Category Archives: Peter and his Epistles

Peter Met with Cornelius

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Acts 10:23-33

And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.  26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean. 29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

30 Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, 31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 ‘Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33 “So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Here we see that when Peter arrived in Caesarea and met with Cornelius, he was treated like a god; hence, Peter had to insist that he was just a man. Next, he began telling him of the message God had given him—that no man should be called unholy or unclean. And this was something new to them; for Jews regarded Gentiles that way.

In the next part Peter will be more thorough in what God had told him.

Peter Gives a Message to Cornelius

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Acts 10:17-23

Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; 18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. 19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 “But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” 21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” 22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you.” 23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Here, Peter was given a message that three men were looking for him. And he, being full of the Holy Spirit, went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for.” I suppose we all wish that the Holy Spirit would speak so clearly to us.

When Peter was told who Cornelius was and that he was to go to him and give him a message, I wonder if he had any idea what he was to say. I think he was just beginning to put it all together—to form what God was telling him through his trance. We will see.

Peter is Given a Strange Message

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Acts 10:9-16

On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.

In this section (of which there are seven dealing with this topic), Peter is given a strange teaching through a trance. He saw in his mind a great sheet coming down from the sky; and on this sheet there were all kinds of animals and creatures, some which were considered unclean according to Jewish laws. When a voice from heaven told him to kill and eat these things, Peter protested, saying that he would never eat anything unclean. Ah, leave it to Peter to argue with the Lord!

But when the voice explained that what God has cleansed, we should no longer consider unholy, Peter apparently got the message.

Cornelius Gets a message from the Lord

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Acts 10:1-8

Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 “Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

In this text we have an introduction for a very important mission, which will change the entire mode of the gospel ministry. It began with a Gentile named Cornelius. In a vision an angel instructed him to send men to Joppa to get Peter. Apparently, he will be the man who will somehow know what message the Lord will bring to him.

Peter in Joppa

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Acts 9:32-43

Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. 35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. 37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.

After the controversy Peter had with Simon, Luke (the author of Acts) sets forth, in Acts 8:12-40, the ministry of Philip; then in Acts 9:1-31, he also sets forth Paul’s conversion and early ministry.

In Acts 9:32, Luke returns again with Peter, this time talking about his ministry in Lydda and Joppa, about 30 miles northwest of Jerusalem. And we can’t be sure whether he was doing this ministry at the same time as the ministry of Philip and Paul (from Acts 8:12 to 9:31), or whether it came later. It seems to me that there may have been some overlapping.

Nonetheless, it seemed that Peter was traveling by himself through all the regions of Judea and Galilee and Samaria (v. 31), probably checking on all the church believers to see how they were progressing in the Lord. We don’t have an account of everything Peter did, except for these two incidents: the healing of Aeneas from Lydda and the resurrection of Tabitha at Joppa.

What Peter did with Aeneas and Tabitha reminds me of the ministry of Elijah the Prophet (1 Kings17:1 to 2 Kings 3: l1). Peter had so much spiritual power just like Elijah had and also like Jesus had. It was wonderful, and it was used by God to turn people to the Lord and to believe in Him.

Peter and John Encountered Simon

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Acts 8:18-23

Now when Simon [see verses 9-13] saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

This fellow Simon had been practicing magic (some kind of divination and of the occult), but supposedly he was saved and baptized by Philip’s preaching. And when he saw the miracles done by Philip he was amazed, and I suppose he wanted to do the same (vv. 9-13).

Well, then when Peter and John also were laying their hands on some, and by that act they were receiving the Holy Spirit (and they may have received some gift of the Holy Spirit), this Simon was again amazed and wanted to do the same. But this time he offered Peter money, thinking that he could buy this authority.

Well, Peter immediately set him straight and told him that his heart was not right—that it was wicked. Apparently, some of that wickedness from his past life was still with him; and Peter advised him to repent of it so that he would be forgiven and cleansed of it. But Simon did not feel strong enough to pray for himself, so he asked Peter to pray for him. We don’t know what happened to Simon or if he was ever a true believer.

Peter and the Apostles were Jailed and set Free by an Angel

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Acts 5:17-32

But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. 18 They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, 20 “Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.” 21 Upon hearing this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach.

Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. 22 But the officers who came did not find them in the prison; and they returned and reported back, 23 saying, “We found the prison house locked quite securely and the guards standing at the doors; but when we had opened up, we found no one inside.” 24 Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about them as to what would come of this. 25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned).

27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Well, here we go again. The Apostles were just being obedient to God: preaching, and healing the sick, and casting out demons; and the high priest and his associates couldn’t stand it and were jealous of their power. So, they threw them in jail.

But during the night an angel set them free and told them to get busy preaching in the temple. The next day when the Jewish leaders found out what happened, they came and questioned them and asked them why they were continuing to preach about Jesus and to bring His blood down upon them.

Well, Peter saw his opportunity to preach to them saying, “We must obey God rather than men.” And they also preached the gospel to them and blamed them for His death. Oh, they were furious and intended to kill them. But a wise man named Gamaliel talked them out of it (verses 33-39).

So they flogged them, ordered them not to speak of Jesus any more, and let them go (v. 40). But, as you may guess, they kept on preaching in the temple and from house to house. And it seemed that they were even more energized to do it.

Great Fear came Over the Church

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Acts 5:12-16

At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. 13 But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. 14 And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,  15 to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. 16 Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

After the death of Anania and Sapphira, great fear came over the church (v. 11). Then also, because of the great miraculous power of healings and casting out demons by the Apostles—especially by Peter—the people dared not associate with them.

This power was given to all that believed after the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. I would say that it was given to some more than others, according to their faith. It seemed to be especially given to Peter (v. 15). He, and I suppose some of the other Apostles, had the same healing power that Jesus had; for “they were all being healed” (Mk. 16:17-18; Lu. 24:49).

Peter Dealt with Hypocrisy in the Church

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Acts 5:1-11

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.

7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.

As you may read from the text, a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold a piece of their property; and they kept a portion of the price for themselves; and they gave the rest to the church (the Lord). Their sin was that they were declaring to the church that they gave all the money from the land to the church. Hence they were lying to the church—and the Lord. Yes, their sin was really to God; anytime we sin against anyone, we are sinning against God. And in a broader sense, their sin was of spiritual hypocrisy. They were faking their Christianity. They wanted so badly to be popular in the church so they lied about the full price of the land.

As for how Peter knew of their lie, there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit revealed it to him. And he did not hesitate to deal with it harshly and immediately. For just as Achon was caught in a lie and he and his entire family were stoned to death for it (Josh. 7:16-26), Peter knew that this sin of Ananias and Sapphira was of equal disgrace to God; particularly since the New Testament church was just starting, and it had to be built on a strong and holy foundation of truth—without hypocrisy.

Peter and John Obeyed God rather than Men

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Acts 4:13, 19-20

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus…

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

This text, as you can see, comes directly after Peter’s reply to the Jewish leaders (verses 8-12). Their amazement was not so much that they were involved in a miraculous healing, but rather that they, being uneducated, could speak so well; and they recognized that they spoke with the same authority as Jesus; and thus, they perceived that it was because they spent so much time with Him. To this we also must be amazed and recognize that our best knowledge and learning will come by being around godly people—in addition to reading and memorizing Scripture.

In verses 14 through 18, we have what we may call a conundrum among the leaders. They didn’t know what to do with the evidence of the healing and all of what Peter and John said. But it was certain that they could not allow what had happened to continue.

Why? I suppose because they feared what would happen to their own ruling power. And certainly, Satan was controlling them. But Peter and John knew what to do. They knew that God was a greater authority. They must obey God rather than men; they must continue to speak all the words of God and to obey Him.