The Walls Come Tumbling Down Text: Acts 10:34-48
Introduction: A Divine Demolition Project
We come now to one of the great turning points in the history of redemption. The scene is the house of a Roman centurion, a man of the occupying army, a Gentile. And in this house, God is going to take a sledgehammer to a wall that had stood for centuries. The events in Cornelius's house are nothing less than a divine demolition project. The gospel of Jesus Christ is going to do what it always does when it is unleashed. It is going to crash through barriers, obliterate human distinctions, and create a new humanity where there was once only hostility.
For generations, the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile had been central to the life of Israel. It was a God-ordained separation, designed to protect the holy line through which the Messiah would come. But it was a temporary provision. With the coming of Christ, the purpose of that wall was fulfilled, and in His flesh, He tore it down (Eph. 2:14). The problem was that God's people were slow to get the memo. They had mistaken a temporary construction fence for a permanent feature of the architecture.
So God, in His sovereign wisdom, orchestrates this entire affair. He gives a vision to a devout Gentile soldier in Caesarea and another vision to a stubborn Jewish fisherman in Joppa. He brings them together to demonstrate, with unmistakable clarity, that the kingdom of God has now gone public. The good news is not a tribal religion for one ethnic group. It is a world-conquering message from the Lord of all, for all the nations. What happens here is a Gentile Pentecost, a foundational moment that will set the trajectory for the rest of human history. God is showing Peter, and us, that the scope of His grace is far wider than our cramped, tribalistic hearts can imagine.
The Text
And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 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, you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 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. 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. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 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. 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. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. 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. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.
(Acts 10:34-48 LSB)
Peter's Theological Revolution (vv. 34-36)
Peter begins his sermon with a personal confession. The light has just come on for him.
"I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him." (Acts 10:34-35)
Now, we must be very careful here. Our modern, sentimental age hears this and immediately translates it into a mushy, universalistic platitude that says, "It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're a good person." That is the exact opposite of what Peter is saying. God is not abandoning His standards. Notice the criteria: the one who "fears Him" and "does righteousness." Cornelius was not a pagan who happened to be a nice guy. He was a God-fearer, a man who had already been touched by divine grace, who prayed, who gave alms, who was seeking the true God of Israel. His fear and righteousness were the fruit of God's prior work in his heart, not the cause of his acceptance.
The revolutionary part is the phrase "in every nation." God's impartiality here is not about ignoring sin; it is about ignoring ethnicity. The covenant blessings are no longer restricted to the physical descendants of Abraham. The door is now open to every tribe, tongue, and nation. God is not a respecter of persons, which means He doesn't care about your passport, the color of your skin, or your social standing. He is building a new, international humanity. And how does He do this?
"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, " (Acts 10:36)
This is the central, foundational, non-negotiable claim. Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He is not Lord of the Jews only. He is not Lord of the church only. He is not a specialized religious leader for spiritual things. He is Lord of Caesar, Lord of Rome, Lord of Cornelius's legion, Lord of the angels, Lord of the demons, Lord of every atom and every galaxy. This is a political statement. It is a declaration of cosmic authority. The "good news of peace" is peace with God, made possible because the rightful king has come to reclaim His territory. There can be no peace until men and nations bow to the Prince of Peace. Peter starts with the exclusive claims of Christ, the Lord of all, as the basis for the inclusive offer of the gospel to all nations.
The Apostolic Kerygma (vv. 37-43)
Peter then lays out the content of the gospel. This is the core message, the kerygma, that the apostles preached everywhere. It is not a set of abstract ideas; it is a declaration of historical facts.
"you yourselves know the thing... Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power... He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Acts 10:37-38)
He begins with the public life and ministry of Jesus. This was not done in a corner. His anointing, His power, His good works, His healings, these were public knowledge. He was casting out demons, demonstrating that a stronger man had come to bind the strong man and plunder his house. This was a direct assault on the kingdom of darkness.
"And we are witnesses... They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, 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." (Acts 10:39-41)
From the life, he moves to the death and resurrection. The apostles' authority rests on this: "we are witnesses." They saw it. They touched Him. They ate fish with the resurrected Lord. This is not a myth or a cleverly devised story. It is eyewitness testimony to a historical event. The resurrection is the vindication of Jesus by the Father. It is God's public declaration that this Jesus, whom men crucified, is both Lord and Christ. Notice the sovereignty of God even in who saw Him. He appeared "not to all the people," but to chosen witnesses. God controls the evidence. He provides enough for faith, but not so much as to coerce it.
"And He commanded us to preach... that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins." (Acts 10:42-43)
The sermon concludes with the two hands of the gospel. First, Jesus is the designated Judge. There is a day of accounting coming for every human being. Second, through this same Jesus, there is a free and total forgiveness of sins for "everyone who believes in Him." The entire Old Testament, all the prophets, were pointing to this moment, to this man. The gospel is both a summons to surrender and an offer of pardon. It is the best news in the world, and also the most sobering.
The Divine Confirmation (vv. 44-46)
And then, God interrupts the sermon. This is one of the best kinds of interruptions a preacher can have.
"While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word." (Acts 10:44)
The Spirit falls as the Word is being preached. The Word and the Spirit are inseparable. God does not save people through mystical experiences detached from the proclamation of the truth. He saves them as the objective facts of the gospel are declared. And the result is immediate and astonishing.
"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. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God." (Acts 10:45-46)
The Jewish Christians are "astounded." Their theological categories just got blown to pieces. God did not ask for their permission. He did not consult their traditions. He simply acted, sovereignly pouring out His Spirit on uncircumcised Gentiles. The sign that confirmed this was that they were "speaking with tongues and magnifying God." This is the sign of a new Babel. At Babel, languages were confused and nations scattered. At Pentecost, and here again, the Spirit overcomes that division, enabling men from different tongues to magnify God together. It is a sign of the international scope of the new covenant.
The Covenantal Response (vv. 47-48)
Peter's response is logical and immediate. He sees God's action and draws the necessary sacramental conclusion.
"Then Peter answered, 'Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?' And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." (Acts 10:47-48)
The logic is irrefutable. If God has given them the inward reality (the gift of the Spirit), who are we to withhold the outward sign (the water of baptism)? To refuse them baptism would be to fight against God. Baptism is not an optional extra for the particularly keen. It is the commanded uniform for every soldier of the King. It is the public sign of entrance into the visible covenant community. God had declared these Gentiles to be part of His people, and Peter formalizes it immediately with the initiatory sign of the new covenant.
He "ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." To be baptized into His name is to be placed under His authority, to be identified with His death and resurrection, and to be marked as His possession. This is the formal transfer of allegiance. These men, subjects of Caesar, were now publicly declared to be the subjects of King Jesus.
Conclusion: No Trespassing Signs Removed
The implications of this event are massive. God Himself has removed the "No Trespassing" signs from the door of His church. The gospel is for the nations. Jesus is Lord of all, which means our commission is to all. The wall is down, and we must never, ever try to rebuild it.
We do this when we create our own little holy huddles based on race, or class, or political affiliation. We do this when we think the gospel is just for "people like us." We do this when we are more comfortable with our traditions than we are with the sovereign, surprising, wall-smashing work of the Holy Spirit.
The events at Cornelius's house are a permanent rebuke to all forms of spiritual pride and ethnic snobbery. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. The only thing that matters is whether you will bow to Jesus as Lord of all and receive the forgiveness of sins He offers. If you do, then you are welcomed in, no matter who you are or where you come from. And having been welcomed, you are commanded to put on the uniform of baptism and enlist in His army for the peaceful conquest of the entire world.