NT Doctrine — Acts 10

Peter had already crossed every ritual barrier of exclusion keeping people from God’s Presence, violating every Jewish prejudice. Jews remained hostile to allowing the Covenant blessings to fall on Gentiles, the very thing for which God had originally called them as His Chosen. Their Covenant was vacated. The New Covenant would ignore all those boundaries. Now the Lord was going to nudge Peter to open the final treasure house, using the last of those keys Jesus had given Peter.

Cornelius was a Roman Army Captain stationed at the port city of Caesarea. He commanded a portion of prestigious troops from the Roman homeland. His position prevented him becoming circumcised and converting fully to Judaism, but he was genuinely observant of Moses otherwise. As part of that devotion to Jehovah, he prayed often and gave generously to Jewish charitable causes.

While thus praying midafternoon, he had a vision. It was highly specific; the Lord was pulling out all stops, not so much for Cornelius’ sake, but to ensure Peter didn’t fail to understand that this was a divine mandate. Cornelius was commended for his piety and commanded to send for Peter where he was staying with Simon the Tanner in Joppa, some 30 miles (48km) away. He called two of his household servants and one of the soldiers in attendance on him and related the vision. They would understand, since they were also believers, and he gave them the mission to fetch Peter.

They left early the next morning, and must have been traveling on, or drawn by, horses because they made the long journey by noon. There at Joppa, Peter had gone up on the rooftop to escape the bustle of a businessman’s ground floor. He was praying, waiting for lunch to be prepared. There he had a vision, again highly specific, about a tarp let down from the sky full of non-kosher animals, and a voice commanding him to capture and kill one of them for his lunch. Peter protested that he had always been kosher. But the Lord responded that what He called ritually clean was now no longer unclean. This same vision came three times, invoking his denial and restoration with Jesus. Then he was warned specifically of the three visitors coming his way, and that he was to embrace their mission as his own from God.

So just as Peter was puzzling over this bewildering experience, the trio from Cornelius arrived downstairs seeking Peter. Having been called, Peter came to see them and asked what they wanted. They told of their master’s vision. So Peter invited them to stay overnight so they could travel back together the next day.

And so it was that in the morning Peter set out with them, bringing a small entourage of Jewish Christians. Upon their arrival, the Centurion acted like Peter outranked him, but Peter insisted Cornelius recognize they were both just mere men in this context. The Roman had called together all his believing family and friends, expecting to hear an important message from the God they all worshiped.

First, Peter wanted to explain the significance of how God got his attention regarding something technically in violation of Jewish law. Clearly the Lord was behind this, nudging Peter to break with the old ceremonial laws and act according to the New Covenant. He outlined briefly how Jesus was the Messiah rejected by His own nation. His teaching and miracles should have been proof enough that God sent Him, but the Jews had long since lost their way.

Now raised from the dead, Jesus showed Himself only to those who would be part of His New Covenant nation. The risen Jesus very pointedly commanded His servants to cross all national borders and bring in those who were moved to commit their lives to His lordship. Peter affirmed that all of this was quite consistent with the Jewish prophecies that He would fulfill the original purpose of Israel to reach all nations.

At that moment, the same gift of the Holy Spirit fell on those Gentiles listening to this sermon. Peter was stunned, as were those who came with him. Clearly the Lord was claiming the folks in this household as His own. At this, Peter said it was time to baptize them into the New Covenant of the Messiah. Peter accepted their invitation to stay and they all spent the next few days together in fellowship and celebration.