Acts 10:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."

NIV: He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

NASB: he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.'

CSB: He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."

NLT: He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.'

KJV: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

NKJV: He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

An angel is talking to a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Centurions were leaders of cohorts of soldiers; although "centurion" infers 100, the number of soldiers in a cohort is not standard. Cornelius, despite being Roman, worships the Jewish God faithfully. God has chosen him and his household to be the first group of Gentiles to be saved (Acts 10:1–5).

To that end, the angel tells Cornelius to send for Peter who is residing in Joppa, about thirty-five miles south of Cornelius' station in Caesarea Maritima. Peter is staying with a tanner named Simon who lives on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea (Acts 9:43). The process of tanning hides is disgusting to most and very smelly, so tanners typically lived outside of town. Peter apparently has no problem living with a Jewish tanner, but must be convinced through a vision from God to go to the home of a Gentile (Acts 10:9–23).

It's interesting how much Saul's experience parallels that of Cornelius. In both cases, God prepared the men and told them what to do (Acts 9:1–8). Then He prepared His evangelists, Ananias (Acts 9:10–16) and Peter (Acts 10:9–23). Both Ananias and Peter were reluctant, so God reassured them of His plan. Their obedience resulted in two major steps in the spread of the gospel. Cornelius' conversion convinced Peter and the other core disciples that Gentiles could follow Christ. Saul's conversion prepared him to be the primary evangelist to the Gentiles.

Acts 10:1–8 introduces the first group of Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit. Cornelius is a Roman military leader stationed in Caesarea Maritima, the coastal city that serves as the headquarters for Herod Agrippa I. Cornelius is a devout follower of the Jewish God, although probably not a full proselyte. While praying one day, an angel appears and tells him God has heard his prayers and appreciates his charity. He is to send for Peter in Joppa and hear what the apostle has to say. What follows is the opening of the gospel to all Gentiles.

Peter has been a dominant voice in the spread of Jesus' message to Jews and proselytes. Now he brings the gospel to Gentiles. An angel tells Cornelius, a centurion, to ask Peter to come to him. Peter is praying when he receives a vision of food—including non-kosher food—and God's voice telling him to eat. When the centurion's messengers arrive, Peter realizes the dream meant that Gentiles are no longer unclean. He follows the messengers and tells Cornelius' household about salvation through Jesus. Before Peter can lay his hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit falls on them.

Jesus told the disciples they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Oddly, the disciples didn't understand this meant the Holy Spirit would come upon Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles alike. After several years reaching Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem (Acts 1—7) and Samaritans in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25), God calls Peter to bring the message to Gentiles. Peter's witness that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 11) clears the way for Paul's ministry to Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, Greece, and Italy (Acts 13—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.