Daily Manna Friday 04, October 2013 TOPIC: Breaking With Tradition. TEXT: ACTS 10:34-48 KEY VERSE: “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34,35). According to William Barclay, a basic part of the Jewish religion in the New Testament era was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstance, such as giving directions if they were asked. But it went even as far as refusing to help a Gentile woman at the time of her greatest need - when she was giving birth - because the result would only be to bring another Gentile into the world. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would conduct a funeral for the Jew and consider him dead. It was thought that to even enter the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. The Gentiles equally despised Jews as weird traditionalists, and believed that they were evil plotters and superstitious. Peter, breaking with Jewish tradition, came to the house of Cornelius, a Roman soldier and centurion within the Italian Band which was a volunteer army. Peter’s message to the Gentiles in our text was essentially the same as his message to the Jews. He presented the person and work of Jesus Christ with emphasis on the resurrection and expected response of prospective beneficiaries. While listening to Peter, these people responded with readiness of heart to the gospel by setting their faith in Jesus Christ. Their hearts having been already purified (Acts 15:9), the Holy Spirit came on them in baptismal measure. Christ’s death on the Cross has opened the door for all to come in. His command is to reach everyone with the saving knowledge of His gospel. We must therefore overcome all restrictions and go ahead to give the full gospel to all of humanity in our world today. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: It is the gospel, not human tradition, that brings salvation to mankind.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:18:56 +0000
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