Bible Study Lesson # 8
ACTS
Unity Among Believers Acts 10:24-35
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Unity Among Believers We know the church should be a place of harmony in which the people focus on worshipping and honoring God. But all too often church groups fall into the “we/them” trap of discord. The early church, made up of Jewish believers, also had these struggles. God wanted to expand the boundaries to the Gentiles, but they weren’t quite ready for that. Think about your won church body. Is it a place of unity? Shy or why not? How do you think “outsiders” feel when they want to visit? One of the first non-Jews to embrace the gospel was Cornelius, a Roman centurion stationed at Palestinian Caesarea. God gave separate vision to Cornelius and Peter to set the stage of their meeting and to show Peter that Gentiles were included in God’s plan – a radical idea. Peter was waiting for Cornelius’s invitation. He did not 1
know who waited for him in the Gentile’s house, but he was under orders to be there and offer whosever would listen the message of salvation. In lesson number 8 in our study of Acts (Acts 10:24-35) we will discover how the gospel was expanded beyond the Jews. Acts 10:24-35 International Standard Version Peter Speaks with Cornelius 24
The next day, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called his relatives and close friends together. 25 When Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him, bowed down at his feet, and began to worship him. 26 But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up! I, too, am only a man.” 2
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As Peter[a] talked with him, he went in and found that many people had gathered. 28 He told them, “You understand how wrong it is for a Jew to associate or visit with unbelievers.[b] But God has shown me that I should stop calling anyone common or unclean, 29 and that is why I didn’t hesitate when I was sent for. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” 30
Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon,[c] I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard. God has remembered your gifts to the poor, 32 so send messengers[d] to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, to come to you. He is a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker, by the 3
sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say.” 34
Then Peter began to speak: “Now I understand that God shows no partiality. 35 Indeed, whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation. Bible Study Questions 1. How did Cornelius prepare for his meeting with Peter? 2. Why was divine intervention necessary to Peter and Cornelius together?
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3. How did Peter demonstrate obedience to God despite his misgivings about associating with non - Jews? 4 What did the angle say to Cornelius? What does this reveal about Cornelius’s character? 5. What did Cornelius want from Peter? 6. What lesson did God teach Peter though this meeting? Reflections 7. What differences divide believers today? 8. What issues do you think Christians should no fight over? What issues are worth discussing? 9. What can you do to build a sense of unity in the church? 5
10. Why is a lack of unity harmful to the church? 11. How can believers remain unified when disagreements arise? 12. How can you help your Christian brothers and sisters focus on the common ground you share? Final Thoughts For followers of Jesus today, the issue of unity boils down to how we welcome people into our fellowship. Are we quick to give forceful reason why they shouldn’t want to join us? Or are we eager to invite them to follow Jesus with us as the Lord works out change in each of our lives? Peter had a message to deliver to his presence among the Gentiles delivered a powerful illustration that his message was true. Let your presence do the same. 6
Book Club
3:00 PM ET - Saturday August 27th In a display case in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture sits a rough cotton bag, called Ashley’s Sack, embroidered with just a handful of words that evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love, passed down through generations. All That She Carried is a poignant story of resilience and of love passed down through generations of women against steep odds. It honors the creativity and fierce resourcefulness of people who preserved family ties even when official systems refused to do so, and it serves as a visionary illustration of how to reconstruct and recount their stories today. Read the book with us this month and join us on Saturday, August 27th at 3:00 PM on Zoom for our monthly Book Club discussion.
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