Luke the physician wrote how, “the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek you. Arise therefore, and get you down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek: what is the cause wherefore you are come?”, and in chapter ten and verse twenty-two of the book of Acts Luke shared how the three men told Peter, “Cornelius … was warned from God by an holy angel to send for you into his house” where we read:
And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for you into his house, and to hear words of you.
The verse begins, “And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, ...” Luke began with the words, “and they said” which means “and the three men uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “Cornelius the centurion” or “Cornelius whose name means of a horn and was a Roman centurion of the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea”, “a just man” which means “existed as a righteous, virtuous and divinely obedient male human being”, “and one that fears God” or “and a man who reverences, is afraid of and in awe of the Heavenly Father God”, “and of good report among all the nation” which means “and has a great witness, testimony and honorable testimony by each, every, the whole and everyone of the individuals of the same nature or genus” “of the Jews” or “belonging to the people in the Jewish nation”. Luke shared how the “three men” told “Peter” about the testimony and reputation of “Cornelius” among “all” the “Jewish people”.
The verse goes on to say, “was warned from God by an holy angel to send for you into his house, and to hear words of you.” Luke continued with the words, “was warned from God” which means “was admonished and instructed by the Heavenly Father God” “by an holy angel” or “through a sacred, pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated envoy or messenger” “to send for you into his house” which means “to summon and invite you, Peter, to his, Cornelius' dwelling place, abode and habitation”, “and to hear words of you” or “and to be endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding speeches, discourses and utterances from you, Peter”. Luke shared how the “three men” told “Peter” how “Cornelius” was “admonished and instructed” by the Heavenly Father through a divine messenger to “invite” “Peter' into his home and then listen to what “Peter” had to say.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “three men” sent from “Cornelius” told “Peter” about “Cornelius”, and they said the reason they came to Peter was to “invite” him to “Cornelius' home”. Let us keep in mind this was God's plan, and He was fulfilling it step by step. God desires to have a personal relationship with every person, and when they yield themselves to His Son Jesus, He will forgive their sins and grant them everlasting life. The willful and deliberate obedience of the “three men” sent from “Cornelius” and “Peter” aligned with God's plan to spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and those who are reading these words are the benefactors of them obeying God's purposes and plan.
Next time Luke shares how Simon, “called he them in, and lodged them”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment