How God Expands His Church Through Opposition | Acts 10–12

Welcome back to The Bible Made Real Podcast with Kathy Abraham. In this episode, Kathy walks through Acts chapters 10–12, exploring the expansion of the Gospel to the Gentiles, Peter’s transformation, the power of prayer and obedience, persecution in the early Church, and the unstoppable growth of God’s Kingdom. 

Episode Overview

Acts 10–12 marks a massive turning point in the early Church.

Until now, the Gospel had primarily spread among the Jews. But in these chapters, God begins breaking barriers and revealing that salvation through Jesus Christ is for all nations and all people.

Key themes in this episode include:

• Divine visions and obedience
• Breaking prejudice and limitations
• The Holy Spirit poured out on the Gentiles
• Encouragement in ministry
• Perseverance through persecution
• Miraculous deliverance through prayer
• The unstoppable advancement of God’s Word

Acts Chapter 10 — Cornelius, Peter & the Gospel for All Nations

1. Cornelius: A Seeking Heart Before God

Key Passage:

Acts 10:1–8

Acts 10 opens with Cornelius, a Roman centurion from Caesarea who feared God, gave generously, and prayed continually. 

Historical Context:

A centurion was a commander over approximately 100 soldiers in the Roman army, making Cornelius a powerful and influential man.

Key Themes:

• God hears sincere seekers
• Humility before God
• Prayer and generosity matter to God

Major Insight:

Even before receiving the Holy Spirit or baptism, Cornelius’ prayers were heard by God.

Real-Life Application:

God sees:

• sincere prayer
• humble seeking
• generosity
• hunger for truth

No one who truly seeks God is ignored by Him.

2. Peter’s Vision — “Do Not Call Common What God Has Cleansed”

Key Passage:

Acts 10:9–23

While praying, Peter receives a vision of a sheet descending from heaven filled with animals considered “unclean” under Jewish law. A voice tells him:

“What God has cleansed you must not call common.” 

Key Themes:

• God breaks human barriers
• Spiritual transformation is ongoing
• Prayer prepares us for obedience

Powerful Insight:

Peter loved God deeply, yet he still carried cultural assumptions and limitations that God needed to remove.

Real-Life Application:

Even mature believers may still carry:

• prejudice
• fear
• old mindsets
• cultural limitations

God continually expands our hearts and understanding.

3. Divine Appointments & Obedience

Key Passage:

Acts 10:19–33

The Holy Spirit tells Peter to go with Cornelius’ servants “doubting nothing.” Peter obeys immediately. 

Key Themes:

• Prompt obedience
• Divine orchestration
• God speaks through prayer

Major Insight:

God was preparing both Peter and Cornelius simultaneously.

Real-Life Application:

God often prepares:

• conversations
• encounters
• opportunities
• relationships

before we even understand why.

Your obedience may be connected to someone else’s prayer.

4. Peter Preaches the Gospel to the Gentiles

Key Passage:

Acts 10:34–43

Peter realizes:

“God shows no partiality.” 

He preaches:

• Jesus’ ministry
• His crucifixion
• His resurrection
• the forgiveness of sins through Him

Key Themes:

• Salvation for all nations
• Jesus as Lord of all
• The universality of the Gospel

Real-Life Application:

There is no:

• ethnicity
• social class
• nation
• background

outside the reach of God’s mercy.

5.

Welcome to The Bible Made Real.

Be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

You can connect with Kathy on Instagram @kathyabidinglight and learn more at kathyabraham.com. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Bible Made Real Podcast. I'm Kathy Abraham. And in today's episode, we're going to be continuing our Bible study on the book of Acts. We will be covering chapters 10, 11, and 12 today. So I hope you have your Bibles and I hope you can join me. Chapter 10 of Acts. Let's begin. Chapter 10 opens with a man from Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian regiment. Just before we move on, I want to explain what a centurion in centurion is. It is a commander, someone who is a commander of a hundred forces and armies. So clearly, this man is powerful. He was a devout man, one who feared God and all of his household as well. And they gave alms generously. Okay. They were rich, wealthy people, but he gave a lot and he donated to other people. And he prayed to God always. So he had a contrite heart before the Lord. And about the ninth hour of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius. And when he observed him, he was afraid. And he said, What is it, Lord? So keep in mind, this man has been communicating with God. Okay. So he said to him, Your prayers and your arms have come up for a memorial before God. So even those who don't have the Holy Spirit yet or are not baptized, God hears their prayers. Now he says, Send men to Jobah and send for Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what to do. And when the angel that spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among them, um, who waited on him continually. So when he had explained all these things to him, he sent them to Jobah. So Cornelius listened exactly to what the Lord had said to send these people out to Jobah to go look for Peter. Okay. So what's happening now? So these are two separate events happening simultaneously. So the next day, okay, as they went on their journey, and they journeyed the city, Peter went up on the household to pray. So as he's praying, he's receiving a vision. So as we pray, God really speaks to us. Okay. I want us to understand prayer is not just a time, yes, where we give our supplications and we talk to the Lord, but he really reveals things to us in prayer. Get alone with God in prayer. That's where he reveals so much of what he wants to do in your life is in alone in prayer. Okay. So then Peter uh went up to pray about the sixth hour and he became very hungry and he wanted to eat, but he fell, um, he fell into a trance. And what happened was he saw heaven open, okay. He has his vision, and he sees this object like a great sheet coming down with all four corners coming down to heaven, right? And on this sheet, he sees all kinds of four-footed animals, okay? Um, wild beasts, creeping things, birds of the air, and a voice case comes to him and says, Peter, rise up, uh, eat and kill. And he's like, Huh? You want me to eat and kill these unclean animals? So God is using Peter's hunger for food to show a deeper lack that Peter has. And I'll get to that in a second, okay? And a voice spoke to him again the second time, and um, and he says, What God has cleansed, you must not call common. This was done three times. Okay, three times. Doesn't this remind me of something? Peter's denial, and then Peter's reinstitution to God's love again, right? Three times God is showing him, and each time he's saying, No, Lord, I'm not gonna eat of this. I never eat of anything common or unclean. And he's saying, Hey, what I call um have cleansed, do not call common or unclean. This is holy. This is for me. God is working in Peter. Peter is, I mean, on fire. Peter is amazing. He's such an amazing apostle, but he still has some limitations in his thinking. He still has old cultural habits that he's still like, you know, um wired in his brain. He hasn't fully let go of. And God's like, hey, hey, I need to expand you, I need to change you, I need to morph you, mold you. So even though God is using you, even though you are on the right path, you can still be carrying some things that need to be let go, some things like from your past, some old rewiring habits, understandings, prejudice, prejudice. Um, there are still parts of you that have not fully been exposed to the brevity and the depth and grace of God's mercy and love and the expansion that he wants to use you for because you saw limitations. So God's gonna continue to work in you. And that's exactly what's happening right here. He is still working in Peter. Finally, after the third time, the object goes up to heaven, okay? And so now Peter is thinking, what is this? What could this mean? And what could this vision uh really mean? And at the same time, this is happening, okay. These men are now coming from Cornelius' household and are coming to Simon's house. And they stood at the gate, okay, and they asked him, Where is Simon? We want to talk to him. Simon, whose surname was Peter. While Peter thought about this vision, the spirit now tells him, says in verse 19, Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise, therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. The spirit of God is assuring Peter and saying, These guys are from me, go and speak to them. I'm preparing you for this interaction, this conversation. I'm preparing you for something else. Doesn't God do that? Doesn't he speak to us in a vision or in a way that doesn't make sense? But he's asking for obedience. He's saying, Go do this thing, speak to this person, go to this place, stop this one thing. And it's for a purpose and a reason he is preparing you for. So Peter goes down to the men who had been sent from Cornelius and he says, Yes, I am he who you seek. For what reason have you come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, man who one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nations of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear words from you. And then he invited them in and they lodged lodged with them. On the next day, Peter went away with them and some of the brethren from Jobah and accompanied him. The following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and he called them together, uh, his relatives and close friends. Okay, so now they're all gathered. Finally, they grabbed Peter and they go back to Cornelius' house, okay? And as Peter was coming, Cornelius met him and fell down on his feet and worshiped him. Cornelius was a humble man. Yes, he had authority, he had power, he had wealth, but he was so humble, he was so tender in his heart and seeking God, and God loved him. God totally accepted his seeking. Like it says in Hebrews 11, uh, that it's impossible without faith, it is impossible to please God. But those who diligently seek him, he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. God is rewarding Cornelius because he diligently seeks seeking God with his whole heart. So Peter tells him, and also in his own humility, Peter says, Stand up, I myself am also a man. Like, why are you worshipping me? I I, you know, I'm not God. I was sent by God, but I'm not God. And this is beautiful. Both of them, in their own unique ways, are showing humility. They're very different people, very different backgrounds, very different lifestyles. One is a Gentile, okay, uh, a Roman sold, Roman uh military prominent man, and one is a Jew fisherman who was a disciple of Jesus. They could not be further like uh apart. They are so different. Yet the spirit of God and the spirit of humility rests on them. Okay. And um he says, Look, I've come here to see you, but you know how unlawful it is for me as a Jew for me to keep company with you or anyone outside of this nation. He's saying, This is not normal for a Jew to do. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore, I came without objection as soon as I was sent for you. Do we go without objection as soon as we're sent for something? When God says something, do you do it right away? How quick is your obedience? How quick is your yes? It didn't make sense. It was against what you thought, against the norm, against what you were uh brought up to think or believe, but God said it. Do you believe it right away? Do you act right away? That's what Peter did. So Peter said, I came without objection. I asked then, for what reason did you send me? Like, what is all this for? Why am I here? Okay, why the dream? Why everything? So Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and he said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. Send therefore to Jopa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon to Tanner by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you. So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now, therefore, we are all present before God to hear all the things commanded you by God. He's like, I'm telling you everything. This is exactly what happened. We sent for you, here you are, and now we're ready. We're ready to listen, we're ready to receive whatever God wants to say or do in and through you. Okay. And what does Peter do? He opens his mouth and he begins to preach. He says, In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality. First, he's like, This is amazing. Really, really, really, there are no barriers with God. Like there is nobody God doesn't want to touch or use or love or save. Okay? He says, But in every nation, whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. Whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Christ Jesus, he is Lord of all. That word you know, which was proclaimed throughout Judea and began it from Galilee after the baptism, which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all these things. So now Peter is explaining everything that happened, right? That John the Baptist came and he witnessed all these things he did both in the land of the Jews and the Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree. So they witnessed Jesus, they sat with him, they were with his ministry, they saw his crucifixion, him God raised up on the third day and showed him openly, not to all people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he was he who is ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets witness that through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. So basically, he is just preaching the whole gospel. He's telling him exactly what happened. He rose from the dead, he ascended, he ate with them before the ascension, and now this is the commission. This is the commission to go and to preach the gospel to everybody, right? And these are the he reminds him of the prophets, the prophets from before, who witnessed through his name that who believe in him will be saved. Specifically Isaiah and Z and Ezekiel, for those who Jews and uh Gentiles who read the scripture, uh, those are the prophets that he is referring to. So while Peter still is speaking these words, what happens as he's speaking, as he is preaching, the Holy Spirit comes down and falls on them for those who heard the word. When you hear the word of God, the Holy Spirit cannot help but be present. Scripture is the Holy Spirit. God is in with us when we are reading the Holy Spirit, okay? And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished. Those are the Jews who already were believed. They just couldn't believe that this was happening. The Holy Spirit was coming. And um, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. So they were already baptized, they had already received the Spirit, but now they are witnessing the Spirit being poured out on the Gentiles, and they are in like complete shock in cloud nine, because it's amazing. And what did they do? They hear them speaking in tongues and magnifying the Lord. So Peter answers and says, Can anyone forbid water that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord, and they asked him to stay a few days. So they received the Holy Spirit first, and then they baptized in water. So this chapter is beautiful. It really is bringing two worlds into one, and it's really breaking those barriers, breaking down the barriers that Peter had in his mind. God just needed to undo and prepare him and said, Go, go to this man. So again, every encounter is a divine encounter. Everything sought in prayer first and followed up in obedience second results in God's purpose and will, third, which is always salvation, always redemption of sins, always eternal life, always the gifts and promises that they didn't even um, you know, deserve. And that's the beauty is that this is all a gift and a grace. No one is outside uh the goodness of God. So I hope you enjoyed chapter 10. Let's move on to chapter 11. Okay, Acts chapter 11. Here Peter is defending basically what just happened. Okay, so the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard about the Gentiles receiving the word of God. So Peter goes to Jerusalem and explains to them what happened. And they were asking Peter, they said, How could this be? You know, and he tells them everything. He said, I was in the city of Jobah praying in a trance and a vision. I saw this object descending like a great sheet. And he explains to them about the four corners and the four-footed animals on there, the creeping things, and how he hears a voice from heaven saying to him, Bryze, Peter, kill and eat. And he says, No, Lord, for nothing uh common or unclean at any time will enter my mouth. But again, he tells them that this happened three times. Okay, and then he tells them how he went to see Cornelius, um, and that Cornelius said the same thing to him, that he had a vision and he was waiting for Peter, and that he um indeed, John indeed baptizes water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. He tells them these things, he reminds them of these things, and he says, Listen, if God therefore came with the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Christ, who was that I that I could withstand God? Where are you resisting God? This is beautiful for Peter to say, listen, guys, you know what? I was just as hard-headed as you guys. I couldn't believe it either. But listen, I don't even deserve this grace. You don't even deserve this grace. This is what happened. I obeyed, they all believe, and now God's will is happening. His purpose is happening, the expansion is growing. And who am I to stand in the way of what God wants to do? Are you standing in the way of what God is wanting to do? Are you stopping someone from receiving grace or receiving the Holy Spirit? God forbid, I hope that we can always step out of God's way and allow him to work, even if it makes us a little uncomfortable or tests us a little bit. That's okay. Because on the other side of that obedience is beauty. You are filled with grace and holiness for obeying, and the other people also are benefiting. And then um, he tells them that God grants also to the Gentiles repentance to life. And so when those were scattered after the persecution arose over Stephen, they traveled to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. Okay. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenist preaching the Lord Jesus, and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. So now the church is expanding and they are converting other non-Jews to Christianity. Then the news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out for Barnabas, okay? So they're like, Barnabas, go and see what's happening. It sounds like pure chaos. So they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch, Antioch, okay? And he came and he had been, he had seen the grace of God. He was so happy, he was glad and he was encouraged, and with all the purpose of the heart that they should continue with the Lord. For Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a great many people were added to the Lord. So the word Barnabas means encouragement, okay? Barnabas went and saw this as something good. He saw positive and something that others saw negative. Do you have people like that in your life? Or perhaps you are a Barnabas. You're the one that can see the good in any situation or encourage those things that are right and are good, you know, without having to be so negative or gossip or naysayers. There's so much of that in the world. Choose to be a Barnabas, choose to be positive and encouraging and uplifting and edifying. The world needs more Barnabases. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it was for a whole year, okay? Barnabas and Saul were together, and they taught so many people together, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. So this is very um significant. This is the first time they use the word Christians, and the Christians are in the church of Antioch, okay? And in these days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch, then one of them was named Agapus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine. So he has this prophecy and revelation throughout all the word world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. And they did this also, and they sent to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. So they were helping each other and they said, okay, go back, go back to Judea and Jerusalem and help these people. And they used Saul and Barnabas for their help. So I encourage you to again see the good, see the positive in any situation, be a Barnabas, be an encourager. There may be someone in your life who is one step away, one word of encouragement away from fulfilling the purpose of God in their life, but they just need someone to see that in them. Go out there, see the good in someone else, see the potential in someone else. Call it out. Speak life over the people around you and watch them rise. And you will rise too. Don't worry about anyone superseding you. Just because you give your power to someone else, give power, doesn't mean you lose it yourself. Actually, you gain more. God gives you even more and more graces and more and more abundance and more and more uh He lifts you up. He gives grace to those who are humble and He lifts you up. He continues to lift you up if you serve others. Go out there and be in a Barnabas. And you may need encouragement yourself. So if you do, pray for someone. Pray for someone to come and be a Barnabas in your life. All right, let's move on to chapter 12. Okay, Acts chapter 12. Here we see Herod actually killing James, the brother of John. Okay. And this is the first martyrdom of one of the disciples. And he kills him by a sword, and because he ple he saw that it would please the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter. So he's now captured Peter and put Peter in pre prison. Now it was during the days of the unleavened bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after the Passover. Okay. So Jesus' um disciple, James, just died, the brother of John. This is one of the sons of Zebedee. Okay. And Peter is being arrested and into prison. So now we move on to verse five. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. Okay. And when Herod was about to bring him out that night, Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers and the guards before the door were keeping the prison. I want us to notice something here. Peter is so peaceful, okay? He is praying in prison and he is sleeping in between two guards, totally chained up, because he knows I'm exactly where I need to be. If I die tomorrow, if my execution is tomorrow, it's okay. I'm with God. I'm doing what he wants me to do. I'm in his presence. Not nothing can separate me from the love and presence of God. He is in peace. He is sleeping, chained in between two soldiers, potentially dying the next day. That is the peace of the Lord that should rule and govern our lives, knowing that you are in the presence and in the will of God, no matter what. Okay. But verse 7, it says, Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in prison and struck Peter on the side, raised him up, saying, Arise quickly. And his hand, his chains fell off his hands, and the angel said to him, Gird yourself up and tie up your sandals. And so he did. And he said to him, Come on, let's go. Hurry up. Put on your garments. Follow me. He went out and followed him and didn't did not even know what was happening, right? Or what was done by the angel was real. But he thought he was seeing a vision. Like this whole thing seemed like a dream, but he went with it. Okay. But they were past the first and second um guard posts. They came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened for them miraculously. Okay, on its own accord. And they went out, went down the street, and immediately the angel departed. Clearly, clearly, this is a huge miracle, releasing him, opening him up. Okay. Peter came to himself and he said, Whoa, now I know for certain that the Lord was sent an angel, and he delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people. So when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter's voice because of her gladness, she did not open the gate, but she but ran in and announced Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, You are beside yourself. Yet she kept insisting who it was. So they said, It is an angel. Obviously, they didn't believe her because they knew that Peter was just imprisoned in chains. How can Be at the gate. Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But monitoring, emotioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord brought him out out of prison, and he said, To go tell these things to James and to the brethren, and he departed and went to another place. Then as soon it was as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter, okay? And Herod himself searched for him and did not find him. And he examined the guards and commanded that they should all be put to death. And then they went from Judea to Caesar Caesarea and stayed there. So there is still persecution, there is still a fear happening. They are still being chased, yet the gospel is still spreading, okay? And now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to one accord, having um made Blastius the king's personal aid, their friend, they asked for peace because their country was supplied with the food for the king's country. So on the day Herod arrayed a royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave oration to them, and kept telling them the voice of a god and not of man, he was exalting himself. He was saying, This is me, okay? I am God, is basically what Herod was saying. Immediately an angel of the Lord came and struck him, because he did not give glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied. So despite what happened, it didn't matter. The word of the God, the word of God grew and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem where they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John, whose surname was Mark. So even though the beginning of this chapter, yes, it did, it did start with persecution. It did start with, you know, the death of James and the persecution and the imprisonment of Peter. But now we see the church is still growing, it's expanding. Herod dies. Okay, the angel of the Lord strikes Herod. Peter is released from prison and the word of God is growing. Paul and um Barnabas and Mark are now working together, spreading the gospel. They are all spreading the gospel wherever they are. And this is just um comforting to us to know that no matter what we do, no matter kings may, you know, rise and fall, presidents may come and go, empires will be powerful and fall, you know, and persecutions there one day and gone the next. But the word of God and the will of God and the preaching of God will always prevail, will always uh outstand and withstand everything, all persecution and tests of time. So this is an encouragement for me and I hope for you to stay strong, to stay rooted where God is planted, to trust that his work will out uh outdo any other opposition that you may be facing in your life today, to continue to allow the word of God to spread and to prevail and to grow in your life and in the life of all those around you. Thanks so much for joining me on the Bible Made Real. See you next week. Thanks for joining me on the Bible Made Real podcast. If today's message resonated with you or encouraged you, please like it, share, and hit follow so that you never miss a single episode. And make sure to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts as it really does help us to reach more listeners. You can also visit my website, KathyAbraham.com, to receive the Bible's tools, resources, all the prayer books that you saw today, um, and free devotionals in your inbox every week. You can also follow me on Instagram and TikTok at Kathy Abiding Light, to get behind the scenes content and daily architecture. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and I'll see you in the next one.