[Wed, 12 June] Acts 10:23-11:18 (1018 words; 4/18)

Peter arrives at Cornelius' house, who is very happy to see him! Falling at someone's feet pays special honour and can also be a gesture of supplication. It can also be worship, and this was more likely (and therefore ambiguous) in the east than the west. Outside of Judaism, which kept a stricter boundary between between God and creation, there were numerous levels of divinity, various spirits and even semi-divine humans. It would be surprising if Cornelius really is attempting to worship Peter, given what he knows of Judaism, but he could simply be overwhelmed and grateful, and not a little in awe of a man that an angel has sent to him. I think it is more likely that Cornelius was not actually worshipping Peter, but Peter did not want this gesture to be misinterpreted, and certainly did not want to be seen as receiving worship! Genuine servants of God are horrified when worship is directed away from God and on to them (cf. Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). We will see this with Paul and Barnabas in 14:11-15, and we will also see what can happen when a ruler allows himself to be hailed as a god (12:22-23). 

Peter begins his speech by emphasising the universality and impartiality of God. Even though, as he says in v. 36, that the message was sent to the people of Israel, Jesus Christ is Lord of all.This is more than saying that there is one God and He is Israel's God and all the other nations will find out one way or the other! This has more of an invitational tone.

But the NRSV doesn't quite capture how new all this is to Peter, following his vision and what Cornelius has told him. It renders v. 34 like this: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality". But the NIV is better, with this: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism". Peter can now see that God is bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Peter begins preaching an outline of the Gospel story as it would basically appear later in Mark's Gospel. It is interesting that Peter knows that these Gentiles have heard the message of peace in Jesus which was sent to Israel, or assumes it. 

The way Luke has organised it, Peter is able to finish this Gospel outline, but no doubt he would have been saying a lot more, giving more detail, explaining certain things, and so on (indeed Peter says he had only "begun speaking" in 11:15). God does not allow Peter to finish his preaching. The Holy Spirit interrupts and falls on the Gentiles. Peter's authority and his laying on of hands is bypassed for this crucial moment. It surprises him as well as all the others, even though in v. 45 only the reaction of the accompanying Jewish believers is mentioned. This moment is like the original one, with speaking in tongues and praising God. It confirms without a doubt that the Gentiles are included in this message of peace, as full members. There is nothing left to do but to baptise them! Peter uses in v. 47 the same word 'prevent' that the eunuch used when he asked to be baptised by Philip. What now stands in the way? Nothing. God has removed the barrier in Christ.

That Peter asks this rhetorical question of his Jewish cohort indicates his surprise. What had he been thinking as he was preaching? Would baptism follow? He had prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Spirit, but these here were actual Gentiles, uncircumised and all. Anyway, all Peter's authority can be used for now is to accept what God has done and ratify it with the lesser rite of water baptism.

Peter now faces criticism in Jerusalem. The problem is that Peter went to the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them (11:3). They do not question his preaching the word of God to them. Peter carefully explains all that transpired. In v. 12 he says, "The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us." So Peter goes because God told him to. He was on a divine mission. And in v. 15, when he tells how the Holy Spirit fell upon them while he was speaking, he says that this happened just as it had to us at the beginning. It was not a similar experience: it was the same experience. Note also in v. 16 Peter recalls Jesus' prophecy. The Spirit was helping him to remember and understand.

Then, perhaps with a shrug, he says in v. 17: 

"If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” 

The word is rendered 'hinder' here but it is the same as used by Peter in 10:47 ('prevent') and by the eunuch in 8:36. No one can hinder God. This was the wisdom of Gamaliel's advice to the Sanhedrin to leave the apostles alone, because if God is truly behind them, the Sanhedrin will find themselves fighting God (5:39)! 

Our passage today concludes with the fantastic v. 18, where the leadership is silenced i.e. their objections are overcome. All they can do is praise God for the incredible fact that "God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” 

Again, we miss their wonder and surprise at this moment. The Gentiles could be saved under the old way of thinking (perhaps by keeping the seven laws given to Noah in Gen 9), but if they wanted to join the people of God, they had to be circumcised—you cannot be a member of the covenant without its sign. And still they were not really on the same level as a born Israelite. But the coming of the Spirit upon Cornelius etc proved full acceptance without the need for circumcision or even water baptism. It is wonderful to me that these leaders did not debate it or argue, but simply praised God for what He had done.