NOTES for Act 10:1-48

This is the story of how God once and for all separated His Church from every kind of nationalism. For God there are no “unclean peoples” and no “outcast countries.” He is equally merciful to all, the righteous and the unrighteous, and in every nation anyone who acts rightly is acceptable to Him. That is the theory. In practice, however, we Christians have too often become bearers of every kind of “anti-ism”: antisemitism, anti-Islamism, anti-Americanism, and so on. The apostle Peter’s hesitation can still be explained by the fact that he was brought up with concepts of his people’s separateness and divine election. But how can our conduct be justified? Fortunately, God acts actively to overcome these sinful prejudices. As soon as Cornelius’s relatives and friends hear the first words of the Good News from Peter, He pours out His Spirit upon them, thereby showing that His Church is for everyone.