NOTES for Act 10:1-48

This is the story of how God separated His Church from every form of nationalism once and for all. For God, there are no “unclean peoples” or “pariah nations.” He is equally merciful to all, righteous and unrighteous, and in every nation anyone who does what is right is pleasing to Him. That is the theory. In practice, however, we Christians have too often become bearers of all kinds of “anti-isms”: antisemitism, anti-Islamism, anti-Americanism, and so on. The Apostle Peter's hesitation can still be explained by his having been raised with ideas of his people's separateness and divine election. But how can our behavior be justified? Fortunately, God acts decisively to overcome these sinful prejudices. As soon as Cornelius' relatives and friends hear the first words of the Good News from Peter, He pours out His Spirit upon them, thus showing that His Church is for everyone.