Acts 10:35

But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. BUT IN EVERY NATION - not, 'in every religion,' according to a common distortion of these words. HE THAT FEARETH HIM, AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED WITH HIM. As the two-fold description here given of the divinely-accepted man is just the well-known Old Testament description of him who, within the pale of Revealed Religion, was regarded as truly godly, it cannot be alleged that Peter meant it to denote a merely virtuous character in the pagan sense; and as the apostle had learnt 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 cast in the mould of the Jewish Faith, there can be no doubt that the apostle meant to describe exactly such saint-ship, in its internal spirituality and external frui...

35._He which feareth God, and doth righteousness. _In these two members is comprehended the integrity of all the whole life. For the fear of God is nothing else but godliness and religion; and _righteousness _is that equity which men use among themselves, taking heed lest they hurt any man, and studying to do good to all men. As the law of God consisteth upon [of] these two parts, (which is the rule of good life) so no man shall prove himself to God but he which shall refer and direct all his actions to this end, neither shall there be any sound thing in all offices, [duties,] unless the whole life be grounded in the fear of God. But it seemeth that this place doth attribute the cause of salvation unto the merits of works. For if works purchase favor for us with God, they do also win life for us which is placed in the love of God towards us. Some do also catch at the word _righteousness,...

34-43 Acceptance cannot be obtained on any other ground than that of the covenant of mercy, through the atonement of Christ; but wherever true religion is found, God will accept it without regarding names or sects. The fear of God and works of righteousness are the substance of true religion, the effects of special grace. Though these are not the cause of a man's acceptance, yet they show it; and whatever may be wanting in knowledge or faith, will in due time be given by Him who has begun it. They knew in general the word, that is, the gospel, which God sent to the children of Israel. The purport of this word was, that God by it published the good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ. They knew the several matters of fact relating to the gospel. They knew the baptism of repentance which John preached. Let them know that this Jesus Christ, by whom peace is made between God and man, is Lord o...

Verse 35. _BUT IN EVERY NATION HE THAT FEARED HIM_, c.] _In every_ _nation he_ who, according to his light and privileges, _fears_ God, worships him alone, (for this is the true meaning of the word,) _and worketh righteousness_, abstains from all evil, gives to all their due, injures neither the body, soul, nor reputation of his neighbour, _is accepted with him_. It is not therefore the nation, kindred, profession, mode or form of worship, that the just God regards but the _character_, the _state of heart_, and the _moral_ _deportment_. For what are _professions_, c., in the sight of that God who trieth spirits, and by whom actions are weighed! He looks for the grace he has given, the advantages he has afforded, and the improvement of all these. Let it be observed farther, that no man can be accepted with this just God who does not _live up to the_ _advantages of the state in which prov...

BUT IN EVERY NATION ... - This is given as a reason for what Peter had just said, that God was no respecter of persons. The sense is, that he now perceived that the favors of God were not confined to the Jew, but might be extended to all others on the same principle. The remarkable circumstances here - the vision to him, and to Cornelius, and the declaration that the alms of Cornelius were accepted - now convinced him that the favors of God were no longer to be confined to the Jewish people, but might be extended to all. This was what the vision was designed to teach, and to communicate this knowledge to the apostles was an important step in their work of spreading the gospel. IN EVERY NATION - Among all people. Jews or Gentiles. Acceptance with God does not depend on the fact of being descended from Abraham, or of possessing external privileges, but on the state of the heart....

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

BUT IN EVERY NATION,.... In any Gentile nation in the Roman empire, and in any part, even in Scythia, or in the most uncultivated parts of the universe, as well as in Judea: HE THAT FEARETH HIM; God, not with a slavish fear, or with the fear of punishment to be inflicted by him, with a fear of hell and damnation, with which Cain, Pharaoh, Judas, and even the devils themselves have feared him; nor with an hypocritical fear; but with a godly filial fear; which is a new covenant blessing, springs from the love of God, is a grace implanted in the soul and regeneration, and includes all true religion, both external and internal; and faith among the rest, without which it is impossible to please God, or do works of righteousness acceptable in his sight, as it follows: AND WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, IS ACCEPTED WITH HIM; that is, he who from such principles, as the fear of the Lord; love to him,...

RIGHTEOUSNESS (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 10:10). _...

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...

PETER'S SPEECH. Acts 10:34 f. declares that Peter regards the persons before him, though not Jews, as fit to enter the Church and share in the promises. The word for respecter of persons is a new one; for the notion, see Luke 20:21; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; James 2:1. God does not judge of men by their outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7), and their nationality belongs to the outward part of them which God disregards. It is implied that those before Peter belong to a nation which o