A Study of Acts: Peter Arrives in Caesarea
Acts 10:24-33 - Our hearts are changed, like Peter’s, when we obey God and step across the threshold to destroy our prejudices and preconceived notions about those made in His image.
“On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.” As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled. 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 unholy or unclean. That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.” 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, and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 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 commanded by the Lord.””
Acts 10:24-33 NASB1995
At the end of the last devotional, I wrote that this devotional would cover Acts 10:24-29 but I decided to include a few more verses. Peter has left with the cohort representing Cornelius and the following day he (they) enter Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them with his relatives and close friends. When Peter nears the house, Cornelius meets him and falls at his feet to worship him. Peter raises him up, saying “Stand up; I too am just a man.” I like this commentary from Enduring Word about this initial encounter:
Cornelius was waiting for them: Cornelius had a lot of faith in God. He waited for Peter to come, knowing that since God motivated him to call Peter in the first place, God would bring the plan to completion.
Cornelius sent servants to get a man he had never met, so that he could meet this unknown man. He only knew that the man was a pious Jew, who by tradition would have nothing to do with a Gentile such as Cornelius. Despite all that, Cornelius was waiting for them in faith.
Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him: Cornelius didn’t know Peter, but must have thought him to be a special man of God, so he fell down at his feet and worshipped him. This reaction was understandable, though wrong. Peter corrected Cornelius by saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” If Cornelius should not give such reverence to Peter, neither should Peter receive it.
Significantly, whenever in the Bible worship is offered to men or to angels (as in Revelation 19:10), it is refused. But Jesus received such worship freely (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 28:9). This proves that Jesus is more than a man, and greater than any angel (Luke 4:8).
In the great St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, there is a huge statue of Peter, where people come and kiss the toe of the statue. This is undue and inappropriate reverence towards any man or angel. We might almost wish that Peter would visit the cathedral named after him and kindly correct such people.
Peter and Cornelius honored each other. Peter honored Cornelius by coming all the way from Joppa to see him. Cornelius honored Peter by bowing low before him. They did just as Paul would later write, in honor giving preference to one another (Romans 12:10).
“Peter refused both to be treated by Cornelius as if he were a god, and to treat Cornelius as if he were a dog.” (John Stott)
A huge breakthrough is about to happen! Cornelius has so much faith that he waits patiently for the devout Jew to come to him. Peter has so much faith after his vision that he follows the Gentiles to the house of Cornelius and enters! I agree with this commentary that there should not be inappropriate reverence towards any angel or man, no matter who that man (or woman) was in this life. I have seen that statue of Peter inside St. Peter’s that is described; people are lined up to kiss the toe (the photo below shows another huge statue outside). An obsession with relics and artifacts and artworks (and kissing of rings that belong to other humans), no matter how beautiful, is no substitute for the eternal beauty of giving honor only to the Lord Jesus. I can imagine that when you enter Heaven, you might be overwhelmed by seeing all of the saints and loved ones that believed in Him and are there and you will be enthralled. But those encounters should pale into tiny insignificance immediately when you behold your Creator!
Peter is not exactly tactful in the way he addresses the crowd, telling them that they should know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with unclean foreigners or to visit them, but then he confesses that God has shown him that no man is unholy or unclean and so he came. Apparently, Peter has finally gleaned the meaning of the vision shown to him by God. Once again, Enduring Word has excellent commentary:
He went in: This is one of the shortest, yet most important passages of this section. Peter actually entered the house of a Gentile, something that Jewish customs and traditions strictly prohibited. By entering a Gentile’s home, Peter showed that his heart and mind had changed, and that he had learned the lesson of the vision of the great sheet.
“The principle subject of this chapter is not so much the conversion of Cornelius as the conversion of Peter.” (John Stott)
Then he said to them: Peter had to explain why he, a godly Jew (who was also a Christian) had entered a Gentile’s house. So, he explained the message he received in the vision, realizing that God wasn’t only (or even primarily) talking about food in the vision (I should not call any man common or unclean).
In saying “I should not call any man common or unclean,” Peter understood that the vision was about people, not food. But the principle still relates to food. We understand believers are not under any obligation to keep a kosher diet. How we eat may be better or worse from a health perspective, but it doesn’t make us any more right with God.
Jesus spoke of this principle: Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart, but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods? (Mark 7:18-19).
Paul knew this principle: I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself (Romans 14:14). Therefore he could conclude, Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink…which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ(Colossians 2:16-17).
Yet the connection between unclean persons and unclean foods was important. The idea of unkosher food was closely connected to the idea of unkosher people. “It was largely because of their lack of scruples in food matters that Gentiles were ritually unsafe people for a pious Jew to meet socially.” (F.F. Bruce)
Therefore I came: This confirmed it. If Peter had not received this vision, he would have never traveled with these Gentile messengers. God had to prepare Peter’s heart with the vision before Peter would come.
Cornelius tells his story about his vision that had him send for Peter. The introductions are complete and the threshold has been crossed. In my next devotional, I examine Acts 10:34-48 - Gentiles hear the Good News!
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Help me to be as faithful as Cornelius and as flexible as Peter when it comes to sharing the Good News with others. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary in Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.