All together there are 70 verses describing Peter’s trip to Caesarea to visit the Roman soldier Cornelius.  One must ask, “In light of all the problems in the world, why does this story get so much press?”  The answer is simple and complex.  First, the simple part.  The charter members of Christianity were all Jews.  Charter members in general have a hard time with inclusion and if as a general rule they had been taught that Gentiles were “dogs.” That made it even more difficult to embrace those outside the Jewish nation.  In spite of the teachings of the OT and the reminders of Jesus to be rid of contempt, even the apostles needed some help to embrace a new paradigm.  Understanding this reality answers a lot of other questions about tongues, the baptism of the Spirit and the timing of these events.  Peter and the other Jews needed to see for themselves that the wall had come down for Gentiles too, see Ephesians 2.  Second, the more complex part of the answer.  The Biblical narratives are more than just “another story.”  This story in Acts 10 is a standalone story for sure but there are many layers of doctrinal content included as well.  The Holy Spirit is an award winning author  and the Bible is still the all-time best seller.  The themes in this story are powerful reminders of God’s love, human struggles, gospel content, leadership influence and sound theology.  We’ll explore some of those themes Sunday morning and Sunday evening…and we’ll end our study the way the chapter ends…with the baptism of believers confessing their faith in Jesus Christ.