1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” 4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Vs. 1-3 1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
When news of Peters going to Gentiles with the Gospel came to Judea and that they had received the word of the Lord, instead of rejoicing as they should have, those of the circumcision (i.e., Christians of Jewish birth), unaware of this new reality, that the Lord Jesus Christ had extended His salvation to the Gentiles, and so still holding to their old beliefs and practices that it was not lawful for Jewish person to eat with or have fellowship with a Gentile, they with Peters return to Jerusalem contended with him saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” vs. 3
Vs. 4-10 4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
Now in answering their complaints about his going to the Gentiles, Peter recalls his vision which God gave him to them, of how a great sheet was lowered down to him from heaven which was filled with all sorts of unclean animals and birds and such which the Jews were forbidden to eat or have contact with. Nonetheless when God had done this, and Peter saw this great sheet with all of these unclean creatures in it, God told him to, “rise Peter, kill and eat.” However, Peter (like the Jews there in Jerusalem who were objecting to his going to the “unclean” Gentiles) also initially objected saying, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ (vs. 8) Nonetheless God would have none of it, and so He answered him from heaven saying, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ (vs. 9-10), Now this vision was given to Peter three times to drive home the point, that just as the sheet was lowered down three times to him from heaven and then taken back into heaven, God was showing him that He alone has created all things and He alone declares things clean and unclean by His Perfect Sovereign Will to do so, and so by receiving the sheet back up into heaven He was effectively showing Peter that He Himself had not only created them, but was now also receiving them to Himself. This then was how God was revealing to Peter that He had now cleansed the Gentiles (through the blood of His Son) for Himself (vs. 4-10).
Vs. 11-18 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover, these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” 18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
And so, it was with the vision from God completed, Peter now recalls how the men sent from God to him at that very moment arrived at the house where he was staying (vs. 11). And how the Spirit told him to go out to them doubting nothing, that is doubt nothing that they would tell him, or doubt whether or not he should go with them (vs. 12). Therefore, Peter went out to them, and he now recalls how they explained Cornelius vision of an angel appearing to him telling him to send men to Joppa for Simon Peter who will tell him words by which he and his whole household could be saved (vs. 13-14). Therefore, Peter in recalling their salvation now tells the Jews at Jerusalem how as he was preaching the Gospel to them, that the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as it happened to them at the beginning when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (vs. 15). Therefore, remembering the Word of the Lord and how He has said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ (vs. 16) Peter realized that God had just given them the same gift of the Holy Spirit as He had given it to them when they believed on the Resurrected and Ascended Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, seeing this how could he resist the Will of God and not receive them as brethren (vs. 17). For the Holy Spirit comes as a gift from God when one believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, (not as a reward for joining the church and being baptized, or trying to be spiritual and speak in tongues) but only as the gift from God for believing in the Lord Jesus Christ His Son, and so whether one is a Jew or Gentile is irrelevant. What is relevant and pertinent is that one believes! Therefore, when they heard Peter speak these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” (vs. 18). Now repentance to life means that God granted them to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who by His Spirit had just brought them to life, that is new and everlasting life, because they believed what was rightly told them about Him. For though Cornelius and his household were striving to live Godly and righteous lives, they themselves like all who have yet to believe in and thus receive the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves, were still dead in their own sins and transgressions. And so, when Cornelius and those with him repented (that is saw themselves as sinners in need of Christ) and thus believed in Him as Peter preached Him to them, they were all then baptized by God’s Holy Spirit. For God alone knows the heart and when one truly repents and believes in His Son. And so, when they did, He immediately saved them, baptizing them with His Holy Spirit and thus making them born-again Christians by His Holy Spirit (John 3:3-5), and thus making them new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 517). This then marks a great turning point in the early church, for up until that moment there were only Jews and Samaritans who had received the Gospel. But now God by choosing to bring salvation to Cornelius and his household has just shown the early believers and church that He has thrown open wide the doors of salvation to all people everywhere! All that needs to happen then is for you also to enter in, and that you can do by simply repenting of your sins and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen from the dead! Therefore, I urge you don’t hesitate and don’t delay because God loves you and wants you to be reconciled and restored to Himself through the His Son the Lord Jesus Christ today!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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