sharing the Gospel or the
Good
News to those with whom we encounter.
Bible
Verses to Keep in Mind:
“Therefore
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the
rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat
upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Matthew 7:24-25 KJV
“That
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 3:15 KJV
“Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am
with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.” Matthew
28:19-20 KJV
“Whosoever
denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also].” 1 John 2:23 KJV
“But
the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to
your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” John
14:26 KJV
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