Written by Chellakkan Blesson
The Word
34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Acts 10: 34-43 (ESV)
Reflection
God of all: Peter had most likely spent his whole life believing that certain people stood outside the circle of God’s concern. He was a Jew, raised to keep a careful distance from Gentiles, and he would never have walked into a Gentile home on his own. But then, God sent him to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion.
What happened in that living room changed the course of history. Peter stood before a room full of non-Jews and delivered the first recorded gospel message to Gentiles. Peter begins with a confession: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality.” From there Peter turns to Jesus, and the first thing he says is that Jesus is “Lord of all.” He is the one through whom God proclaimed peace, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and appointed as judge of the living and the dead. Peter describes a ministry of doing good and healing, and he points to himself and the other apostles as eyewitnesses. It was an eyewitness testimony from people who watched it happen. Ethnicity, background, and religious history do not decide who may come to God. Most of us carry quiet assumptions of our own about who would be interested in the Gospel and who would not. But God demonstrated that He is the God of all, and all people need to know who He is.
Sin, Cross, and Forgiveness: Peter speaks plainly about the cross even though it was considered a symbol of shame. Jesus was put to death by hanging on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and let him be seen by witnesses who ate and drank with him afterward. The risen Jesus was no vision or symbol. He sat at a table and shared a meal. Paul later supplies the reason behind it all: Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The cross was the price paid, and the resurrection shows that God accepted it. Peter closes with the commission and the promise. Jesus commanded His followers to preach and to testify, and the prophets all bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. Notice the word “everyone.” Forgiveness is not a reward for the worthy or a privilege; it is a gift, received by faith.
Application
This is the first instance of the Gospel shared by Peter with a group of Gentiles (non-Jews). The good news was not only for the inner circle or the Jews of Jerusalem and Judea, but for everyone, from every nation and people. The Good News is the forgiveness of sins through the finished work of Jesus. If that is true, then none of us have the right to decide in advance who will or will not listen. The people God places in our path, whether neighbors, coworkers, or strangers, are the ones He intends us to reach, and He often prepares them before we arrive, just as He prepared Cornelius. Our part is to speak simply about who Jesus is, what he did, and the forgiveness he offers, and to do so with kindness. Peter was still speaking when the Spirit fell on his listeners (Acts 10:44). Conversion is God’s work, not ours. We are called to be faithful, clear, kind, and to trust God with the results.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that the good news is for every nation and people, including me. Remove any prejudice that keeps me from those You have placed in my path. Give me courage to speak, kindness in how I speak, and trust that the results are Yours.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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