Acts 10:1-48
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him,Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time,What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
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 enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?
30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.
33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.
43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Good News for Everyone
Acts
Marion Adams
Chapter 10
Cornelius the soldier, 10:1-8
v1 There was a man called Cornelius in Caesarea. He was a captain in the *Roman army. He was the captain of a group of soldiers called the ‘Italian Unit’. v2 Cornelius and all his family were good and they *worshipped God. He gave generously to people who needed help. And he prayed to God. He prayed about everything that he did. v3 It was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon when he had a *vision. He clearly saw an *angel from God and the *angel came into his house. The *angel said, ‘Cornelius!’ v4 Cornelius was afraid and he stared at the *angel. Cornelius said, ‘What is it, sir?’ The *angel answered, ‘God has heard your prayers. And he knows about your gifts to poor people. He is pleased. v5 Now send some men to Joppa to fetch a certain man. His name is Simon Peter. v6 He is staying with the Simon who makes things from leather. This Simon’s house is by the sea.’ v7 Then the *angel went away. Cornelius called two servants that were his. He also called a soldier who *worshipped God. This soldier worked for him. v8 Cornelius told them what had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa.
Verses 1-2 For the *Romans, Caesarea was the capital city in *Judea. It was about 104 kilometres (65 miles) north-west from *Jerusalem. The government was in Caesarea and many soldiers guarded the city. The word ‘unit’ here means a group of about 600 men. Cornelius was the captain of such a unit. He was a *Gentile but he *worshipped the one real God. And he helped *Jewish poor people. There were many *Gentiles like Cornelius. They did not *worship *Roman gods. They *worshipped God. But they did not follow the *Jewish religion completely. This was because they had not received *circumcision. The *Jews called them ‘God-fearers’. This did not mean that they were afraid of God. It meant that they respected God. And they obeyed him. But they were still *Gentiles.
It is important to remember this. The *Samaritans were half *Jewish. The official from Ethiopia followed the *Jewish religion. But Cornelius was the first real *Gentile that joined the *church.
Verses 3-6 One afternoon, an *angel spoke to Cornelius. Cornelius was praying. 3 o’clock was one time when *Jews prayed. (*Jews prayed at certain times in the day. That was usual for them. Look at Acts 3:1.) The *angel said that God had noticed Cornelius’s prayers and gifts. God wanted Cornelius to meet Simon Peter. Simon Peter was in Joppa, which was about 51 kilometres (32 miles) south, on the coast.
Cornelius was probably very surprised. He did not know why he had to meet Simon Peter. He did not know what would happen.
Verse 7 Cornelius obeyed the *angel immediately. We know that all his family believed in God (verse 2). When some writers translate the word for ‘family’, it means everyone in the house. So, Cornelius could trust his servants when he told them about the *vision. He also told one soldier about it. This was one of the soldiers who worked for him. The soldier also *worshipped God. Then Cornelius sent the three men to fetch Peter.
Peter’s *vision, 10:9-16
v9 The next day, at about noon, these men were coming near to Joppa. Peter went up onto the roof of the house. He went there to pray. v10 He became hungry and he wanted to eat. While people were preparing the meal, he saw a *vision. v11 He saw that heaven opened. And something came down. It was like a large sheet. It seemed as if someone was holding its four corners. And it seemed as if they were bringing it down to the earth. v12 There were all kinds of animals, *reptiles and birds in it. v13 A voice said to him, ‘Peter, get up. Kill these and eat them.’ v14 But Peter said, ‘I will certainly not do that, *Lord! I have never eaten anything that is *unclean. And I have never eaten anything that it is not proper to eat.’ v15 The voice spoke to him again. It said, ‘God says that these animals are clean. Do not say that they are *unclean.’ v16 This happened three times. Then suddenly the sheet rose up and it went back to heaven.
Verses 9-16 God was preparing Peter to meet Cornelius. Peter was a *Jew. And *Jews believed that God did not care about *Gentiles. They thought that God only cared about *Jews. *Jews refused even to enter a *Gentile’s house. Even if the *Gentile *worshipped God, they would not enter. So, it would be very difficult for Peter to visit Cornelius.
But God taught a very important lesson to Peter. That lesson also surprised Peter a lot. Peter’s family had taught him to follow the *Jewish laws about food. Those laws are in Leviticus 11. They are a very important part of the *Jewish religion. In those laws, there is a list. The list shows which animals and birds the *Jews can eat. Those animals and birds are ‘clean’. But the *Jews have to kill the animals in a special way. All other animals are ‘*unclean’. For example, pigs are ‘*unclean’. *Jews would never eat them.
God spoke to Peter about this. God spoke about it in a *vision. Peter saw all kinds of animals and birds. Some of them were clean but other animals were *unclean. But the voice in the *vision told Peter that he could eat any animal or bird. The voice said that all animals were clean.
Peter did not want to obey the voice. He had always obeyed the *Jewish laws about food. That is why he did not want to eat the ‘*unclean’ animals and birds. But the voice answered him, ‘God says that these animals are clean. Do not say that they are *unclean’ (verse 15). That lesson was so important that the same *vision happened three times. Certainly, Peter would never forget it!
But the *vision was not just about food. *Gentiles ate kinds of meat that *Jews thought were *unclean. That was the main reason why *Jews did not go to *Gentiles’ homes. And they would never eat with them. God showed to Peter that *Gentiles’ food was clean. This meant that Peter could now welcome *Gentiles into the *church. He had to accept them, exactly as God accepted them.
Peter meets Cornelius, 10:17-33
v17 Cornelius’s men arrived and they stood by the gate. Peter was thinking about what the *vision meant. v18 They called out. They asked, ‘Is Simon, who is called Peter, staying here?’ v19 While Peter was still thinking about the *vision, the *Holy Spirit spoke to him. The Spirit said, ‘Simon, three men are here and they are looking for you. v20 So, get up and go downstairs. I have sent them. So, do not hesitate and do not worry. Go with them.’ v21 Peter went downstairs. He said to the men, ‘You are looking for me. Why have you come?’ v22 ‘Captain Cornelius sent us’, they replied. ‘He is a good man and he *worships God. All the *Jewish people respect him very much. God’s *angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house. Then Cornelius can listen to your message.’ v23 Peter invited the men to stay as guests for the night.
The next day he got ready and he went with them. Some *believers from Joppa went with him. v24 The day after that, he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for him there. Cornelius had invited his own relatives and best friends and they were with him. v25 As Peter went in, Cornelius met him. Cornelius kneeled at Peter’s feet and he *worshipped Peter. v26 But Peter made him get up. Peter said, ‘Stand up! I am only a man, like you are.’ v27 Peter continued to talk to Cornelius as he went into the house. Many people were there. v28 He said to them, ‘Our rules do not allow *Jews to visit *Gentiles. And they do not allow them to be with *Gentiles. But God has shown to me that I must not consider anyone as *unclean or unsuitable. v29 So, when you invited me, I agreed to come. Now I want to know this. Why did you invite me?’
v30 Cornelius answered, ‘4 days ago, I was praying at home. It was about this time. It was about three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man stood in front of me. His clothes shone. v31 He said, “Cornelius! God has heard your prayers. He knows about your gifts to poor people. v32 Now send someone to Joppa to fetch Simon. He is the Simon who is also called Peter. He is staying with the Simon who makes things from leather. He is staying in this Simon’s home. This Simon lives near the sea.”
v33 I sent someone to you immediately. You were kind and you came. Now we are all here with God. We can listen to everything that the *Lord has told you to say.’
Verses 17-20 The *vision confused Peter. But God had already sent people to help him. They would help him to understand it better. They were waiting outside because *Jews would not allow *Gentiles to enter *Jews’ houses.
The *Holy Spirit spoke to Peter. Peter was worried. But the *Holy Spirit told Peter not to worry. The *Holy Spirit had sent the three *Gentile men to Peter. So, Peter had to go with them.
Verses 21-23 Peter went downstairs to meet the *Gentile visitors. He told them who he was. And they told him why they had come.
‘Peter invited the men to stay as guests for the night’ (verse 23). He ate a meal with *Gentiles, who had not received *circumcision. They slept in the same house. Before the *vision, Peter would not have done this. But now, he was beginning to understand that God accepted *Gentiles. God did not think that *Gentiles were *unclean. So, Peter, too, should accept *Gentiles.
The next day, Peter and 6 other *believers went with the men. (Look at Acts 11:12.) They went north along the coast to Caesarea. It would take about 9 or 10 hours to walk there. They had to stop in order to rest, too. So, they did not arrive until the day after this.
Verses 24-26 Many people were waiting to see Peter. When Peter arrived, Cornelius kneeled at his feet. He kneeled as if Peter was a god. Peter was bringing God’s message. At that time, some people very much respected any person who brought God’s message. They believed that such a person also had the same qualities as a god. But immediately Peter made Cornelius get up. He told Cornelius that he (Peter) was only human.
Verses 27-29 This speech to a *Gentile audience changed what would happen in the future. Peter, a *Jew, entered a *Gentile’s home. When he was doing this, he was acting against the *Jewish rules. He came because God accepted all people. Nobody was *unclean. So, he obeyed God. When they invited him, he came. He did not complain about it. Now he wanted to know why they had invited him.
Verses 30-32 Cornelius told Peter what had happened. When something important happens, Luke often repeats the story. Also, he leaves out details that are not important.
Verse 33 Cornelius thanked Peter that he (Peter) had come. Cornelius was not just being polite. He was also very grateful. Probably, he did not expect Peter to enter his house. But Peter had come in. So, Cornelius asked him to tell God’s message to everyone.
The good news is for everyone! 10:34-43
v34 Peter began to speak. He said, ‘I realise now that God does not have favourite people. v35 Many people *worship him and they do the right things. He accepts all such people. It does not matter which nation they come from. v36 God sent this same message to the people in *Israel. It is the good news about the *peace that Jesus *Christ offers. He is the *Lord over all. v37 You know about what happened everywhere in *Judea. It began in *Galilee, after John *preached his message about *baptism. v38 You know about Jesus from *Nazareth. You know how God *anointed him with the *Holy Spirit and power. You know that he went about to many places. And as he went about, he did good things. He cured all people who were under the devil’s power. He could do this because God was with him.
v39 We all saw what he did in the *Jews’ country. We all saw what he did in *Jerusalem city. But people killed Jesus. They hung him on a *cross. That was how they killed him. v40 But three days after this, God raised Jesus from death. God let people see him. v41 Not everyone saw Jesus. The witnesses were people that God had already chosen. Only those witnesses saw Jesus. We are those witnesses. We ate with him after he rose from death. And we drank with him then. We are the people who did those things. v42 Jesus told us to *preach the good news to the people. He told us to announce clearly that God has chosen him as the judge. Jesus is the judge over all people, whether they are alive or dead. v43 Every *prophet spoke about him. The *prophets said that God will forgive the *sins of all people who believe in Jesus. This is by the power that is in Jesus’ name.’
Verses 34-35 The *Jews believed that they were God’s favourite people. But Peter’s *vision showed to him that God loves everyone. Peter said that ‘Many people *worship him (God) and they do the right things. He accepts all such people’ (verse 35). Peter did not mean that if people do these things, then they have *salvation. Only Jesus can *save us from the results that *sin causes. Peter meant that God loves people from every nation in the world. Where you were born does not matter to God. It does not matter to God what colour your skin is. His *salvation is a gift. He offers that gift by means of Jesus to all people.
Verse 36 Peter probably said much more in this speech. But Luke wrote down the most important details. God’s message to the *Gentiles was the same as his message to the *Jews. That message was ‘the good news about the peace that Jesus *Christ offers’. (Peace means freedom from mental or *spiritual troubles.) The good news was for *Gentiles too. *Sin had separated people from God. This was a result that *sin had caused. But Jesus came to rescue people from *sin’s results. So, now, there is peace between people and God. This only happens by means of *faith in Jesus. Many people believe in Jesus and they trust in him. Everyone who does those things can be God’s friend.
Verse 37-38 Here, Peter described the main things that happened in Jesus’ life and work. It is likely that these *Gentiles knew something about Jesus. But they probably did not know very much about him. Jesus was a *Jew. Before this, the *Christian *faith was just a part of *Judaism. But now, everything had changed!
So, Peter gave to these *Gentiles the same message that the *apostles *preached. (Look at the note about Acts 5:30-32.) There is no doubt that Jesus was human. Peter called him ‘Jesus from *Nazareth’. But Peter also said that Jesus is ‘the *Lord over all’ (verse 36). That is a name that we give to God only. Jesus is a man and he is also God. Even when he lived on earth, God’s power was in him. Peter said that ‘as he (Jesus) went about, he did good things’ (verse 38). Peter also told these *Gentiles that Jesus cured people. Jesus had power over the devil. He freed people from evil *spirits. He did this ‘because God was with him’ (verse 38).
Verse 39 Peter told his audience that he and the other *apostles had seen all this. The *apostles saw what Jesus did in ‘the *Jews’ country’. ‘The *Jews’ country’ was the *Roman *province called *Judea. The *apostles also saw what happened in *Jerusalem city. Peter had already told the *Jews about Jesus’ death. Now, Peter told these *Gentiles how Jesus died. The *Jewish leaders had wanted Jesus to die. But it was the *Romans who had actually killed him. *Roman soldiers had put nails through Jesus’ hands and feet. They had hung him on a wooden *cross. Now Peter was describing that terrible death to a *Roman audience.
Verses 40-41 But then Peter told the good news to them. Jesus had beaten death! Peter and the other *apostles had seen this too. The *apostles had spent time with Jesus after he had come back to life. God had carefully chosen the people who would see Jesus. They would tell the truth about who Jesus really is. They would tell it to everyone. They could not doubt that he was alive. The *apostles had even seen him eat. And they had seen him drink. Everything that Peter said about Jesus was true. Jesus’ *resurrection proved it.
Verses 42-43 Jesus had told the *apostles to ‘*preach the good news to the people’. The ‘people’ meant both *Jews and *Gentiles. (Look at Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19.) The *apostles also had to say that Jesus will be the judge of every person. Nobody can escape from this. He will be the judge of everything that we do. And he will be the judge of everything that we say. But we must not be afraid. Jesus can save us from punishment. If we believe in Jesus, God will forgive us. This is the promise that God gave to all the *prophets.
The *Gentiles receive the *Holy Spirit, 10:44-48
v44 Peter was still speaking when the *Holy Spirit came down. The Spirit came down onto everyone who was listening. v45 Some *Jewish *believers had come from Joppa with Peter. The *Jewish *believers were surprised. This was because God was giving the *Holy Spirit to the *Gentiles. v46 Now they heard the *Gentiles when they (the *Gentiles) were speaking in different languages. And the *Gentiles were *praising God. Peter said, v47 ‘God has given the *Holy Spirit to these *Gentiles. It is the same as when we received the Spirit. So, I am sure that we can *baptise them with water. I am sure that nobody should stop us.’ v48 So, he ordered that they received *baptism in Jesus *Christ’s name. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Verses 44-45 The *Holy Spirit interrupted Peter. Nobody had put their hands on the *Gentiles and nobody had prayed aloud for them. Peter did not even pray aloud that the *Holy Spirit would come. The Spirit came because the *Gentiles were willing to believe God’s message. Peter had told them about *salvation by means of Jesus. In other words, God forgives people who believe Jesus. God forgives people who trust him. There can be no doubt that the *Gentiles believed immediately. So, the *Holy Spirit came down onto them. Anyone can receive the *Holy Spirit if he or she has real *faith in Jesus.
Peter had already said that God accepted *Gentiles. But the *Jewish *believers were still surprised when the *Gentiles received the *Holy Spirit. Perhaps they needed this proof that God accepted *Gentiles!
Verses 46-48 The *Gentiles spoke in ‘different languages’ or ‘tongues’. (Look at the note about Acts 2:4.) The same thing also happened at *Pentecost, when the *Holy Spirit came down onto the *Jews. But now, this thing proved to the *Jews here that the *Gentiles had received the Spirit too. God had accepted the *Gentiles. They were not ‘*unclean’ to him. Now the *church, too, had to accept them. So, all those *Gentiles received *baptism in water.
The *Gentiles asked Peter to stay with them for a longer time. He had entered a *Gentile house. Now he was their guest. They would talk together. They would eat together and they would drink together. *Jews and *Gentiles could be true friends. They were all in God’s family.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
vision ~ a dream; sometimes a dream that comes to a person when he or she is awake.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Judea ~ a region in the country where the Jews lived.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Gentile ~ not Jewish; a person that is not a Jew; a person who does not know God. ‘Gentiles’ can mean people from all countries (but it does not include Jews).
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
circumcision ~ when someone circumcises someone.
circumcise ~ to cut off the skin from the end of a boy’s or man’s sex part. For Jews, this was a sign to show God’s agreement with Israel. It was a special mark. It showed that the man agreed to obey God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
signs ~ these give us an idea that something else exists. Or it will exist. But we cannot see that other thing yet.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Samaritan ~ a person from Samaria.
Samaria ~ a region between Judea and Galilee.
Judea ~ a region in the country where the Jews lived.
Galilee ~ a region in northern Israel, where Jesus and some disciples lived; a lake in that region.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
disciple ~ someone who follows another person and he or she learns from that person; someone whom Jesus taught. It also means someone who believes in Jesus. This person also does the things that Jesus teaches.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
reptile ~ an animal with cold blood. Snakes are reptiles.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible; the name means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus when we obey him; someone with authority.
unclean ~ when something is not right to use because God does not accept it.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
believer ~ a person who knows *Christ and accepts him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
peace ~ when we are friends with God and with other people; when we have no troubles in our mind.
Galilee ~ a region in northern Israel, where Jesus and some disciples lived; a lake in that region.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
disciple ~ someone who follows another person and he or she learns from that person; someone whom Jesus taught. It also means someone who believes in Jesus. This person also does the things that Jesus teaches.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
preach ~ to tell the good news about Jesus to a person or people; and to explain it to them.
baptism ~ when someone baptises someone; when the Holy Spirit comes into a person when they know *Christ.
baptise ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; how we show that *Christ has made a person clean; to send the Holy Spirit into someone, which God does; to show to everyone that a person belongs to *Christ together with other people; to show to everyone that a person is in the church.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Nazareth ~ the town where Jesus lived when he was young.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil. This shows that God has chosen him or her.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. They fix one piece across the other piece. The Romans fixed people to a cross to kill them. Jesus died on a cross.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person that God sends to speak for him.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
salvation ~ when God saves us from sin’s results and he saves us from its power; when a person is sorry for his or her wrong behaviour and God forgives the person. And then that person obeys Jesus.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
save ~ to rescue from sin’s result.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
spiritual ~ when something belongs to the spirit; when something belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things; a word that people use to refer to holy things.
spirit ~ a person’s spirit is the part in them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after his or her body is dead. There are good spirits. Those include God’s Spirit and his angels. There are also evil spirits. These include Satan and his angels.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Satan ~ the name for the worst spirit among the evil spirits, who are against God. He has another name, which is the Devil. He is God’s enemy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
faith ~ when someone believes in someone or something; when someone is really sure about God and Jesus his Son; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians say are true about Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
apostle ~ a man that God chose to lead other Christians; a man that God chose to teach about Jesus; one of the 12 men that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
spirit ~ a person’s spirit is the part in them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after his or her body is dead. There are good spirits. Those include God’s Spirit and his angels. There are also evil spirits. These include Satan and his angels.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Satan ~ the name for the worst spirit among the evil spirits, who are against God. He has another name, which is the Devil. He is God’s enemy.
province ~ a principal division of a country that people govern from another country. Rome ruled the provinces that Luke mentions in the book called ‘Acts’.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
resurrection ~ when someone comes back to life after death; when someone rises from death to life.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
baptise ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; how we show that *Christ has made a person clean; to send the Holy Spirit into someone, which God does; to show to everyone that a person belongs to *Christ together with other people; to show to everyone that a person is in the church.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Pentecost ~ a special day that comes 50 days after Passover or Easter.
Passover ~ an important holy day for the Jews; a special meal that they ate on this day every year. At the time when Moses was alive, their people had been slaves in Egypt. Then God had freed them from Egypt. This special meal helped them to remember that. They came to Jerusalem, to meet in the Temple. And then they ate the same food together.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Egypt ~ a country in North Africa. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for several hundred years. God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And finally they went to the Promised Land. The escape from Egypt was a very important event in Jewish history.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Israelites ~ another name for the Jews. They are the people from Israel.
Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.