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ToBeLikeHim.com Return
to Acts Series The Book of Acts Series Acts, Chapter 10 John Baugh August, 2009 Acts
10 (New American Standard Bible) Acts 10 Cornelius's Vision 1Now there was a man at Caesarea
named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2a
devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms
to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. The year was about 37 and the story that Luke
reports occurred in the town of Caesarea This city is located on the coastal plain
of Sharon, on the southwestern slope of Mt. Hermon, about 25 miles northeast
of the Sea of Galilee and 65 miles north of Jerusalem. At the time of Luke’s
story, it was the Roman Capital of the province of Judea. It was the location of
the residence of the Roman procurator (Acts 23: 23-24). In his writings,
Josephus said that the population was primarily Gentile, with a Jewish
minority. Philip
probably preached to the Jews of Caesarea (Acts 8:40) and Paul stopped there
on his way to Tarsus (Acts 9:30), but there’s no indication that he preached
in the area. Luke tells us that Peter has carried his own missionary journey
as far as Joppa, 30 miles south of Caesarea. During Jesus’ time, it was the northern most
point of his ministry. Luke begins Acts Chapter 10 telling us the story of
Cornelius, a military man; a centurion who lived in that town. In
his book (the Acts of the Apostles), William Barclay gives the following
description of Rome’s military units: In
the Roman military set-up there was first of all the legion. It was a
force of six thousand men and therefore was roughly equal to a division. In
every legion there were ten cohorts. A cohort therefore had six
hundred men and comes near to being the equivalent of a battalion. The cohort
was divided into centuries and over each century there was a centurion.
The century is therefore roughly the equivalent of a company. (The
Acts of the Apostles, revised edition, page 79) The
Greek historian Polybius described the qualifications of a centurion as
follows: "Centurions are required not to be bold and adventurous so much
as good leaders, of stead and prudent mind, not prone to take the offensive
or start fighting wantonly, but able when overwhelmed and hard-pressed to
stand fast and die at their post” In his gospel, Matthew indicates (Matthew 8: 5-10)
centurions were men who knew how to give and take orders. Cornelius
was a man of importance and his interest in the gospel message is
significant. There is more to this significance that needs to be mentioned.
This military man was a gentile, and this is the first time that the gospel
has gone out to the gentiles. Also significant is that Cornelius appears to
be a very different person. He is a centurion, the (non-commissioned officer)
commander of a company of probably 100 Roman soldiers. Luke tells us that
Cornelius was a member of the Italian cohort. We will learn later that these
are the troops that accompanied Paul to Rome. Most Centurions were hard
minded military men, and this is a man who is Godly. Luke calls him devout.
He recognizes there is a God and he is seeking him out; praying to him,
“continually”. Luke says that he has a respect (worded by Luke as fear) for
God. Additionally, he is a generous man, who gives alms to the Synagogue and
Jewish people. This
is a significant event in the book of Acts because for the first time, Luke
presents the account of the gospel going out to a gentile household. As a
result of this, the church will not remain just an offshoot of the Jewish
religion, but a universal body, embracing people from all nations,
backgrounds and races. Here, Cornelius becomes the agent of fulfillment
for Luke’s statement in Luke 2:32, when he writes that Jesus would be a
“Light for revelation to the Gentiles”, and his quote from Isaiah in Luke
3:6, when he writes the promise that through Jesus, “all mankind will see
God’s salvation.” Up to this point, Christ’s Great commission as
stated in Acts 1:8: 8but you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the
earth." Has been carried out. The witness has gone from Jerusalem
into Judea and Samaria. With Cornelius, it will expand from God’s chosen (the
Jews) to the gentile nation. God’s will for the spread of his son’s gospel
will be illuminated through Peter’s actions with the Roman centurion, has
family, his friends and associates. Evidently, Luke sees this event as one of major
importance, because he returns to it three times in Acts (Chapter 10: 1-48,
11: 1-18, and 15: 6-11. The story of Cornelius is the longest narrative in Acts and
considering the amount of discussion Luke devotes to the subject we know that
it must have been critically important to him. In fact, it is one of the
pivotal events in the book of Acts, the spread of the church and fulfillment
of the great commission of Christ. 3About the ninth hour of the day he
clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him,
"Cornelius!" 4And fixing his gaze on him and
being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to
him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5"Now
dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called
Peter; 6he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by
the sea." 7When the angel who was speaking to
him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those
who were his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained
everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. Cornelius
was an admirable man, but he was not a saved man. Many people today believe
that all that is needed to be found acceptable in God’s sight is to be
spiritual, sincere, generous, moral, respectful of others, and to lead a
clean life. Cornelius was all of these things and he was lacking. He was not
yet born again. All of Cornelius’ characteristics are admirable, but they are
not eternal life, only a prelude to eternal life. They are characteristic of
a heart that is open, ready and hungry for Christ. Cornelius has a vision The
time of Cornelius’ calling begins on a certain day at about three o’clock in
the afternoon, which is one of the Jewish times of Prayer. As Cornelius is
praying, a messenger of God (an Angel) comes t him and calls him by name.
When he acknowledges the messenger, the angel, says: "Your prayers and alms have
ascended as a memorial before God.” The
angel speaks in the language of sacrifice used in Jewish circles. The
"memorial" mentioned here alludes to the Old Testament flour
offerings made from grain that were to be burned "as a memorial
portion" (Leviticus 2:2). This offering was burned on the altar and
"an aroma pleasing to the Lord" went up to God (Leviticus 2:2).
Like the aroma of the sacrifice, the scent of Cornelius’ prayers and gifts is
going "up" to God. God is signaling his pleasure with Cornelius,
and he is ready to reveal his salvation to him. It is interesting that the angel does not preach
the gospel to Cornelius. Angels are not commissioned to preach the gospel.
People are commissioned to spread the gospel and so instead of sharing the
gospel, he tells Cornelius where to go to find a man who will preach the
gospel to Him. That is in keeping with Christ’s Great Commission plan and
God’s will for salvation. Luke
takes great pains to show that this change in Cornelius’ life and as a
result, in the church is the result of God’s will and guidance. It does not
come about through some human-devised program. This section shows that God,
through the Holy Spirit, is bringing the Gentiles into his spiritual body,
the church. On a more personal note regarding Cornelius, As he was drawing closer
to God, God was drawing closer to him (James 4:8). There
is a story I like and have used many times that comes from one of the
foundational works of discipling, The Master Plan of Evangelism by Dr.
Robert E. Coleman. A very loosely worded restatement of Dr. Coleman’s story
follows: After
his ascension, Christ was met by legions of angels in Heaven. They praised and praised him and then one
of them asked what plan he had placed into effect to assure his vision would
continue across the world and time, as God had desired. Jesus
looked toward the brilliance of God's throne and then told the angels,
"I have left a small band of laymen, mostly fishermen, who will take
over my vision and deliver my message to the world. I have made these laymen
"fishers of men." They will be responsible for teaching my vision
to other faithful believers, who will carry on in the same manner until the
end of time." The
legions of angels all looked at our Lord with wonder. Finally, one of them
spoke. “What an incredible vision. What if they fail?” Jesus
replied, “This is my vision. I have no other plan." Go to Joppa Once
the angel has Cornelius’ attention, he gives him marching orders. 5"Now dispatch some men to Joppa
and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6he is
staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea." 7When the angel who was speaking to
him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those
who were his personal attendants, 8and after he had explained
everything to them, he sent them to Joppa. In
preparation for his salvation experience, the angel tells Cornelius to send
men to Joppa to ask Peter to come to his home. Cornelius calls two servants
and a military aide, a devout man, and dispatches them to Joppa to find a man
named Simon, who is also called Peter, who is staying with a tanner named
Simon in a house by the sea. While
God was preparing Cornelius for an encounter with Simon Peter, The Holy Spirit
was also preparing Peter for an encounter with the gentile military man,
Cornelius. In fact, as much as Cornelius needed to be readied for Peter,
Peter probably needed even more to be readied for his encounter with a group
of gentile seekers. Jews
hated Romans. One big reason for their hate was because for years, they had
been forced to live under the military rule of an occupying army, pay taxes
to Caesar, carry their bags if commanded, suffer cruel treatment daily, fight
continually to keep their temple and Jerusalem free of Roman idols and
symbols, and watch many of their brothers suffer the cruel punishment of
being publicly beaten and crucified. An observant Jew looked on the Romans as
less than animals, and so unclean that if they touched one in the street they
would be considered unclean themselves and would have to rush home and wash.
And no Jew would ever be found in the home of a Gentile, let alone a Roman
soldier. Nor would a Jew be found praying with Gentiles in the temple because
of the "middle wall of partition". In fact, gentiles faced the
threat of death if they sought to cross it in order to enter the Jewish
section. These
were the only some of the beliefs of prejudice Simon Peter was dealing with
as he was being prepared by the Holy Spirit to deal with the Centurion, his
family and friends. Cornelius
was given a vision by the Holy Spirit in preparation for the encounter. That
same Holy Spirit placed Peter into a trance of discovery. Peter’s Trance and his
Vision of the sheet lowered from Heaven 9On the next day, as they were on
their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the
sixth hour to pray. 10But he became hungry and was desiring to
eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11and
he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down,
lowered by four corners to the ground, 12and there were in it all
kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of
the air. 13A voice came to him, "Get up,
Peter, kill and eat!" 14But Peter said, "By no means,
Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." 15Again a voice came to him a second
time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." 16This happened three times, and
immediately the object was taken up into the sky. 17Now while
Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen
might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked
directions for Simon's house, appeared at the gate; 18and calling
out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying
there. 19While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said
to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20"But
get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent
them Myself." Preparation
for Peter was needed (to address his bigotry against Gentiles), and it is
what God provided. As the group sent out by Cornelius approached Joppa, Peter
was preparing for his sixth-hour prayers. Luke tells us that the location for
Peter’s preparation was the rooftop of the Tanner’s house. It was most likely
chosen by Peter as convenient and out of the way (private). The time was
around 12:00 noon – the sixth hour and one of the appointed times for prayer.
As he contemplated his prayers on the rooftop of Simon the tanner’s hose,
Peter is given a strange vision, where all manner of animals (both clean and
unclean) including things that walk, slither across the ground and fly
through the air are lowered from Heaven on a sheet, held on the four corners.
As
Peter observes the animals, a voice tells him “Get up Peter. Kill and eat.” Peter
questions this statement: 14But Peter said, "By no means,
Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean." This
is a falling back on the legalism if the Jews, who would quickly state their
observance of the law and expect God to be impressed with their observance.
However God wants us above everything else to be yielding to his will, and so
Peter receives a response in opposition to his attitude of legality. And so
Peter receives a response: 15Again a voice came to him a second
time, "What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy." We
are often guilty of this attitude of prejudice toward others and just as
often toward ourselves. We see the lifestyle that others have exhibited and
see no way why we should consider them cleansed, although that is just what
Christ has accomplished in their lives. We also remember our past and refuse
to believe that Jesus would (or could) cleanse us of the past. Both beliefs
are wrong. The error of our attitude in both cases is easily corrected
through God’s words to Peter. “What God has cleansed, no longer consider
unholy.” Luke
tells us that the words are repeated three times before the vision is
removed. The three times use, probably tells us several things: 1
– How stubborn Peter was. God had to tell him three times before Peter heard
what God was saying. 2
- How much like Peter we are. Why do we need to be told so many times? 3
– Of course, this may be a three-fold statement. The Father, Son and Holy
Spirit are in agreement on how bigoted you are. While
Peter is considering (confused by) what he has experienced, The messengers
from Cornelius arrive and enquire if a man named Simon Peter is there. So
that there will be no misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit addresses their
arrival. 19While Peter was reflecting on the
vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20"But
get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent
them Myself." The
Holy Spirit assures Peter he is to have no misgivings about accompanying
these gentile men. They have been sent by God to find him. God has spoken to
Peter and (thank goodness for us) Peter heard what God said. “What God has
cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 21Peter went down to the men and
said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for
which you have come?" 22They said, "Cornelius, a
centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire
nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to
come to his house and hear a message from you." 23So he invited them in and gave them
lodging. Peter
has been given a task to perform. He has been told that what God has cleaned
he should no longer consider unholy and he has been told to have no doubts as
to whether he should deal with these visitors since God has sent them to see
him. And so he invites them in. Perhaps
Peter has never done such a thing (have dealings with a gentile) in his life!
It certainly is not something we would expect to see an observant Jew doing!
It is interesting to see that this was taught to Peter by the Holy Spirit and
not placed into him when the Holy Spirit came upon him at Pentecost. We
need to be constantly aware of the teachings Of the Holy Spirit that continue
throughout our lives. Peter at Caesarea And on the next day he got up and
went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24On
the following day he entered There is to be quite a large crowd of witnesses
for whatever will take place. They will include Peter and a group of brethren
(six fellow Jews noted in Acts 11:12) from Joppa, Cornelius and his family
and close friends. At minimum, there would have been eleven people there and
most likely many more than that. Perhaps Cornelius mistook Peter for more than he
was, because (even though he was a Roman Soldier) he fell at Peter’s feet in
worship, but Peter corrected any misunderstanding the Centurion might have,
telling him, “I too am just a man.” At this point, Peter is learning quickly.
Most Jews would have naturally assumed a position of superiority over any
gentile person they encountered. However Peter is led to tell Cornelius that
they are both only men. It
is often suggested that the book of Acts ought to be called the Acts of the
Holy Spirit. This is certainly the case with how the Holy Spirit is dealing
with Peter in his encounter with Cornelius. 27As he talked with him, he entered
and found many people assembled. 28And he said to them, "You
yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a
foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call
any man unholy or unclean. 29"That is why I came without even
raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have
sent for me." Peter obviously is still
uneasy at entering the home of a Gentile. He knows that an observant Jew
would not enter the home of a gentile and he feels the need to explain his
action. As they go into the house he says to Cornelius, (I should not be
here), "You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to
visit any one of another nation." Now, that was not God's law; that was
man's law. The Jews had adopted that position on their own. But Peter had
been taught a lesson, and though he obviously did not fully understand it, he
says, (God has informed me that is not the case), "God has shown me that
I should not call any man common or unclean and so I've come. What do you
want of me?" 30Cornelius said, "Four days
ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and
behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, 31and he said,
'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered
before God. 32'Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is
also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the
tanner by the sea.' 33"So I sent for you immediately, and you
have been kind enough to come. Now
it is Cornelius’ time to explain. And he does. Strange things have happened.
An Angel appeared to me as I prayed to God and said “Cornelius,
your prayer has been heard” This statement needs to
be addressed. Sometimes people will say “God never hears the prayers of a
non-Christian.” Obviously, from this account, that is not true. God did hear
the prayers of Cornelius while he was yet unregenerate. God took note of his
good deeds and alms as an expression of the earnestness of this man's heart.
He remembered them and acted on that basis. God will hear any honest and
sincere prayer, regardless of the state of that man's relationship to him, if
it is indeed an honest prayer. Cornelius
ends his explanation with a beautiful request: “Now
then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been
commanded by the Lord." This actually
represents one of the most strategic home Bible classes ever held. Following
the exact format of a home Bible class: -
A man opens his home. -
He gathers his friends into it, has some refreshments ready, -
He invites a teacher to come and present the gospel to his
friends. This is still a
workable proposition, just as it was on this occasion when Cornelius gathered
his kinsmen and friends together. People are waiting expectantly for the word
of the gospel, delivered in the home of someone they trust, in a non
threatening situation. Peter’s Message Peter’s words
express the purpose for which the Holy Spirit has maneuvered these men
together. It is the great message that will set Cornelius free: Gentiles Hear Good News 34Opening his mouth, Peter said:
"I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
35but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right
is welcome to Him. This is the
first preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ to a Gentile audience. Peter makes
seven distinct points and they are a marvelous unfolding of what the good
news is. 1
- God shows no partiality. God is not a respecter of persons. He receives
anyone, anywhere, from any background, race, any social class, any station in
life; it does not make any difference to him. He is not any more in favor of
one race, nation or political affiliation than another. It makes no
difference to God. He is impartial, he accepts any and all. Peter
knew that Cornelius, his kin and friends still needed a lot more. They were
still was unregenerate, without Christ. They may have been good people in the
worldly sense of the word, but they still needed redemption, they needed
salvation, they needed Christ. Still, they were acceptable to God because
they were honest. That is what God wants of anyone. Anyone, in any
circumstance, who comes to God with an honest heart will find an open door to
the truth about Jesus Christ. That is the first part of the gospel. 36"The word which He sent to
the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)
- 37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all
Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38"You
know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with
power, 2 – Immediately, Peter moves
to the coming of Christ, to the incarnation, to the fact that Jesus, who, he
emphasizes, is the Lord of all, came to us, nevertheless, as a man. Peter states this in human terms. Jesus came as a
man through whom God worked in love and power. He did not come primarily to
display his deity, to show us how God behaves; he came to show us how man
behaves as God intended him to be, when man is indwelt by God. We will never be a human being as God intended us
to be until we are indwelt by God. Jesus came to demonstrate that fact. He is
God, reaching out to man in man's weakness, failure, and sinfulness to
restore him and to re-inhabit man who had lost the Spirit of God. Peter also
preaches the Lordship of Jesus. He does not call him the Savior; he calls him
the Lord. It is as Lord that Jesus is to be received into the heart; then he
becomes Savior. and how He went about doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39"We are witnesses of all
the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem 3 - When Jesus Christ arrived, he destroyed the
effects of evil everywhere he went. He did this openly, before witnesses,
where everyone could see. He came to a world that was lost and despairing,
without hope. Everywhere he went he set people free and brought again to
human hearts the hope that there is a way out of the desperate bondage of
fallen humanity. Jesus Christ can set people free. That is what Christ does.
"He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the
devil" as a demonstration of what God is accomplishing in the work of
redemption. They also put Him to death by
hanging Him on a cross. 4 – Point four is brief and sobering. It is almost as though
Peter does not want to dwell on it. All he says is, "They put him to
death..." Jesus was killed by the most shameful means possible. Even the
Romans recognized that. Cicero, the Roman orator, said, "The cross is so
terrible that it should not be mentioned in polite company." But by that
means Jesus, the man who went about doing good, was put to death. Peter moves
on quickly. 40"God raised Him up on the
third day and granted that He become visible, 41not to all the
people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us
who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 5 – But God raised him
up. Death had no hold on Jesus. He became visible again – once alive, then
dead, then alive again. Peter said, "I was one of those witnesses who saw him
after he rose from the dead. It was no hallucination, no ghostly, spiritual
appearance, because we ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He
was there in a body. Only bodies can eat and drink, and there he was."
He could not be defeated by men. The grave had no power over him. God's power
was greater than man's, and he broke the barriers of death. There is the good news of the gospel. Jesus
Christ is the answer to death in every form, whatever it may be. Everything
which creates hopelessness and despair in human life must yield to the power
of this mighty Son of God. 42"And He ordered us to preach
to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been
appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 6
- This good news is to go out to all men everywhere. Jesus commanded us to
preach him as a living person. He is not dead; he is alive and available to
all men everywhere. Not only that, but he is supremely important to every
person. He is the paramount figure in the universe, the ultimate crisis of
all men. He
stands at the end of every path down which men go, and he waits there as the
one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. Knowing this, we
are faced with the most important question anyone might ever face in life:
"What do you do with Jesus of Nazareth?" What have you done with
him? 43"Of Him all the prophets bear
witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives
forgiveness of sins." 7
- Everything that Jesus did was predicted by the prophets. Long before he
ever came, what he would be like and what he would do was written down. Every
prophet bore witness to this one fact: The only way mankind can ever find
forgiveness of sins is by believing in him." That is the great, final,
glorious thrust of the gospel. The good news is that men have been given a
way to be forgiven of their sins. It is the basic need of every human heart
and Christ fulfills that need. Through Jesus Christ sins are forgiven. Evidently Peter had intended to continue his
message, but at this point a most dramatic interruption occurs as the Gates
of Salvation open to the Gentiles 44While Peter was still speaking
these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the
message. 45All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were
amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the
Gentiles also. 46For they were hearing them speaking with tongues
and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47"Surely no one can
refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit
just as we did, can he?" 48And he ordered them to be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days. “While Peter was still speaking these words,” The Holy Spirit
interrupted him. In fact, the Holy Spirit does this more than once in the
book of Acts. It also happened on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit
would not let Peter finish his message. One might wonder what Peter intended
to say at the end of these messages, had the Holy Spirit not cut him off.
But, at any rate, he hardly ever got to finish a message because, before he
could, the Spirit acted. Peter had just
shared with Cornelius and those assembled in his house something to believe.
He told them, "The prophets bear witness that every one who believes in
Jesus receives forgiveness of sins." As soon as these men heard that
they believed and immediately upon believing they received the Holy Spirit, just
as Jesus said they would. Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come
unto me and drink... 'Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living
water…This spake he of the Spirit, whom they that believe on him should
receive;" (John 7: 37-39). As soon as the people heard, they believed,
and when they believed, they received the Holy Spirit. As on the day of
Pentecost the sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit was the gift of tongues.
Perhaps this was in order to indicate to Peter, and the other brethren, that
the Gentiles were being received on the same basis as the Jews had been.
Regardless of what the others may have thought, Peter understood, because he
said, "Can
anyone forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy
Spirit It is important
to note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit does not do away with the baptism
of water. One is a symbol of the other. These men were baptized with water
because they had been baptized with the Spirit. This Ends Chapter 10. Copyright © 2009, by ToBeLikeHim
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