20 Mar 2017, Acts 9:32 – 10:48 使徒行传 9:32 – 10:48, The Vision of the Gentile Church 对外邦教会的异象

Posted on Mar 12, 2017 in Acts, Devotions |

Scripture Reading        : Acts 9:32 – 10:48

Theme                            : The Vision of the Gentile Church

 

  1. Peter was the apostle of Christ. Just before Peter was given the vision of the Gentile church, the Book of Acts records Peter healing the sick and resurrecting the dead. This firmly establishes the true apostleship of Peter, so that what follows would be authenticated. Also, the stay with Simon the tanner set the stage for the upcoming events, because tanners were regarded as unclean and shunned because they handled the skins of dead animals (Lev. 11:39).
  1. Peter saw a vision from God. After God gave a vision to Cornelius, a centurion (a Roman officer in-charge of 100 soldiers) and a Gentile, God also gave Peter a vision of unclean animals, which Peter was to eat in his vision. The Jews had regarded Gentiles as unclean and unworthy of God’s salvation. The purpose of the vision is to show Peter that the Gospel was also meant for the Gentiles and not for Jews only.
  1. Peter preached the Gospel. When Peter was brought into the house of Cornelius, his relatives and close friends had gathered, and Peter, who understood the vision he had been given, preached the Gospel to the gathering of Gentiles. Note that Peter did not go through the Old Testament history, like he did when he preached to the Jews, but he went straight into declaring that Jesus Christ who was crucified is now resurrected and is the Judge of all mankind.
  1. Peter baptized the gentiles. The coming of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles showed clearly that salvation has also come to them. The gift of tongues was meant to proof at that point that God has also accepted the Gentiles. This is not a teaching that all believers will receive the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:10).

 

Praying the Scripture

  1. It was the true Apostles who brought the Gospel to the Gentiles, testified by the Holy Spirit and recorded in the Word of God. We can be sure that the Gospel message we believed in is the first-hand account of the original followers of Jesus. Let us thank God that what we received is not hear-say, but the truth.
  1. Let us thank God that He had mercy on the Gentiles (including us) just as He had with the Jews, so that we too might hear the Gospel and be saved.
  1. There is no other way to be saved except through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter did not pronounced Cornelius saved, but he preached the Gospel to them. Pray that we will grab every opportunity that is available to preach the Gospel, because souls will perish without the Gospel.
 

经文：使徒行传9:32 – 10:48

主题：对外邦教会的异象

 

  1. 彼得是基督的使徒。在领受有关外邦人教会的异象前，彼得才刚医治病患，复活死人。经文如此记载是要坚固彼得作使徒的权柄，使随后所发的事能成立。此外，彼得在硝皮匠西门的家之住也为将要发生的事铺垫。由于硝皮匠接触死了的动物之皮，他们普遍被犹太人视为是不洁净的（利11:39），并受到他们的鄙视。
  1. 彼得从神得到异象。神予哥尼流、一位百夫长（管理一百名士兵的罗马官员）及一个外邦人异象后，神也给彼得一个关乎不洁净动物的异象，并且吩咐彼得来吃。犹太人早已认为犹太人是不洁净的，是不配得神之救恩的。这个异象的目的是要向彼得显示福音也是给外邦人的，并非犹太人专属。
  1. 彼得传讲福音。当彼得被带入哥尼流的家时，他的亲属密友都聚集，而明白异象之意的彼得这时向这群外邦人传讲福音。彼得并没有像对犹太人宣教时一样重述旧约历史，而是直接宣告被钉十架的耶稣基督如今复活，是全人类的审判者。
  1. 彼得为外邦人施洗。圣灵在外邦人身上的降临显然表示救恩已临到他们。那时候，说方言的恩赐表明神也接受外邦人了。这不是在教导所有信徒会领受说方言的恩赐（林前12:10）。

 

用经文祷告

 

  1. 属实的使徒将福音带给外邦人；这由圣灵见证，并在神的道中记载。我们能确定我们所信的福音信息是由原本跟从耶稣的人的亲身见证。让我们感谢神，因我们所领受的不是传言，而是真理。
  1. 让我们为神降在犹太人身上的怜悯也施与外邦人（包括我们）而感谢祂，叫我们也能听见福音，从而得救。
  1. 除了耶稣基督的福音以外，人是无法得救的。彼得没宣告哥尼流得救，而是向他们传讲福音。祈求我们会把握每一个传福音的机会，以因为没有福音，灵魂将灭亡。