Acts 10:9-16 - Homilies By R.a. Redford

(or Acts 10:15 )

The light of heaven on the open gate of a new world.

Review the preparations made for the revelation to be now vouchsafed. The teaching of Christ. His commission to his apostles. Stephen; Paul; Samaria. Peter's charge of the key. His visit to Joppa. His mind probably already at work on the problem.

I. THE TWO WORLDS FACE TO FACE —the heathen and the Jewish, both the scene of spiritual manifestations. The two streams of grace flowing, ready to commingle in one broad river of new life.

1. Take the two men as types or the two different forms of thought and faith—Peter and Cornelius.

2. Both worlds need supernatural communications. Jews had abused privilege. Gentiles had trampled underfoot the remnants of Divine tradition.

3. The new world, that is, the new humanity to be called forth, a union of the Jewish and the Gentile. Christ making peace ( Ephesians 2:11-22 ).

II. THE LIGHT DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN at the open gate.

1. Such a vision requisite to dispel the darkness of Peter's mind and to assure his faith. He was practically weak (see his controversy with Paul, Galatians 2:1-21 .).

2. A reversion to the original position of man in creation. All distinctions of clean and unclean subsequent to creation (see Genesis 1:1-31 .).

3. Authority removes what authority had prescribed. "God hath cleansed."

4. While the vision must have loosened prejudice, it was not itself commandment. It prepares the way, shows the open door, but is not itself a substitute for God's Spirit. Learn from this that all such help should be used. in dependence on the still higher help, the direct teaching of God's Spirit, both by facts and words.—R.