Acts 10 records a key moment in church history. Until then, the Christian movement, known as “the Way,” was still seen as a sect within Judaism.
But God took the initiative to include Gentiles. He brought Peter and Cornelius together through a vision, an angel, and the Holy Spirit. Now, Peter is at Cornelius’ home, where Cornelius and his household are gathered and ready to hear what God will say through His servant.
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35)
Traditionally, food laws, strict rules around table fellowship, and hospitality were meant to keep Jews separate from Gentiles.
Believing that associating with Gentiles could weaken their faith, Jewish people kept their distance. It is hard for us to fully understand how deep this division was. But as we read through Acts, we see just how difficult it was for the early church to follow God’s will while letting go of long-held beliefs.
Paul was right when he wrote about God’s impartiality, but it has taken the church a long time to recognize this truth:
There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
A few years after segregation officially ended, I preached in the South. Segregation may have ended in the schools, but it had not ended in the churches.
Some of the saddest stories I know come from my seminary days and early years in ministry. John Perkins, a faithful Christian leader in Mendenhall, Mississippi, was beaten by a sheriff simply because of his skin color.
A leading pastor in Jackson, Mississippi, left the ministry in deep disappointment and began selling tomatoes because his church would not allow Black people to walk through its doors.
I was able to lead a multicultural ministry at the church I served only because the lead pastor boldly said, “We do not vote on what is right.” However, prejudice lingered. When our African American basketball players competed in a Baptist church league, they were often called for an unusually high number of fouls for no clear reason.
Just like the early 1970s, 2026 needs to hear God’s declaration that He shows no partiality toward anyone. We would do well to remember this when we vilify people from Somalia, Haiti, and Latin American countries.
The Holy Spirit Interrupts Peter
Peter began by sharing with Cornelius and his household how Jesus fulfilled what God had been doing since the time of Abraham. Right in the middle of his message, the Holy Spirit came upon everyone who heard God’s word.
“While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?'” (Acts 10:44-47)
There are some important takeaways from what happened with Cornelius and his household. First, the Holy Spirit came upon them before they did anything themselves. This was entirely God’s work in the lives of the Gentiles, showing His outreach to all humanity.
Second, the gift of the Holy Spirit was clear proof that God loved Gentiles just as impartially as He loved the Jews. There could be no division.
Just as 3,000 Jewish converts were baptized on Pentecost, Peter saw what had happened in the lives of the Gentiles and declared that they should be baptized, too. In other words, he placed them on the exact same level as Jewish believers.
There is a saying about God’s impartiality that really speaks to me: If God calls you a son or daughter, should I not be willing to call you a brother or sister?
For several years, I prayed with pastors from different denominations and races. They broadened my understanding of God, theology, and life. I would be much poorer without those experiences.
The Jewish people were blessed as Gentiles became part of God’s family. In the same way, Gentiles are blessed to be built upon the rich heritage of the Jewish faith. God loves the whole world, and we should, too.
“We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” (1 John 4:19-21)
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed Acts 10:34-48 on YouTube today.
