Acts 10:17

Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, NOW, WHILE PETER DOUBTED IN HIMSELF WHAT THIS VISION WHICH HE HAD SEEN SHOULD MEAN. Of course, the trance was by this time at an end. The reply to his difficulty about eating what was unclean could not fail to convince him that some great principle of action was embodied in this vision, and what that might be he was anxiously considering, when, "behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,...

17.Peter was taught not only by the vision, but also by the Word of God; and yet in seeing he saw not, until the Spirit is unto him an interpreter; a most excellent mirror of our slackness. Although we be yet far unlike to Peter; for we are so far from understanding by and by what God will, or to what end he speaketh to us, that many interpretations are scarce sufficient for us. But we must also note that which Luke addeth, that Peter did think earnestly upon the vision, to wit, after that he was come to himself again after his amazedness; for this was a token of godly reverence, that he did not carelessly suffer the vision to escape him. Therefore the Lord opened to him when he did knock, (Matthew 7:7.) And we are justly plagued for our sluggishness, in that we profit no better in the Word of the Lord, seeing we are so cold, and have so small desire to inquire....

9-18 The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clean which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the law of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it. God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasion we have to make use of it....

Verse Acts 10:17. _WHILE PETER DOUBTED - THE MEN - STOOD BEFORE THE GATE_] In all this we find an admirable display of the economy of Providence. Cornelius prays, and has a vision which prepares him to receive instruction from Peter: Peter prays, and has a vision which prepares and disposes him to give instruction to Cornelius. While he is in doubts and perplexity what the full meaning of the vision might be, the messengers, who had been despatched under the guidance of an especial Providence, came to the door; and the Holy Spirit gives him information that his doubts should be all cleared up by accompanying the men who were now inquiring for him. How exactly does every thing in the conduct of Providence occur; and how completely is every thing adapted to _time, place_, and _occasion_! All is in weight, measure, and number. Those simple occurrences which men snatch at, and press...

DOUBTED IN HIMSELF - Doubted in his own mind. He was perplexed, and did not know how to understand it. BEHOLD, THE MEN ... - We see here an admirable arrangement of the events of Providence to fit each other. Every part of this transaction is made to harmonize with every other part; and it was so arranged that just in the moment when the mind of Peter was filled with perplexity, the very event should occur which would relieve him of his embarrassment. Such a coincidence is not uncommon. An event of divine Providence may be as clear an expression of his will, and may as certainly serve to indicate our duty, as the most manifest revelation would do, and a state of mind may, by an arrangement of circumstances, be produced that will be extremely perplexing until some event shall occur, or some field of usefulness shall open, that will exactly correspond to it, and indicate to us the will of...

EXPOSITION ACTS 10:1 Now _there was _(two last words in italics) for _there was _(in roman), A.V. and T.R.; _Cornelius by name _for _called Cornelius, _A.V. A glance at the map will show that Caesarea (see note to Acts 9:30) was but a short distance, some thirty miles, from Joppa. It was doubtless with a view to Peter's momentous errand to Caesarea that Luke recorded his previous visit to Lydda and his residence at Joppa, consequent upon the restoring of Dorcas to life: the _origines _of Gentile Christianity being the prime object of the Acts (see Introduction to the Acts). THE ITALIAN BAND; or, _cohort _(σπείρα). The σπείρα, or cohort, was used in two _senses. _When spoken of strictly Roman troops, it meant the ten

NOW WHILE PETER DOUBTED IN HIMSELF,.... For notwithstanding what he had heard and seen, he had not at once a full knowledge of this matter. Beza's most ancient copy reads, "as he was in himself, he doubted"; that is, when he came to himself, for he was before, as it were, out of himself, and was in a trance, or ecstasy; and now being come to himself, and reflecting on what he had seen and heard, he had some doubts and hesitations in his mind: WHAT THIS VISION WHICH HE HAD SEEN SHOULD MEAN; what the vessel or sheet should signify, what should be meant by the four-footed beasts, c. why he should be called to arise, and kill, and eat such creatures, and what should be designed by God's cleansing them and while he was revolving these things in his mind, and at some uncertainty about them, something providentially happened, which was a key unto, and opened the whole vision clearly to him: b...

ACTS 10:17 ivdou, The Textus Receptus, following C D E L P and most minuscules, reads kai. ivdou,. A majority of the Committee, impressed by the weight of î45, 74 a A B 81 181 242 255 429 _al,_ preferred the reading ivdou, without kai, [The probability that modification would have gone from the more difficult (Hebraic) reading, involving an apparently superfluous kai,, to the easier reading makes it preferable to adopt the reading with kai, — or at least to read kai, enclosed within square brackets. B.M.M.]...

CHAPTER 10 _ 1. Cornelius of Caesarea and his Preparation (Acts 10:1)._ 2. The Trance-vision of Peter (Acts 10:9). 3. Peter with Cornelius at Caesarea (Acts 10:17). 4. Peter Preaching to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34). 5. The Interrupted Message (Acts 10:44). The ending of the preceding chapter tells us that Peter tarried in Joppa in the house of Simon the tanner. Was he breaking with his Jewish law and customs? Tanning as a trade was considered unclean by the Jews. In...

ACTS 10:9. THE HOUSETOP TO PRAY: _ cf._ 2 Kings 23:12; Jeremiah 19:13; Daniel 6:10. SIXTH HOUR: an hour of prayer (_cf. Acts 2:15_). No food was ordinarily eaten by the Jews before midday. Acts 10:10. Peter is in a house where there are people to prepare his meal. A TRANCE: _cf._ Genesis 15:12;...