1V Cesareji žil nějaký muž jménem Kornélius, setník pluku zvaného Italský, 2člověk zbožný, který se bál Boha s celým svým domem, dával mnoho almužen lidu a stále se modlil k Bohu. 3Kolem třetí hodiny odpoledne spatřil jasně ve vidění Božího anděla, jak k němu vešel a řekl mu: „Kornélie!“ 4Pozorně na něho pohlédl, ulekl se a řekl: „Co je, Pane?“ Anděl mu řekl: „Tvé modlitby a tvé almužny vystoupily, jako připomínka před Bohem. 5Pošli nyní muže do Joppe a pozvi jistého Šimona, který se nazývá Petr. 6Ten je hostem u nějakého Šimona koželuha, který má dům u moře.“ 7Když anděl, který k němu mluvil, odešel, zavolal si dva ze svých domácích sluhů a zbožného vojáka, jednoho z těch, kteří zůstávali věrně při něm, 8všechno jim vysvětlil a poslal je do Joppe. 9Druhého dne, když oni byli na cestě a blížili se k městu, vystoupil Petr na střechu domu, aby se kolem poledne pomodlil. 10Dostal hlad a chtěl se najíst. Zatímco mu připravovali jídlo, ocitl se ve vytržení: 11vidí otevřené nebe, z nějž k němu sestupuje jakási nádoba jako veliká plachta, za čtyři rohy svázaná a spouštěná k zemi. 12V ní byli všichni čtvernožci, dravá zvěř, zemští plazi i nebeští ptáci. 13I zazněl k němu hlas: „Vstaň, Petře, zabíjej a jez!“ 14Petr řekl: „Ne, Pane! Nikdy jsem nejedl nic poskvrněného a nečistého!“ 15A opět k němu hlas zazněl podruhé: „Co Bůh očistil, ty nepokládej za poskvrněné!“ 16To se stalo třikrát a hned byla ta nádoba zase vzata vzhůru do nebe. 17Zatímco byl Petr na rozpacích, co by to vidění, které spatřil, mohlo znamenat, hle, muži poslaní Kornéliem se doptali na Šimonův dům a dorazili k bráně, 18zavolali a vyptávali se, je-li tu hostem Šimon zvaný Petr. 19Když Petr přemýšlel o tom vidění, Duch mu řekl: „Hle, tři muži tě hledají. 20Vstaň, sestup a jdi bez pochybování s nimi, neboť já jsem je poslal.“ 21Petr tedy sešel dolů k těm mužům a řekl: „Hle, já jsem ten, kterého hledáte. Co je důvodem vašeho příchodu?“ 22Oni řekli: „Setník Kornélius, muž spravedlivý, který se bojí Boha a o němž celý židovský národ vydává dobré svědectví, dostal pokyn od svatého anděla, aby tě pozval do svého domu a vyslechl tvá slova.“ 23Pozval je tedy dovnitř a pohostil je. Druhého dne vstal a vyšel s nimi, i někteří bratři z Joppe šli s ním. 24Nazítří vešli do Cesareje. Kornélius je očekával; svolal své příbuzné a nejbližší přátele. 25Když Petr vstupoval, Kornélius mu vyšel vstříc, padl k jeho nohám a poklonil se. 26Petr ho pozdvihl a řekl: „Vstaň! Vždyť i já jsem jen člověk.“ 27Za hovoru s ním vešel dovnitř a nalezl tam mnoho shromážděných lidí. 28I řekl jim: „Vy víte, jak nezákonné je pro židovského muže připojovat se k člověku z jiného národa nebo ho navštěvovat. Ale mně Bůh ukázal, abych žádného člověka nepokládal za poskvrněného nebo nečistého. 29Proto jsem také bez odmluvy přišel, když jsem byl pozván. Ptám se tedy, z jakého důvodu jste mne pozvali.“ 30A Kornélius odpověděl: „Před čtyřmi dny jsem se postil do této hodiny a o deváté hodině jsem se modlil ve svém domě, a hle, přede mnou stál muž v zářivém rouchu 31a řekl: ‚Kornélie, tvá modlitba byla vyslyšena a tvé skutky milosrdenství byly vzpomenuty před Bohem. 32Pošli tedy do Joppe a povolej Šimona, který je nazýván Petr; ten je hostem v domě Šimona koželuha u moře. On přijde a bude k tobě mluvit.‘ 33Hned jsem tedy pro tebe poslal a ty jsi dobře učinil, že jsi přišel. Nyní tedy my všichni jsme tu před Bohem, abychom vyslechli vše, co ti bylo od Boha nařízeno.“ 34Petr otevřel ústa a řekl: „Opravdu nyní chápu, že Bůh nikomu nestraní, 35ale v každém národě je mu milý ten, kdo se ho bojí a činí spravedlnost. 36To je slovo, které poslal synům Izraele, když zvěstoval pokoj skrze Ježíše Krista — on je Pánem všech. 37Vy sami víte o tom, co se dálo po celém Judsku, počínajíc Galileou, po křtu, který hlásal Jan. 38Jak Bůh pomazal Duchem Svatým a mocí Ježíše, toho z Nazareta, jenž procházel zemí, činil dobře a uzdravoval všechny, kteří trpěli pod mocí Ďábla, protože Bůh byl s ním. 39My jsme svědky všeho, co učinil v té krajině Židů a v Jeruzalémě. A oni ho pověsili na dřevo a zabili. 40Bůh jej však třetího dne probudil z mrtvých a dal mu zjevit se; 41ne všemu lidu, ale svědkům předem Bohem určeným, nám, kteří jsme s ním po jeho vzkříšení z mrtvých jedli a pili. 42A nařídil nám, abychom lidu vyhlásili a dosvědčili, že on je ten Bohem ustanovený soudce živých i mrtvých. 43Jemu všichni proroci vydávají svědectví, že skrze jeho jméno přijme odpuštění hříchů každý, kdo v něho věří.“ 44Ještě když Petr říkal tato slova, padl Duch Svatý na všechny, kteří tu řeč slyšeli. 45A věřící ze Židů, kteří přišli s Petrem, byli ohromeni tím, že i na pohany byl vylit dar Ducha Svatého, 46neboť je slyšeli mluvit jazyky a velebit Boha. Potom Petr prohlásil: 47„Může někdo odepřít vodu, aby nebyli pokřtěni ti, kteří přijali Ducha Svatého tak jako my?“ 48A nařídil, aby byli pokřtěni ve jménu Ježíše Krista. Potom ho poprosili, aby s nimi zůstal několik dní.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 ACCESSION AND BAPTISM OF CORNELIUS AND HIS PARTY; OR, THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE GENTILES. (Acts 10:1-48)
Cćsarea--(See on
Hch 8:40).
the Italian band--a cohort of Italians, as distinguished from native soldiers, quartered at Cćsarea, probably as a bodyguard to the Roman procurator who resided there. An ancient coin makes express mention of such a cohort in Syria. [AKERMAN, Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament.]
2 A devout man, &c.--an uncircumcised Gentile proselyte to the Jewish faith, of whom there were a very great number at this time; a distinguished proselyte, who had brought his whole household establishment under the hallowing influence of the Jewish faith and the regular observance of its principal seasons of worship.
gave much alms to the people--that is, the Jewish people, on the same principle as another centurion before him (
Lc 7:5); thinking it no "great thing," if they had "sown unto him spiritual things, that they should reap his carnal things" (
1Co 9:11).
prayed to God alway--at the stated daily seasons. (See on
Hch 10:3).
3 saw . . . evidently--"distinctly."
the ninth hour of the day--three o'clock, the hour of the evening sacrifice. But he had been "fasting until that hour" (
Hch 10:30), perhaps from the sixth hour (
Hch 10:9).
4 What is it, Lord?--language which, tremulously though it was uttered, betokened childlike reverence and humility.
Thy prayers and thine alms--The way in which both are specified is emphatic. The one denotes the spiritual outgoing of his soul to God, the other its practical outgoing to men.
are come up for a memorial before God--that is, as a sacrifice well-pleasing unto God, as an odor of a sweet smell (
Ap 8:4).
5 send to Joppa . . . for one Simon, &c.--(See on
Hch 9:11).
7 when the angel . . . was departed, he called--immediately doing as directed, and thereby showing the simplicity of his faith.
a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually--of the "soldiers under him," such as the centurion at Capernaum had (
Mt 8:9). Who this "devout soldier" was, can only be matter of conjecture. DA COSTA [Four Witnesses] gives a number of ingenious reasons for thinking that, having attached himself henceforth to Peter--whose influence in the composition of the second Gospel is attested by the earliest tradition, and is stamped on that Gospel itself--he is no other than the Evangelist Mark.
9 upon the housetop--the flat roof, the chosen place in the East for cool retirement.
the sixth hour--noon.
10 a trance--differing from the "vision" of Cornelius, in so far as the things seen had not the same objective reality, though both were supernatural.
12 all manner of four-footed beasts, &c.--that is, the clean and the unclean (ceremonially) all mixed together.
14 Not so, Lord--See Marginal reference.
I have never eaten anything that is common--that is, not sanctified by divine permission to eat of it, and so "unclean." "The distinction of meats was a sacrament of national distinction, separation, and consecration" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].
15 What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common--The ceremonial distinctions are at an end, and Gentiles, ceremonially separated from the chosen people (
Hch 10:28), and debarred from that access to God in the visible ordinances of His Church which they enjoyed, are now on a perfect equality with them.
16 done thrice--See
Gn 41:32.
17 while Peter doubted . . . what this should mean, behold, the three men . . . stood before the gate . . . and asked--"were inquiring," that is, in the act of doing so. The preparations here made--of Peter for his Gentile visitors, as of Cornelius for him--are devoutly to be noted. But besides this, at the same moment, "the Spirit" expressly informs him that three men were inquiring for him, and bids him unhesitatingly go with them, as sent by Him.
21 I am he whom ye seek--This seems to have been said without any communication being made to Peter regarding the men or their errand.
22 they said, Cornelius . . . a just man, &c.--fine testimony this from his own servants.
of good report among all the nation of the Jews--specified, no doubt, to conciliate the favorable regard of the Jewish apostle.
to hear words of thee--(See on
Hch 11:14).
23 called them in and lodged them--thus partially anticipating this fellowship with Gentiles.
Peter went . . . with them, and certain brethren--six in number (
Hch 11:12).
from Joppa--as witnesses of a transaction which Peter was prepared to believe pregnant with great consequences.
24 Cornelius . . . called together his kinsmen and near friends--implying that he had been long enough at Cćsarea to form relationships there and that he had intimate friends there whose presence he was not ashamed to invite to a religious meeting of the most solemn nature.
25 as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him--a mark of the highest respect.
fell down at his feet, and worshipped him--In the East this way of showing respect was customary not only to kings, but to others occupying a superior station; but among the Greeks and Romans it was reserved for the gods. Peter, therefore, declines it as due to no mortal [GROTIUS]. "Those who claim to have succeeded Peter, have not imitated this part of his conduct" [ALFORD] (therein only verifying
2Ts 2:4, and compare
Ap 19:10;
Ap 22:9).
28 Ye know it is . . . unlawful . . . for . . . a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation, &c.--There was no express prohibition to this effect, and to a Certain extent intercourse was certainly kept up. (See the Gospel history, towards the end). But intimate social fellowship was not practiced, as being adverse to the spirit of the law.
29 I ask therefore, &c.--The whole speech is full of dignity, the apostle seeing in the company before him a new brotherhood, into whose devout and inquiring minds he was divinely directed to pour the light of new truth.
30 Four days ago--the messengers being despatched on the first; on the second reaching Joppa (
Hch 10:9); starting for Cćsarea on the third; and on the fourth arriving.
33 we are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God--Beautiful expression of entire preparedness to receive the expected divine teaching through the lips of this heaven-commissioned teacher, and delightful encouragement to Peter to give free utterance to what was doubtless already on his lips!
34 Peter opened his mouth--(See on
Mt 5:2).
Of a truth I perceive--that is, "I have it now demonstrated before mine eyes."
that God is no respecter of persons--Not, "I see there is no capricious favoritism with God," for Peter would never imagine such a thing; but (as the next clause shows), "I see that God has respect only to personal character and state in the acceptance of men, national and ecclesiastical distinctions being of no account."
35 But in every nation--not (observe), in every religion; according to a common distortion of these words.
he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness--This being the well-known phraseology of the Old Testament in describing the truly godly man, within the pale of revealed religion, it cannot be alleged that Peter meant it to denote a merely virtuous character, in the heathen sense; and as Peter had learned enough, from the messengers of Cornelius and from his own lips, to convince him that the whole religious character of this Roman officer had been moulded in the Jewish faith, there can be no doubt that the apostle intended to describe exactly such saintship--in its internal spirituality and external fruitfulness--as God had already pronounced to be genuine and approved. And since to such "He giveth more grace," according to the law of His Kingdom (
Stg 4:6;
Mt 25:29), He sends Peter, not to be the instrument of his conversion, as this is very frequently called, but simply to "show him the way of God more perfectly," as before to the devout Ethiopian eunuch.
36 the word . . . sent unto the children of Israel--for to them (he would have them distinctly know) the Gospel was first preached, even as the facts of it took place on the special theater of the ancient economy.
preaching peace by Jesus Christ--the glorious sum of all Gospel truth (
1Co 1:20-22).
he is Lord of all--exalted to embrace under the canopy of His peace, Jew and Gentile alike, whom the blood of His Cross had cemented into one reconciled and accepted family of God (
Ef 2:13-
Ef 2:18).
37 That word . . . ye how--The facts, it seems, were too notorious and extraordinary to be unknown to those who mixed so much with Jews, and took so tender an interest in all Jewish matters as they did; though, like the eunuch, they knew not the significance of them.
which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee--(See
Lc 4:14,
Lc 4:37,
Lc 4:44;
Lc 7:17;
Lc 9:6;
Lc 23:5).
after the baptism which John preached--(See on
Hch 1:22).
38 Now God anointed Jesus of Nazareth--rather, "Jesus of Nazareth (as the burden of that 'published word'), how God anointed Him."
with the Holy Ghost and with power--that is, at His baptism, thus visibly proclaiming Him MESSIAH, "the Lord's Christ." See
Lc 4:18-
Lc 4:21. For it is not His unction for personal holiness at His incarnation that is referred to--as many of the Fathers and some moderns take it--but His investiture with the insignia of the Messianic office, in which He presented Himself after His baptism to the acceptance of the people.
went about doing good--holding up the beneficent character of all His miracles, which was their predicted character (
Is 35:5-
Is 35:6, &c.).
healing all that were oppressed of the devil--whether in the form of demoniacal possessions, or more indirectly, as in her "whom Satan had bound with a spirit of infirmity eighteen years" (
Lc 13:16); thereby showing Himself the Redeemer from all evil.
for God was with him--Thus gently does the apostle rise to the supreme dignity of Christ with which he closes, accommodating himself to his hearers.
39 we are witnesses of all . . . he did--not objects of superstitious reverence, but simply witnesses to the great historical facts on which the Gospel is founded.
slew and hanged--that is, slew by hanging.
on a tree--So
Hch 5:30 (and see on
Gá 3:13).
40 showed him openly; Not to all the people--for it was not fitting that He should subject Himself, in His risen condition, to a second rejection in Person.
but unto witnesses chosen before of God . . . to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose, &c.--Not the less certain, therefore, was the fact of His resurrection, though withholding Himself from general gaze in His risen body.
he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead--He had before proclaimed Him "Lord of all," for the dispensing of "peace" to all alike; now he announces Him in the same supreme lordship, for the exercise of judgment upon all alike. On this divine ordination, see
Jn 5:22-
Jn 5:23,
Jn 5:27;
Hch 17:31. Thus we have here all Gospel truth in brief. But, forgiveness through this exalted One is the closing note of Peter's beautifully simple discourse.
43 To him give all the prophets witness--that is, This is the burden, generally of the prophetic testimony. It was fitter thus to give the spirit of their testimony, than to quote them in detail on such an occasion. But let this apostolic statement of the evangelical import of the Old Testament writings be devoutly weighed by those who are disposed to rationalize away this element in the Old Testament.
whosoever believeth in him--This was evidently said with special reference to the Gentile audience then before him, and formed a noble practical conclusion to the whole discourse.
44 While Peter yet spake . . . the Holy Ghost fell--by visible and audible manifestation (
Hch 10:46).
45 they of the circumcision . . . were astonished . . . because that on the Gentiles also was poured out, &c.--without circumcision.
46 heard them speak with tongues and magnify God--As on the day of Pentecost it was no empty miracle, no mere speaking of foreign languages, but utterance of "the wonderful works of God" in tongues to them unknown (
Hch 2:11), so here; but more remarkable in this case, as the speakers were perhaps less familiar with the Old Testament songs of praise.
46 Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water . . . which have received the Holy Ghost, &c.--Mark, he does not say, They have received the Spirit, what need have they for water? but, Having the living discipleship imparted to them and visibly stamped upon them, what objection can there be to admitting them, by the seal of baptism, into the full fellowship of the Church?
47 which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we--and are thus, in all that is essential to salvation, on a level with ourselves.
48 he commanded them to be baptized--not doing it with his own hands, as neither did Paul, save on rare occasions (
1Co 1:14-17; compare
Hch 2:38;
Jn 4:2).
prayed . . . him to tarry certain days--"golden days" [BENGEL], spent, doubtless, in refreshing Christian fellowship, and in imparting and receiving fuller teaching on the several topics of the apostle's discourse.