The Bible Teacher's Commentary
Paul J. Bucknell
Intersecting in Time: Two Visions
Acts 10:1-48
Taking the Church Across Cross-cultural Boundaries
Acts 10:1-48
Many people are confused about the church. I saw an incident in my home the other day that reminded me how many people look at the church. My little three-year-old daughter was carrying a winter doll around that I had not seen for quite a while. This particular doll sings different short songs. Usually, such toys lose their ability to make lights, noises, and sounds rather quickly. But this one was still singing even after being out of sight for a while. I heard an older daughter make the same observation and said, “Oh, it still works!”
A lot of people think of the church as some antiquated and irrelevant religious organization. These people have not seen the church in action. When we look at how God steps into people’s lives and shapes history in Acts 10, these kinds of thoughts fall to the side. Why? It is simply because we see God working in the church. If God is working in the church, then it must be important. We get a little picture of God’s great purpose for the church. Oh, may the world and the church again know that the church still works today!
As we look at the two visions given to the two individuals living in different places and at different times, we are struck by how God directs them to meet together. One could summarize this intervention by God in Acts 10 as the cause of the local church becoming a worldwide church. God is stating that His people must be international. This is the nature of the church, not simply a characteristic of its development. God made it this way. This is not a theological treatise but a lesson on how to practically teach ignorant people to think the way they should about the church.
Before looking at these two visions, let’s again look at how this fits into the purpose of the Book of Acts.
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The power and will of God create such a power in the Gospel that nothing can hold back God’s purpose of bringing the gospel to the ends of the world! Here we see it like a budding seed, not fully grown.  |
The Mission“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NASB). Note the three stages: (1) Jews, (2) Samaritans (half-Jews) and (3) all others — the world. |
The gospel is a specially crafted arrow designed to break the resistant walls of men’s hearts.  In this picture, we see the Gospel having its full and proper impact on the world. God continues to work out His strategic method today. |
Vision #1 (Acts 10:1-8)
Cornelius was a centurion in what was called the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household. He gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. About the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!"