Acts 10:23-48

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Conversion of Cornelius

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God prepares the way for the walk of faith.

  2. God directs the way for the walk of faith.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Just believe and you will be saved.

QUESTIONS

  1. Read Acts 1:8. Have we seen this fulfilled in the book of Acts?

  2. How does Matthew 16:19 relate to this passage?

  3. How did God prepare the way for Cornelius to come to faith?

  4. How did God prepare the way for Peter to share with Cornelius?

  5. How were Cornelius and his other gentile friends saved?

ANSWERS

  1. In the first 9 chapters of Acts we saw the gospel spread beyond Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. Now in Acts 10 the door will be opened for the gospel to spread to the whole world as Gentiles are brought into the Church.

  2. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom of heaven. God used Peter to open the door for the Jews in Acts 2 and 3, the Samaritans in Acts 8, and now the Gentiles in Acts 10.

  3. It was not by chance that Cornelius was stationed in Israel and came into contact with the Hebrew Scripture and the one true God. Neither was it by chance that Cornelius was in Caesarea where Philip the Evangelist lived, just 30 miles from where Peter was staying in Joppa.

  4. God was softening Peter for his role with the Gentiles by having him work previously with the Samaritans. Also Peter had undoubtedly heard of the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. And by staying with Simon the Tanner, Peter was more prepared for the vision of the sheet with the clean and unclean animals.

  5. By believing what Peter testified about who Jesus was, what He has done, and that He was now alive and would judge the living and the dead

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. We can see throughout the Bible how God prepares the way for the walk of faith. God prepared Moses, David, Paul, and Peter. How did God prepare the way for you to come to salvation? How has He worked in your life since to prepare you for the next step in your walk of faith?

  2. God directs the way for the walk of faith, then and today. Discuss these two points: The walk of faith is step by step. The walk of faith is a walk of faith.

CHALLENGE

  1. God does not show us His whole plan for our lives all at once. But He certainly does show us the next step if we’ll look to Him. Do you need to look to God for His next step in your life?

KEY VERSES

  • “But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28 “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.” Acts 10:34

  • “And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished… because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” Acts 10:45

Acts, Talks, New TestamentDeb HarmsActs 10:23-48