Overcoming Barriers

A MAJOR breakthrough in race relations is described in Acts 10. For years a virtual wall between Jews and Gentiles had hampered the apostles in sharing Jesus with the Gentile world. But when Peter met Cornelius—an officer of Rome’s occupation troops in Palestine—two conversions took place: Cornelius, his family, and his friends came to faith; and Peter came to realize that God wants Gentiles in the church.

God easily could have used Philip the evangelist (Acts 8:5) to bring the gospel to Cornelius. After all, he lived in Caesarea and had already shown his willingness to share the gospel across ethnic lines. But no, God called Peter to bring His message to the Roman centurion. Apparently He wanted to break down barriers against Gentiles in Peter’s heart.

How Peter Saw Cornelius

• Living in Caesarea, Roman military capital of Palestine (Acts 10:1).
• A centurion, commander of 100 occupying Roman troops (Acts 10:1).
• Of the Italian Regiment, all men from Italy (Acts 10:1).
• Gentile (Acts 10:1).
• Unclean, like the unclean animals of the OT dietary laws (Acts 10:11-16).
• Unlawful for a Jew to visit, as he was from another nation (Acts 10:28).
• Uncircumcised, therefore not right to eat with (Acts 11:3).

In Peter’s mind, these factors disqualified Cornelius from serving him dinner, let alone coming to faith. But Peter was following a “Jewish gospel.”

God’s intention had been that Hebrews would treat their Gentile neighbors cordially (Numbers 35:15; Deuteronomy 10:19; Ezekiel 47:2). Of course, He also charged His people to exclude heathen practices, particularly idolatry (Leviticus 18:24-19:4; Deuteronomy 12:29-31). Inter-marriage was condemned, though sometimes allowed (compare Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:3; Ezra 9:12; 10:2-44; Nehemiah 10:30). But the main concern was moral purity.

Through rabbinic tradition strict separation became the rule. By Peter’s day, four hundred years of Greek and Roman oppression had only hardened Jewish resolve to avoid as much contact as possible with foreigners.

Peter and the other Jewish believers brought these attitudes with them into the church, which made it almost impossible for them to reach out to Gentiles.

How God Saw Cornelius

• Devout (Acts 10:2).
• A God-fearer, along with his household (Acts 10:2).
• Generous to the poor (Acts 10:2).
• A man of prayer whose prayers and alms were received by God (Acts 10:2-4).
• Obedient to God’s angel (Acts 10:7-8).
• Cleansed by God, so not unclean (Acts 10:15).
• Crucial for Peter to visit (Acts 10:5, 19-20).

God’s view of Cornelius was a contrast to Peter’s. Because of Christ, God was ready to throw the doors of faith wide open to Gentiles: “What God has cleansed you must not call common,” He sternly declared to Peter (Acts 10:9-16). Because of Christ, the centurion could be “cleansed” from sin and be acceptable to God.

But Peter was confused. Should he break with his culture and visit this Gentile, violating traditional codes handed down as if carrying the force of God’s law? He had at least two days to sort out his thoughts as he walked to Caesarea to meet Cornelius. His emotional struggle can be seen in his first words to the assembled group: “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation” (Acts 10:28).

But God broke down the wall in Peter’s heart by pouring out the Holy Spirit on these Gentile believers (Acts 10:44-45).

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
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