Acts 10:34,35 - What Really Matters To God?
Act.10:34,35: What Really Matters To God?
Acts 10:34, 35 (KJV) 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 (NIV) Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize
how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men
from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
Acts 10:34, 35 (NRSV) Then Peter began to speak to them: "I
truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation
anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
Acts 10:34, 35 (GWT) Then Peter said, "Now I understand that
God doesn't play favorites. Rather, whoever respects God and does
what is right is acceptable to him in any nation.
Acts 10:34, 35 (EAV) And Peter opened his mouth and said: Most
certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no
partiality and is no respecter of persons, But in every nation he who
venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful
obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being
received and welcomed [by Him].
INTRODUCTION
This fact was taught in the OT (Deut. 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7).
[Ryrie SB]
DEFINITIONS
No Respecter Of Persons
The term "respecter of persons" (prosopolemptes) means to regard
with partiality and favoritism; to favor a person because of looks,
position, or circumstances. [Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible]
Peter's statement means that God's judgment of a person is not
based on any external factors. (the UBS Handbook Series)
Each person has free access to God, for God has no favorites. He
is not a respecter of persons and makes no discrimination among
people on the earth. He sees us all as persons He has created, as
objects of His loving concern. The racial, class, sex, and cultural
barriers we experience are our own creation out of our sinfulness. God
created our differences, but He did not intend them to be barriers or
walls of division separating people. Indeed, the work of God as a
righteous God is to destroy all these artificial barriers in the human
family. See Gal 3:28. [Disciple SB]
Feareth Him
It means that he who honors God and keeps His Law; he who is a
true worshipper of God, according to the light and privileges which
he has, is approved by him, as giving evidence that he is his
friend. (Barnes' Notes)
Worketh Righteousness
Does what is right and just. This refers to his conduct toward
man. He that discharges conscientiously his duty to his fellow-men,
and evinces by his conduct that he is a righteous man. (Barnes'
Notes)
COMMENTARY
Fear him and do what is right: These two things comprehend the
whole of religion, the sum of all the requirements of God-piety toward
God, and justice toward people; (Barnes' Notes)
Fear him and do what is right: This may be thought of as
covering, respectively, the two tables of the law--the first referring to
man's duty to God, the second, to his duty to his fellow men. See on
Micah 6:8; Matt. 22:34-40. [SDA Commentary]
The fear of God and works of righteousness are the substance of
true religion, the effects of special grace. Though these are not the
cause of a man's acceptance, yet they show it.... [Matthew Henry
Commentary]
In the Bible righteousness means two simple but profound things:
to be right and to do right.
There are those who stress being righteous and neglect doing
righteousness. This leads to two serious errors.
1) False security. It causes a person to stress that he is saved
and acceptable to God because he has believed in Jesus Christ. But
he neglects doing good and living as he should. He neglects obeying
God and serving man.
2) Loose living. It allows one to go out and do pretty much as
he desires. He feels secure and comfortable in his faith in Christ.
He knows that what he does may affect his fellowship with God and
other believers, but he thinks his behavior will not affect his
salvation. He thinks that no matter what he does he is still acceptable to
God.
The problem with this stress is that it is a false
righteousness. Righteousness in the Bible means being righteous and doing
righteousness. The Bible knows nothing about being righteous without living
righteously.
There are those who stress doing righteousness and neglect being
righteous. This also leads to two serious errors.
1) Self-righteousness and legalism. It causes a person to stress
that he is saved and acceptable to God because he does good. He works
and behaves morally and keeps certain rules and regulations. He does
the things a Christian should do by obeying the main laws of God.
But he neglects the basic law: the law of love and acceptance--that
God loves him and accepts him not because he does good, but because
he loves and trusts the righteousness of Christ
2) Being judgmental and censorious. A person who stresses that
he is righteous (acceptable to God) because he keeps certain laws
often judges and censors others. He feels that rules and regulations
can be kept, for He keeps them. Therefore, anyone who fails to keep
them is judged, criticized, and censored.
The problem with this stress is that it, too, is a false
righteousness. Again, righteousness in the Bible is both being righteous and
doing righteousness. The Bible knows nothing of being acceptable to
God without being made righteous in Christ Jesus. [Preacher's
Outline & Sermon Bible]
APPLICATION
The Lord Jesus demands our acknowledgment of the rights of every
man. Men's social rights, and their rights as Christians, are to be
taken into consideration. All are to be treated with refinement and
delicacy, as the sons and daughters of God. {RC 28.2}
Christianity will make a man a gentleman. Christ was courteous,
even to His persecutors; and His true followers will manifest the
same spirit. Look at Paul when brought before rulers. His speech
before Agrippa is an illustration of true courtesy as well as
persuasive eloquence. The gospel does not encourage the formal politeness
current with the world, but the courtesy that springs from real kindness
of heart. {RC 28.3}
Some with whom you are brought in contact may be rough and
uncourteous, but do not, because of this, be less courteous yourself. He who
wishes to preserve his own self-respect must be careful not to wound
needlessly the self-respect of others. This rule should be sacredly
observed toward the dullest, the most blundering. What God intends to do
with these apparently unpromising ones, you do not know. He has in
the past accepted persons no more promising or attractive to do a
great work for Him. His Spirit, moving upon the heart, has roused
every faculty to vigorous action. The Lord saw in these rough, unhewn
stones precious material, which would stand the test of storm and heat
and pressure.-- Ibid, p. 122. {RC 28.5}
Be polite to those with whom you come in contact; thus you will
be polite to God. Praise Him for His goodness. Thus you are
witnesses for Him, and you are preparing for the society of the angels.
You are learning in this world how to conduct yourselves in the
family of Christ in heaven.--Manuscript 31, 1903. {RC 28.6}
The religion of Christ uplifts the receiver to a higher plane of
thought and action, while at the same time it presents the whole human
race as alike the objects of the love of God, being purchased by the
sacrifice of His Son. At the feet of Jesus, the rich and the poor, the
learned and the ignorant, meet together, with no thought of caste or
worldly preeminence. All earthly distinctions are forgotten as we look
upon Him whom our sins have pierced. The self-denial, the
condescension, the infinite compassion of Him who was highly exalted in heaven,
puts to shame human pride, self-esteem, and social caste. Pure,
undefiled religion manifests its heaven-born principles in bringing into
oneness all who are sanctified through the truth. All meet as
blood-bought souls, alike dependent upon Him who has redeemed them to God.
{RC 29.2}
The Lord has lent men talents to improve, Those whom He has
entrusted with money are to bring their talent of means to the Master. Men
and women of influence are to use that which God has given them. The
ones whom He has endowed with wisdom are to bring to the cross of
Christ this gift to be used to His glory. {RC 29.3}
And the poor have their talent, which perhaps may be larger than
any other mentioned. It may be simplicity of character, humility,
tried virtue, confidence in God. Through patient toil, through their
entire dependence upon God, they are pointing those with whom they
associate to Jesus, their Redeemer. They have a heart full of sympathy for
the poor, a home for the needy and oppressed, and their testimony is
clear and decided as to what Jesus is to them. They seek for glory,
honor, and immortality, and their reward will be eternal life. {RC
29.4}
In the human brotherhood it takes all kinds of talents to make a
perfect whole; and the church of Christ is composed of men and women of
varied talents, and of all ranks and all classes. God never designed
that the pride of men should dissolve that which His own wisdom had
ordained--the combination of all classes of minds, of all the varied talents
that make a complete whole. There should be no depreciating of any
part of God's great work, whether the agencies are high or lowly. All
have their part to act in diffusing light in different degrees. . . .
We are all woven together in the great web of humanity, and we
cannot, without loss, withdraw our sympathies from one another.--Gospel
Workers, pp. 330, 331. {RC 29.5}
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