The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
common or unclean - The Mosaic Law prohibited the eating of certain unclean animals (Lev 11).
"By 'common' is meant 'profane', 'unhallowed'. The law of Moses prescribed certain animals as 'clean' or fit for food, and prescribed others as 'unclean' or unfit for food (Lev 11; 20:25-26; Deut 14:3-21), and the Jews were most scrupulous in their observance of the distinction. One of the chief reasons why they regarded the Gentiles as 'unclean' and refused to associate with them, was because the latter did not observe these food distinctions." (Walker)
"The Jews, God's 'peculiar treasure,' had long consider the Gentiles 'common' and 'unclean.' The Mosaic law had placed a 'middle wall of partition' between them, and the only way a Gentile could find true acceptance among the people of Israel was by submitting to circumcision and the Law a proselytes to Judaism (Isa 56:6-7) ... It is sometimes supposed that the apostles were prejudiced against the salvation of the Gentiles, but the above passage indicates that the opposite was the case. Indeed, in Acts 11:18; 11:23 and 15:3 we find that there was genuine rejoicing among the Jewish believers when Gentiles were saved ... Both Peter and Paul, on these occasions heard the voice of the Lord, both while in trances and both praying at the time. Paul's experience concerned God's purpose to turn from the Jews; Peter's concerned God's purpose to go to the Gentiles. Both talked back to God. In each case, however, the Lord insisted on carrying His purpose through." (Stam)
"We are quite aware of the fact that Peter did not proclaim the mystery to these Gentiles. He did not even know about God's unprophesied purpose and grace. We are explicitly told that he did not understand why God was now sending him to the Gentiles ad that the best explanation he could give to his critics was: 'What was I, that I could withstand God?' (Acts 10:20; 11:17). Nevertheless, Peter's commission here was a departure from the prophetic order (Acts 3:25-26) and from the order of the so-called 'great commission' (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8) and was one of the first steps in the unfolding of God's plan to bless the nations in spite of Israel's rejection of Christ. Here we would remind the reader of what we have said about Cornelius' conversion being part of the connecting link between Peter's ministry and Paul's. While fully recognizing that Peter did not preach the mystery to Cornelius and his household and did not even know about it, we should nevertheless take careful note of the following:
1. This incident took place after the conversion of Saul, which was the supreme demonstration of the long suffering and grace of God, and the pattern for those who should thereafter believe on Christ to life everlasting (1 Tim 1:13-16).
2. In the case of Cornelius we read for the first time that God had put 'no difference' between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:9).
3. Peter did not go to Cornelius under the so-called 'great commission,' but in obedience to a special commission.
4. God did not send Peter to Cornelius because Israel had now accepted Messiah and the apostles might now go on with their commission. He sent Peter because Israel had continued to reject Messiah and God was now to send salvation to the Gentiles in spite of them.
5. This could not have been the net step in the carrying out of the 'great commission,' for the apostles had not yet finished their work at Jerusalem (Read carefully Zech 8:13; Luke 24:47 and cf. Acts 1:8).
6. There is no record in Scripture of any of the circumcision apostles ever going to Gentiles again. Indeed, later they promised to confine their ministry to Israel and acknowledged Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles (Gal 2:2, 7, 9).
7. The Lord's declaration that He would send Saul 'far hence unto the Gentiles' is followed by this special commission to Peter, in order to open the way for Paul's ministry among the Gentiles. Since Peter himself had, under God, recognized the salvation of uncircumcised Gentiles, the Hebrew believers at Jerusalem could take no legitimate exception to Paul's Gentile ministry.
8. It was on the basis of Peter's experience that Paul's ministry among the Gentiles was later officially recognized (Acts 15:7-27; Gal 2:1-9).
All this indicates that Peter's ministry to Cornelius and his household was a distinct department from the prophetic program and fits in naturally after Paul's conversion and before his great ministry among the Gentiles was called in question." (Stam)
common or unclean - The Mosaic Law prohibited the eating of certain unclean animals (Lev 11).
"By 'common' is meant 'profane', 'unhallowed'. The law of Moses prescribed certain animals as 'clean' or fit for food, and prescribed others as 'unclean' or unfit for food (Lev 11; 20:25-26; Deut 14:3-21), and the Jews were most scrupulous in their observance of the distinction. One of the chief reasons why they regarded the Gentiles as 'unclean' and refused to associate with them, was because the latter did not observe these food distinctions." (Walker)
"The Jews, God's 'peculiar treasure,' had long consider the Gentiles 'common' and 'unclean.' The Mosaic law had placed a 'middle wall of partition' between them, and the only way a Gentile could find true acceptance among the people of Israel was by submitting to circumcision and the Law a proselytes to Judaism (Isa 56:6-7) ... It is sometimes supposed that the apostles were prejudiced against the salvation of the Gentiles, but the above passage indicates that the opposite was the case. Indeed, in Acts 11:18; 11:23 and 15:3 we find that there was genuine rejoicing among the Jewish believers when Gentiles were saved ... Both Peter and Paul, on these occasions heard the voice of the Lord, both while in trances and both praying at the time. Paul's experience concerned God's purpose to turn from the Jews; Peter's concerned God's purpose to go to the Gentiles. Both talked back to God. In each case, however, the Lord insisted on carrying His purpose through." (Stam)
"We are quite aware of the fact that Peter did not proclaim the mystery to these Gentiles. He did not even know about God's unprophesied purpose and grace. We are explicitly told that he did not understand why God was now sending him to the Gentiles ad that the best explanation he could give to his critics was: 'What was I, that I could withstand God?' (Acts 10:20; 11:17). Nevertheless, Peter's commission here was a departure from the prophetic order (Acts 3:25-26) and from the order of the so-called 'great commission' (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8) and was one of the first steps in the unfolding of God's plan to bless the nations in spite of Israel's rejection of Christ. Here we would remind the reader of what we have said about Cornelius' conversion being part of the connecting link between Peter's ministry and Paul's. While fully recognizing that Peter did not preach the mystery to Cornelius and his household and did not even know about it, we should nevertheless take careful note of the following:
1. This incident took place after the conversion of Saul, which was the supreme demonstration of the long suffering and grace of God, and the pattern for those who should thereafter believe on Christ to life everlasting (1 Tim 1:13-16).
2. In the case of Cornelius we read for the first time that God had put 'no difference' between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:9).
3. Peter did not go to Cornelius under the so-called 'great commission,' but in obedience to a special commission.
4. God did not send Peter to Cornelius because Israel had now accepted Messiah and the apostles might now go on with their commission. He sent Peter because Israel had continued to reject Messiah and God was now to send salvation to the Gentiles in spite of them.
5. This could not have been the net step in the carrying out of the 'great commission,' for the apostles had not yet finished their work at Jerusalem (Read carefully Zech 8:13; Luke 24:47 and cf. Acts 1:8).
6. There is no record in Scripture of any of the circumcision apostles ever going to Gentiles again. Indeed, later they promised to confine their ministry to Israel and acknowledged Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles (Gal 2:2, 7, 9).
7. The Lord's declaration that He would send Saul 'far hence unto the Gentiles' is followed by this special commission to Peter, in order to open the way for Paul's ministry among the Gentiles. Since Peter himself had, under God, recognized the salvation of uncircumcised Gentiles, the Hebrew believers at Jerusalem could take no legitimate exception to Paul's Gentile ministry.
8. It was on the basis of Peter's experience that Paul's ministry among the Gentiles was later officially recognized (Acts 15:7-27; Gal 2:1-9).
All this indicates that Peter's ministry to Cornelius and his household was a distinct department from the prophetic program and fits in naturally after Paul's conversion and before his great ministry among the Gentiles was called in question." (Stam)
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