Commentary - Acts 10:34-48

Bird's-eye view

This passage records one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the church, second only perhaps to Pentecost itself. Here, in the house of a Roman centurion, the gospel officially and demonstrably breaks out of its Jewish swaddling clothes and is given to the Gentile world. Peter, having been prepared by a divine vision, preaches a straightforward, Christ-centered sermon that summarizes the life, death, resurrection, and universal lordship of Jesus. The sermon is not even finished when God sovereignly interrupts with a Gentile Pentecost, pouring out the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household. This event, confirmed by the sign of tongues, serves as irrefutable, divine proof that the door of faith has been opened wide to the nations. The middle wall of partition has not just been breached; it has been obliterated by the work of Christ. The passage concludes with the logical and necessary application of this new reality: these Gentile believers are to be baptized, formally incorporating them into the visible body of Christ. This is the beachhead of the Great Commission's advance to the ends of the earth.

What we see here is the practical outworking of the gospel's universal power. It is not a tribal religion. The sermon itself is a model of clarity, focusing on the historical facts of Jesus' ministry and the theological significance of His resurrection: He is the appointed Judge and the sole source of forgiveness. The dramatic intervention of the Holy Spirit is God's own exclamation point on Peter's message, demonstrating that salvation is by faith alone and that the gift of the Spirit is not restricted by ethnicity. The astonishment of the Jewish believers present underscores the radical, paradigm-shattering nature of this moment. God is building one new man from the two, and He does it through the preaching of the gospel and the outpouring of His Spirit.

Outline

Context In Acts

Acts 10 is a major turning point in Luke's narrative, which is structured by the geographic expansion outlined in Acts 1:8: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. We have seen the gospel established in Jerusalem (Acts 2-7), and then pushed out into Judea and Samaria following Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 8). Philip has preached to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian eunuch, both significant boundary-crossings. But the conversion of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, represents the formal, apostolic sanctioning of the Gentile mission. God orchestrates the entire event with meticulous care, giving parallel visions to both Cornelius (a Gentile God-fearer) and Peter (the lead apostle) to ensure there is no doubt about His will. This chapter provides the theological and historical foundation for the later ministry of the apostle Paul and for the decision of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, which will formally rule that Gentile believers do not need to be circumcised to be saved. This event is so crucial that Peter will have to recount it in detail in the very next chapter to defend his actions before the church in Jerusalem.

Key Issues

The Gospel Cracks the Foundations

Up to this point, an orthodox Jew like Peter operated on a foundational assumption: God had one chosen people, Israel. The whole world was divided into two categories, Jew and Gentile. And while a Gentile could convert to Judaism, it meant becoming a Jew, being circumcised, and taking on the yoke of the Mosaic law. The idea that God would simply save Gentiles as Gentiles and pour out His Spirit upon the uncircumcised was world-altering. It was a theological earthquake. Peter begins his sermon by saying he is just now, truly, comprehending this. God had to hit him over the head with a vision of unclean animals and then immediately send him to this Roman's house for the pieces to click into place.

The gospel is not simply a new and improved version of Judaism. It is the fulfillment of what Judaism pointed to, and in that fulfillment, it explodes the old categories. The sermon Peter preaches is the demolition charge. And the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the moment the old walls come crashing down. This is why the Jewish believers who came with Peter were "astounded." Everything they thought they knew about how God dealt with mankind was being radically reconfigured before their very eyes. The kingdom of God was for "every nation," and the sign of membership was not circumcision of the flesh, but the gift of the Spirit received through faith.

Verse by Verse Commentary

34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him.

Peter begins with a personal confession. The light has just come on for him in a profound way. The vision of the sheet from heaven was not ultimately about dietary laws; it was about people. God does not operate with ethnic favoritism. The word for "show partiality" means to judge based on external appearance, to be a respecter of persons. God is not like that. This does not mean that salvation is by works, as though anyone who is sincere and does good deeds is automatically saved. Cornelius was already a man who feared God and did righteousness, but he still needed to hear the gospel of Jesus to be saved. Rather, Peter is saying that God's acceptance is not limited by national borders. In any and every nation, the person whose heart has been prepared by God to fear Him and seek righteousness will be welcomed when they come to Him through the gospel. God prepares the soil before He sends the sower.

36 As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all,

Peter now begins to unpack the content of that gospel message. It is "the word" which God first sent to Israel. The gospel has a history; it came through the Jewish people according to God's promise. And the substance of this message is "peace through Jesus Christ." This is not just inner tranquility, but covenantal peace, reconciliation between a holy God and sinful man. Then Peter drops a theological bombshell that is the key to the whole sermon: He is Lord of all. Jesus is not a tribal deity. He is not just the king of the Jews. He is the Lord of Jews and Gentiles, of Romans and Ethiopians, of everyone. His authority is universal. If He is Lord of all, then His salvation must be for all.

37 you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Peter appeals to what was common knowledge. The ministry of Jesus was not done in a corner. Cornelius, as a centurion stationed in Caesarea, would have heard reports. The sermon is grounded in public, verifiable history. It begins with John's baptism, moves to Jesus' anointing with the Spirit and power at His own baptism, and summarizes His ministry as one of "doing good" and "healing all who were oppressed by the devil." This last phrase is significant. Peter identifies the true enemy. Sickness and suffering are ultimately the result of demonic oppression in a fallen world, and Jesus' healings were a direct assault on the kingdom of Satan. He did this because "God was with Him," a classic understatement for "He was God incarnate."

39 And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree.

Peter now shifts from public knowledge to apostolic testimony. "We are witnesses." This is the foundation of Christian preaching. It is not based on speculation or philosophy, but on eyewitness accounts. The apostles saw what Jesus did. And they also saw what was done to Him. Peter states it bluntly: "They also put Him to death." The responsibility is laid at the feet of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem. The phrase "hanging Him on a tree" is a deliberate echo of Deuteronomy 21:23, which states that anyone hung on a tree is cursed by God. Peter is preaching the scandal of the cross: the Lord of glory was made a curse for us.

40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

The human verdict was death, but God overturned that verdict. God raised Him up. The resurrection is the central fact of the gospel. Without it, everything else is meaningless. But God, in His wisdom, did not have the resurrected Jesus appear publicly to everyone. That would have been a form of coercion. Instead, His appearances were granted to a select group of witnesses chosen by God beforehand, the apostles. This was not a fleeting vision; Peter emphasizes the physicality of it. "We ate and drank with Him." He was truly, bodily alive. The testimony of these chosen witnesses is the foundation upon which the faith of the entire church is built.

42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

The witnesses were given a commission. They were commanded to preach and testify. And the central testimony is this: Jesus has been designated by God as the Judge of all mankind, both the living and the dead. The resurrection was God's validation of Jesus' claims and His installation as the universal Judge. This is a crucial part of the gospel that is often neglected. The good news that Jesus saves is inextricably linked to the sobering news that Jesus judges. You cannot have one without the other.

43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Peter concludes his sermon by anchoring it in the Old Testament Scriptures ("all the prophets") and bringing it to a sharp, personal point of application. The entire prophetic witness points to this one reality: forgiveness of sins is available. How? "Through His name," which is to say, through His authority and His accomplished work. To whom? "Everyone who believes in Him." Here is the universal offer. It is not for everyone, period. It is for everyone who believes. The condition is faith. The result is the complete remission of sins. This is the heart of the gospel message.

44 While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word.

God does not wait for Peter to finish and give an altar call. While the word is still being preached, the Spirit acts. This is a sovereign interruption. The Holy Spirit "fell" upon them, an echo of the language of Pentecost. God is demonstrating, in the most dramatic way possible, that He accepts these Gentiles on the basis of the word of the gospel they were hearing and, implicitly, believing. The Spirit comes in response to the preached word of faith.

45 And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

The reaction of Peter's Jewish companions is telling. They were "astounded." This was outside their theological grid. They were believers in Jesus, but they were still thinking within the old covenant framework. The idea that the "gift of the Holy Spirit", the defining mark of the new covenant people, could be poured out on uncircumcised Gentiles was shocking. This was not just an emotional experience; it was a theological crisis for them, in the best possible way. God was blowing up their categories to make room for the world.

46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

How did they know the Gentiles had received the Spirit? There was objective, audible evidence. They heard them "speaking with tongues and magnifying God." Just as at Pentecost, the gift of tongues served as a sign, a confirmation of the Spirit's arrival. This was not ecstatic gibberish; it was the supernatural ability to praise God in languages they had not learned. It was a sign that God was reversing the curse of Babel and creating one new people out of all the scattered tongues of humanity. Their speech was not chaotic; it was doxological. They were magnifying God.

47 “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

Peter draws the immediate and inescapable conclusion. His question is rhetorical. The answer is obviously no. God has already shown His hand. He has given these Gentiles the ultimate sign of inclusion, the gift of the Spirit itself. This is the internal reality of being brought into the new covenant. If God has done the greater thing (given the Spirit), who are we to withhold the lesser thing, the external sign of water baptism? Notice the logic: God has already publicly identified them as His. The church's job is simply to ratify in water what God has already declared in the Spirit.

48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.

Peter doesn't just suggest it; he "ordered" it. This is an act of apostolic authority. Baptism is not an optional extra for the Christian life. It is a command. They are to be baptized "in the name of Jesus Christ," which means being brought under His lordship and identified with His person and work. The story ends with fellowship. They ask Peter to stay for a few days. The wall has come down. What was once an unlawful association for a Jew is now blessed communion between brothers in Christ.

Application

This passage confronts us with the radical, boundary-breaking nature of the gospel. It forces us to ask what kind of walls we erect in our own hearts and in our churches. The great temptation is always to shrink the gospel, to make it comfortable, to tame it, and to restrict its benefits to people who are "like us." We may not use the category of Jew and Gentile, but we have our own equivalents: Republican and Democrat, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, our race and their race. Peter had to learn that God shows no partiality, and so must we.

The gospel is for "every nation." It is for the respectable military officer like Cornelius, and it is for the pagan barbarian. Our job is to preach the simple, historical, apostolic gospel that Peter preached: Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He lived, He died on a tree, He was raised by God, He is the Judge of all, and through faith in His name, there is forgiveness of sins. That is the message that has the power to save. We must not complicate it, and we must not restrict it.

Finally, we see the proper relationship between the work of the Spirit and the sacraments of the church. God saves sovereignly, and He gives His Spirit to whom He will. Our role is to recognize what God is doing and to respond in obedience. When God brings someone to faith, our duty is to bring them to the water of baptism, to formally welcome them into the visible community of the covenant. We don't control the Spirit, but we are commanded to administer the sign. Let us be a people who are eager to see God work in surprising ways and in surprising people, and let us be ready to joyfully and obediently welcome them into the household of God.