Commentary - Acts 10:23b-33

Bird's-eye view

This passage in Acts 10 is a monumental turning point, not just for Peter and Cornelius, but for the entire world. Here we see the gospel kicking down the door of ethnic segregation. The events at Caesarea are the practical, on-the-ground fulfillment of what Christ accomplished on the cross. The wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile is not just being challenged; it is being demolished by divine revelation and apostolic obedience. Peter, having received his vision of the unclean animals, is now walking into the very situation that vision was preparing him for. He is about to discover that the clean/unclean distinction, which had defined Israel's relationship to the nations for centuries, has been fulfilled and consequently transformed in Jesus Christ.

Cornelius, a devout and God-fearing man, represents the best the Gentile world has to offer. Yet, his piety is not enough. He needs the gospel. God, in His sovereign grace, orchestrates this meeting to show that salvation is not a matter of human merit or ethnic heritage, but of divine grace received through faith in the proclaimed word. The stage is set for the gospel to officially and openly break its Jewish swaddling clothes and begin its march to the ends of the earth. This is the Gentile Pentecost, a foundational moment for the catholicity of the church.

Outline

Context In Acts

The book of Acts is the story of the Holy Spirit empowering the church to fulfill the Great Commission, moving out in concentric circles from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). The conversion of Cornelius is the key event that officially opens that final phase. Up to this point, the gospel has been preached primarily to Jews, and then to the Samaritans (a sort of half-way house), and to an Ethiopian eunuch who was already a God-fearer connected to Jerusalem's worship. But here, in the house of a Roman centurion, the gospel makes a formal, public, and decisive leap into the Gentile world. This event provides the theological and practical precedent for Paul's subsequent ministry to the Gentiles. Without the events of Acts 10, the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 would have been unthinkable.

Key Issues

Commentary

And on the next day he rose up and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him. (v. 23b)

Peter's obedience is immediate. Having processed the vision and the arrival of Cornelius's men, he doesn't dawdle. The "next day" shows a promptness that flows from a conviction that God is truly at work. He doesn't form a committee or seek further counsel. God has spoken, and that settles it. Notice also that he takes "some of the brothers from Joppa" with him. This is crucial. These six men (as we learn in Acts 11:12) are his witnesses. Peter understands the gravity of what he is about to do. He is crossing a line that no apostle has so publicly crossed before, and he knows he will have to answer for it back in Jerusalem. These Jewish believers will be the corroborating evidence that this whole affair was orchestrated by God and not by Peter's sudden hankering for Italian food.

And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. (v. 24)

Cornelius is not just passively waiting; he is actively expectant. His faith is demonstrated by his preparation. He didn't just hope Peter might show up; he banked on it. And his faith is not a private, individualistic affair. He has gathered his "relatives and close friends." This is household faith, covenantal faith in its Gentile infancy. Cornelius is a spiritual head, and he is gathering his people under the spout where the glory is about to come down. He wants everyone he cares about to hear what this man of God has to say. This is the heart of an evangelist. When you find something good, you don't hoard it for yourself. You call everyone you know to come and see.

And when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. (v. 25)

Here we see the natural human tendency to misdirect worship. Cornelius, overwhelmed by the fact that this apostle has come in response to a divine vision, prostrates himself. The word used is proskuneo, the standard word for worship. In the pagan world, this kind of reverence was often given to men of great power or perceived divine connection. Cornelius is a devout man, but his theology of worship is still a bit fuzzy. He rightly perceives that God is at work through Peter, but he wrongly directs the worship due to God toward the messenger. It is a sincere mistake, born of awe and reverence, but it is a mistake nonetheless.

But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” (v. 26)

Peter's reaction is swift and decisive. He will have none of it. "Stand up; I too am just a man." This is the uniform response of all godly men and angels in Scripture when offered worship (see Rev. 19:10, 22:9). Only false apostles and antichrists receive worship. Peter understands that the message is everything and the messenger is nothing. He is a postman, not the author of the letter. This humble refusal to accept worship is a mark of true apostolic authority. He is not building a personal following; he is pointing people to Christ. This stands in stark contrast to the popes who would later claim to be his successors, who have historically been quite comfortable with people bowing and scraping before them.

As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled. (v. 27)

Peter is now crossing the threshold, both literally and theologically. As he is talking with Cornelius, likely continuing the thought from the previous verse, he steps into a Gentile house and finds it packed. This is not a quiet, one-on-one conversation. It is a public event. The "many people" confirm the wisdom of Cornelius's evangelistic zeal. The stage is set for a sermon that will have wide-reaching implications, and God has ensured there is a full house to hear it.

And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean. (v. 28)

Peter begins by stating the problem that his very presence in this house creates. He acknowledges the deep-seated cultural and religious prohibition. The word translated "unlawful" (athemiton) doesn't mean it was explicitly forbidden in the Mosaic law, but rather that it was considered improper and against established custom, a tradition that had grown up around the law to maintain Jewish separation. But then he immediately pivots to the divine revelation that trumps this tradition. "God has shown me." This is his authority for being there. The vision of the sheet was not ultimately about diet; it was about people. The lesson was clear: if God has cleansed something, no man has the right to call it common or unclean. This is the death knell of all racial and ethnic arrogance in the church.

That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was summoned. So I ask for what reason you have summoned me.” (v. 29)

Peter connects his obedience directly to the revelation he received. He came "without objection." His question, "for what reason you have summoned me," is not because he is ignorant. He knows God is up to something. Rather, it is a rhetorical device to invite Cornelius to give his testimony. Peter is drawing out the story, allowing the Gentile to explain his side of this divine appointment, so that all the witnesses present, both Jewish and Gentile, can see that this meeting is God's doing from start to finish.

And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments, (v. 30)

Cornelius begins his account, providing the other half of the story. His testimony is specific: "Four days ago," "the ninth hour" (3 p.m.), the hour of prayer. This is not a vague feeling but a datable, verifiable event. The "man in shining garments" is clearly an angel, a messenger from God. The description emphasizes the heavenly origin of the message. God initiated this contact. Cornelius was not seeking to break down barriers; he was simply seeking God in prayer, and God responded by sending both an angel and an apostle.

and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. (v. 31)

The angel confirms that Cornelius's piety has not gone unnoticed. His prayers and his alms have ascended as a "memorial before God." This does not mean he has earned his salvation. Rather, his God-fearing life was the soil that God Himself had prepared for the seed of the gospel. God was drawing Cornelius, and his righteous deeds were the fruit of that initial grace, which now leads to a fuller grace. God responds to the faith He Himself has given.

Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is lodging at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ (v. 32)

The instructions were remarkably precise. God could have had the angel preach the gospel directly to Cornelius. But He didn't. God honors the means of grace He has established, which is the preaching of the Word by His ordained servants. He tells Cornelius to send for a man. Salvation comes through the foolishness of preaching. The specificity of the instructions, the city, the name, the alias, the landlord's name and occupation, the location, left no room for doubt. This was a divine setup.

So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord.” (v. 33)

Cornelius concludes his part of the narrative. He, like Peter, responded with immediate obedience. He expresses gratitude for Peter's coming. And then he sets the stage for the sermon with one of the greatest invitations a preacher could ever hope to receive: "We are all here present before God to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord." This is a congregation that is ready to receive the Word. They are not there to be entertained or to critique the sermon. They have assembled "before God," conscious of His presence, and they are ready to hear and obey everything, "all things", that God has commanded Peter to speak. This is the posture of true revival.

Application

The implications of this passage are enormous. First, it demolishes every form of ethnic or racial pride within the church. The ground at the foot of the cross is level. God has shown us not to call any person common or unclean. If we harbor bitterness, suspicion, or a sense of superiority toward believers of another race or nationality, we are directly contradicting the lesson Peter learned here. We are, in effect, trying to sew the temple veil back together.

Second, we must learn to hold our traditions with a loose hand. Peter had a tradition that was not commanded by Scripture, and God shattered it with a direct revelation. We must always be willing to bring our church customs and personal habits under the authority of Scripture. If God's Word says one thing and our tradition says another, the tradition must go.

Finally, we should cultivate the same attitude as Cornelius and his household. When we gather for worship, we should come expectantly, "present before God," ready and eager "to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord." We are not sermon-tasters or religious consumers. We are subjects of the King, assembled to receive our marching orders. If we came to church with this kind of humble, expectant eagerness, our churches would be transformed.