Peter Preaches to the Household of Cornelius
Acts 10:34-43
The bringing of the gospel message is one of the watershed events in all of history. Up to this point, the gospel was preached to the Jewish nation. Luke later describes the Jewish-Christian witnesses he brought to Cornelius’ house as the “of circumcision faith.” The unfolding of Jesus command to the disciples in Acts 1:8 to be his witnesses “first in Jerusalem, then Judaea and Samaria, and then to the uttermost parts of the earth” had already seen the spreading of the gospel to Judaea and Samaria and also to the Ethiopian Eunuch. The Samaritans were not Jews but were descendants of the other ten tribes of Israel, at least in part. They could be seen as a fringe group to the Jews. The Ethiopian Eunuch may also have been of mixed Jewish blood as many of the Jews who escaped the Babylonian Captivity escaped to southern Egypt near Ethiopia. Also the Queen of Sheba who came to hear Solomon may have brought back the Israelite faith and incorporated it into the religion of the country. Proselytes to the Jewish religion heard the message at Pentecost.
One could argue, I suppose, that these groups were so remote to the center of Judaism that the Gospel had already been opened to the Gentiles. When one considers that Matthew records that all the region of Syria heard of the fame of Jesus that even Jesus had preached to Gentiles. And Jesus did preach to Samaritans and interacted with a Syrophonecian woman and a Roman Centurion. So why is this event portrayed as so central when there is precedent already set in reaching out to the Gentiles? Perhaps we should see this in relationship to circumcision and the law of Moses. To this point, at least some Gentiles could enter into the covenant, but this would mean becoming a Jew to some degree. There were already many God-fearers in the Roman Empire who believed in the God of Israel. They were afforded a quasi-legitimate status among the Jews. They could overhear the synagogue teaching in silence from the back of the synagogue. But to become of equal status, the men would have to submit to circumcision and vow to submit to the Law. Of course women and the eunuch could never rise to this status.
What makes the preaching to Cornelius’ household isn’t so much that they were Gentiles, per se, but rather their being able to enter into full covenant relationship in the Christian faith without being compelled to become part of the Jewish covenant which God made with Israel through Moses.
God had been at work preparing for this event. He prepared Cornelius, a Roman Centurion for it by his interest in the God of Israel. He was a God-fearer, which is a significant step considering that the Centurion had to make an oath with Rome, the Emperor, and the gods of Rome to join the military. To have any allegiance to another god could evoke suspicion. But many of the Roman Centurions showed themselves to be noble in the sight of God. The Bible always mentions centurions in a positive light. Cornelius showed interest in the Scripture and also was familiar with the events going on in Palestine as were those who Cornelius has invited to his house. Peter says as much when he says in his sermon to them “You yourselves know the events which happened in Galilee. They knew about John the Baptist, and had some knowledge of Jesus and the events concerning Him. God had prepared Cornelius well, and I wonder if the others whom Cornelius invited had heard these thing previously by Cornelius himself.
God had to prepare Peter as well. Peter had his faults, but he showed himself to be a loyal Jew. He also became a loyal follower of Jesus, despite his miserable failure of denying Jesus three times. Peter saw everything about Jesus through the lens of Judaism. On many occasions, he and the disciples had to be corrected, especially concerning how Jesus was the Messiah. The Jews had many erroneous opinions about the coming Messiah, especially that the Messiah would overthrow the Roman occupation of their country and restore Israel’s independence and glory over the nations. It would be quite an undertaking to get Peter to talk to a Gentile, a Roman Centurion, and a leader of the occupation. Peter had to be told everything three times it seems in order for things to sink in. So God gave the hungry Peter a threefold vision of mixed clean and unclean beasts with the command to kill and eat. Peter was indeed horrified, but the Lord Jesus told him not to call anything unclean which God had cleansed. He was told to let the men sent by Cornelius who had also seen a vision into the house he was in, a kosher house, and without question, and to go and lodge at Cornelius’ house. Of course, this was forbidden in Judaism, but God had the final word on the matter.
So Peter came and saw that Cornelius had gathered not only his household, but all his friends as well. Peter knew he had to speak the gospel to them, but he is learning new truth. He perceives one of the most important teachings of Christianity, that God is no respecter of persons. Verse 35 begins with the Greek conjunction, alla, which is the strong form for but. This use of this word in Greek is used to correct something that has just been said. The Jews had felt that they had an exclusive right to the covenant. They could admit outsiders to the covenant, but only upon their approval and on their terms. Many of them also felt that to be a native Jew was to be a part of the elect. They were saved not because of merit, but strictly because they were Jews. Of course, some held that a Jew could apostate from the faith and lose their salvation, but what is important here is they mistakenly thought that they had control and not God. This had to be corrected.
The person who is truly in covenant relationship with God is the one who fears Him and does righteousness. This also implies that those who do not are not in covenant relationship at all. The prophet Hosea had stated that they were not all Israel who claimed that they were Israel. Only those of the Jews who actually feared the God of Israel and did what was right and just had the right to be called Israel. There is a correction of the us and them. Hosea also says that those who were called “not my people” would be called children of the living God. This prophesied that Gentiles would be admitted into covenant relationship. This day was to be a fulfillment of this. The Gentiles who feared God and did righteousness were to be equally accepted by the Jewish Christians as full brothers and sisters in the covenant, without the necessity of converting to Judaism. It is important to note that Acts calls Cornelius was one who feared God and was known by his charitable deeds. This is not to say that we are saved by works, but rather than these works of righteousness proceed from genuine faith. So Cornelius and all Gentiles who feared God and demonstrated this by their deeds are to be admitted as equal children in the household of God.
It was necessary for Cornelius and those in his house to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. They had already heard some of the events, but they also needed to be taught of the significance of Jesus Christ. It is not enough just to fear God in an abstract sense. Peter needed to relate to them how God had made their admission into the covenant possible. God did not just send the information down by means of the angel that had visited Cornelius. God has appointed human beings, jars of clay, to bear the precious seed of the gospel. Even the Scripture of the Old Testament which is rightly called the Word of God was spoken to the hearts of men who recorded and preserved these words to posterity. This is why preaching is so vital. It has been said, “Preach the gospel; if necessary use words.” But it is necessary to use words. God created the heavens and earth by speaking the word, and not by the work of hands. It is the gospel which creates new life. It must be proclaimed for new life to come forth.
Peter starts from the person of Jesus with his sermon. They were already familiar with what Scripture said of God as creator and believed it. It was not necessary here to relate this information as Paul had to do when preaching to uninformed Gentiles such as in Acts 17 in his Mars Hill sermon. He tells them first about John’s baptism in summary form, as they already had knowledge of John. He goes then right to the center of the message that God christened Jesus if one follows the Greek here “Christened.” He was filled with the Holy Spirit and power. This is not to deny that Jesus is the co-eternal equal with the Father and Holy Spirit as some would say. Jesus was truly the Son from all eternity. But the Holy Spirit did come upon Him at baptism, which is what is being said here. The human Jesus did not rely on His own prerogative but submitted to the will of the Father. He allowed Himself to be led and at times driven by the Holy Spirit. In other words, He relied on the same Spirit which fills the believers. He is the example of a life lived in the Holy Spirit.
Peter relates that the Spirit led life as demonstrated in Jesus was to cure the sick and those oppressed by the devil. This is the demonstration of the fear of God as well as doing good works. At His baptism, the Father signals the approval of the Son. Peter then confirms that he and the other apostles had personally witnessed the work of Jesus.
Then Peter relates to them the Jewish rejection of Jesus who was then impaled on a tree. Cornelius who had some knowledge of the Scripture would probably know that the one who was hung on a tree was accursed. The one who had committed nothing but good was treated as a most accursed person. Surely this act of rejection goes against the idea of fearing God and working righteousness. This acts to show that those who approved of the execution were not Jews at all. This is not to say that some of them later repented and believed in Jesus afterward, but now their acceptance in God’s covenant was no longer based upon their ethnic and cultural descent, but instead in the true fear of God with works of righteousness following.
The One whom the people of Israel rejected and cursed in their opinion was neither in the sight of God. Instead, God showed His approval of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ by raising Him from the dead. Peter relates that He appeared to them and many others, but not all. He only revealed Himself alive to ones that the Father has selected to be His witnesses. The contrast is set off by the use again of, alla, to indicate this separation. Peter and these other chosen witnesses had to be convinced that Jesus was alive on several occasions and that the resurrection was not just spiritual but bodily by His eating and drinking with them after He arose from the dead on the third day.
Peter then relates that Jesus gave orders to proclaim to the people that God had appointed Jesus to be the judge of the living and the dead. At this point, Peter’s sermon was finished, and the Holy Sprit fell and approved what had just been said. It is interesting to see in the preaching of Jesus in the Book of Acts seems often to end with the appointing of Jesus to be the judge of all mankind. We see this in Paul’s sermon at Mars Hill. The Athenians did not respond in faith but cut off Paul at this point. There it is said only a handful believed. Here the entire house believed. I suppose we should learn a lesson from this. In too many churches, preaching stops short of this mark. We don’t want to talk about the God who judges, and especially when Jesus is said to be the judge of the living and the dead. Instead we want to proclaim the God of love and a loving Jesus who always has a smile on His face. But this is not how the early church proclaimed Jesus.
I suppose we should also learn that we need to submit to the leadership of God, the Holy Spirit and not think so highly of our rules for admission of outsiders into the church. This becomes a dilemma, for not all whom we would admit are Christians at all. But if Judas participated with the other apostles in the ministry of Jesus, it should be seen that Jesus even invited the devil Judas into the fellowship, knowing in advance what Judas would do. If we were perfect, we would admit those whom God has approved and reject all others. But Peter had made mistakes on this and had to be sharply corrected. I don’t have any answer to this oother than we need to listen what the Spirit says to the churches.
