SUMMARY
Peter is called to go to the house of a GentileA gentile is anyone who is not Jewish. The term, which is derived from words that the Bible uses to denote the "nations" of the world, reflects beliefs that God had designated Israel as a nation that would be distinct from others, and a blessing... More, a Roman centurionA centurion was a Roman officer who commanded a military unit made up of one hundred men. Jesus healed a centurion's servant, and a centurion, at Jesus' crucifixion, acclaimed him to be God's Son. More named Cornelius, to tell him about God’s graceGrace is the unmerited gift of God's love and acceptance. In Martin Luther's favorite expression from the Apostle Paul, we are saved by grace through faith, which means that God showers grace upon us even though we do not deserve it. More revealed in Jesus. To go to Cornelius’ house and stay there, Peter must change his strict views concerning “clean” and “uncleanIn Hebrew law many regulations warned against impurity. Unclean things were numerous and included leprosy, menstruating women, dead bodies, shell fish, and pigs. More” foods and persons. This change is sparked by Peter’s visionary encounter with the Lord.
ANALYSIS
In the story of Cornelius, a Roman centurion stationed in Caesarea, Peter is the first of the apostles (who were all Jews) to stay in the house of a Gentile and eat with him and his householdA household is a living unit comprised of all the persons who live in one house. A household would embrace all the members of a family, including servants and slaves. In the book of Acts, stories are told of various persons and their households, like... More. This is a major step in Acts, requiring the full length of Acts 10 to bring it to fruition and two repetitions of the story (11:1-18; 15:6-11) to explain it.
From the beginning of Luke’s story (see Luke 1:1-4), it has been clear that the ordering of events in both Luke and Acts is crucial to understanding their meaning. Up to this point in Acts, Peter has been the primary leader among the believers, as certified by his healing Aeneas and raising Dorcas/Tabitha from death in the preceding scenes (9:32-41). Now, in Acts 10, Peter and Cornelius are both granted visions (“double vision” strategy in Acts) designed to bring the two men, Jew and Gentile, together. First, the Gentile Cornelius who prays to God and gives almsGiving alms is generally regarded as freely giving money or food to those in need. While not discouraging people from giving alms, Jesus cautions against the practice if it is done in a hypocritical manner. More (a form of repentance as well as charity among Jews) sees a vision that will answer his prayers. Then, the Jewish apostleDerived from a Greek word meaning "one who is sent," an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person's idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus... More Peter receives a puzzling vision that requires him to modify his interpretation of his people’s long-held tradition concerning “clean” and “unclean” things (see, for example, Leviticus 20:22-26).
Both Cornelius and Peter follow the promptings of their visions. Peter is led by the Spirit to enter Cornelius’ home and not to regard him and his household as “unclean” because they are Gentiles. The touchstones of Peter’s message to Cornelius are the impartiality of God’s grace and the universality of Jesus’ peacemaking Lordship: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all” (10:34‒36). While Peter is preaching, the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More Spirit breaks in and pours out on Cornelius and his household, prompting Peter to offer them baptismJesus was baptized (literally, "dipped") in the Jordan River by John the Baptizer, at which time he was acclaimed from heaven as God's Son, the Beloved. Much later baptism became one of the sacraments of the Church, the action by which a person is incorporated... More “in the name of Jesus Christ” (10:44‒48). Peter and his fellow Jewish companions from Joppa stay with Cornelius for some days, reinforcing the principle of fellowship, friendship, and neighbor-love between Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
Later, the believers in Peter’s “home church” ask him to explain his outreach to Cornelius in Caesarea (11:1‒18). After recounting the basic events, Peter justifies his actions by appealing to God’s embrace of all people: “If then God gave them [the Gentiles] the same gift [of the Holy Spirit] that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” (11:17). Although Peter’s encounter with Cornelius is a watershed moment in Jewish-Gentile relations, the issue of the oneness of God’s people will continue to challenge the early Christ communities, not least with respect to table-fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers.
