“Acts 10:9-20”

Thursday, January 07, 2016

“On 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. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and[crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat!’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.’ Again a voice came to him a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. Now 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; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there. While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”

---End of Scripture verses---

We are still reading about the details concerning the conversion of Cornelius and his relatives and close friends specifically (verse 24), and the acceptance of Gentiles into the community of faith in general. So when we read about Peter’s vision in today’s verses, it is pertinent to the larger context of this momentous time in church history. But I do want to be clear that no new truth was being taught here. Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus had told His apostles to go into all the world and teach the Gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). Even Peter himself had said in that first inspired sermon that, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). The blessed Gospel has always been for all and Jesus died for the souls of all human beings.

Indeed, Gentiles were a part of the first 3,000 souls who were first added to the Lord’s church in Jerusalem. Acts 2:10 tells us that “both Jews and proselytes” were among God’s faithful gathered together on that Pentecost day. A proselyte was a Gentile who converted to Judaism. God was showing Peter in the vision of Acts chapter ten that a person didn’t need to convert to Judaism first in order to become a Christian; and He was helping him understand that, “God does not show partiality, but in every nation the man that fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (verses 34-35). God could have revealed this to him in a more direct manner, but He chose to use the immediate circumstances of Peter’s daily activities to illustrate this truth in a very impressive way.

Peter went up on the housetop to pray at “about the sixth hour,” or around 12 o’clock noon our time (verse 9). Good things happen when we set aside time and designate a place to be alone with God in prayer. When we choose to humble ourselves and deliberately come into God’s presence, we open ourselves up to His graces and make ourselves more receptive to His will. I am not saying that God reveals His will to us in prayer. He does that through the Bible. But in times of solemn supplication and quiet reflection the truth can crystalize and come more clearly into view in our minds eye. While Peter was in this submissive state of mind, God taught him a lesson in the form of a vision—sort of a living illustration.

While Peter was praying he became hungry (verse 10). God used this basic human desire to teach Peter that he should be sharing the Gospel with all of mankind—Jews and Gentiles alike. In this vision God showed Peter a large sheet, or blanket, filled with all types of animals being lowered down from heaven (verses 11-12). God told Peter to kill and eat of those animals to satisfy his hunger. Under the Law of Moses some animals were considered “unclean” and were forbidden for consumption (Deuteronomy 14:4-20). Obviously there were clean and unclean animals set before him in this spread. When Peter refused to eat an unclean animal God told him directly, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (verse 15).

Two truths really stand out from this scenario and from God’s words. First, even though Peter had continued to only eat animals categorized as “clean” under the Law of Moses, when that covenant was replaced by the New Covenant in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20), all such regulations regarding food had been abolished (1 Timothy 4:3-5). If God still considers certain animals to be unclean then the larger truth taught by this illustration is meaningless. The larger truth is that, with Christ’s sacrifice, God has removed all distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Jews are no longer God’s special, covenant people (Galatians 3:28). Christians are (Romans 2:28-29). The only way a Jewish person can ever again be a part of God’s “holy nation” is if he converts to Christianity.

More on the conversion of Cornelius and his family and friends tomorrow. But just to clarify for today—God doesn’t use trances and visions and dreams to teach His will to people now. We must understand that it was in the infancy of the church in its formative years that God used these miraculous methods of revelation and teaching. Now we have all we need in the Bible to teach us God’s will and make us pleasing to Him (Hebrews 2:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Please read Acts 10:21-33 for tomorrow.

- Louie Taylor

Share