Acts 10:1-17, 34-48

The resurrection is a sign that all Jesus did on earth should be carried on. The resurrection is proof that Jesus is Lord of the living and the dead - all things.

Caesarea - the seat of Roman power in the province, named after Caesar
Centurion in the Italian Company- officer in charge of 50-100 soldiers
May have been a part of the gens Cornelia family- a prominent patrician family in Rome
“a righteous man, and a God-worshiper who is well-respected by all Jewish people.”

Joppa - same place where God spoke to Jonah telling him to bring God’s message to his enemies, the Assyrians/Ninevites

In Matthew, Peter is called Simon, son of Jonah (Mt. 16:17)
Simon the Tanner - “The occupation of tanner was considered unclean by many Jews, because tanners had to work with dead animals.” Demetruis K. Williams, “The Acts of the Apostles”, True to Our Native Land, p.230

This setting is very important - and Peter even says so immediately before this speech, which is about God’s mercy being open to all.
Must be understood within context

Peter just had a vision that abolished the food laws of clean and unclean
Cornelius has a vision to summon Peter
Peter goes and preaches to and among gentiles
“What God has made clean, you must not call unclean” - this is basis of God’s impartiality

“The revolution descends on a sheet. The sheet is everything. The sheet is radical. The sheet shatters and destroys. Its four corners are harbinger of its range and its reach across a planet and a universe. Peter in his hunger beholds this horror. The sheet contained the known world and unknown tastes. It contained animals, clean and unclean… And then the word of God comes to Peter, ‘Arise Peter, kill and eat!’ These words stand over against all other words of God, forever recasting them and turning them to new purposes…. These words echo across the church’s history, but they have rarely, if ever - maybe never- really been heard in all their redemptive density.” (Willie James Jenning, Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible, Acts, Westminster John Knox Press, p. 106)

There are no cultural or ethnic requirements
God calls all people through Jesus Christ
Not new to scripture- Deuteronomy 10:17, “God is not partial and takes no bribe.”

“Acts 10:34-36 was a key passage in the African American protest tradition, helping to level prophetic critiques of American racism and prejudice.” Williams, p. 231

Jesus’ ministry was that of “doing good and healing everyone oppressed.” Jesus did this, and for it, he was killed.

God is not partial to you or to your enemy- God is partial to reconciliation and forgiveness

An inclusive message to believers - NOT a message of judgment against unbelievers

Israel received the message first, but are not the exclusive receivers of the message
Immediately afterwards, this group of Romans began to speak in tongues, and were baptized.
After this episode with the Roman gentiles, Peter is questioned by the Jerusalem Church.

This is Peter’s 30 sec elevator witness - what is yours?
If God is impartial to Israel or the Jews, then isn’t God also impartial to the church? What does this mean for the church and our mission?
If God’s primary focus is forgiveness and reconciliation- How is the church living into this mission? How are each of us?
What cultural barriers stand in our way of participating in God’s mission? (just as not associating with Gentiles stood in Peter’s way)

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Thanks to our Psalms correspondent, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan (psalmimmersion.com,@pomopsalmist). Thank you to Scott Fletcher for our voice bumpers, Dick Dale and the Del Tones for our Theme music (“Miserlou”), Nicolai Heidlas (“Sunday Morning”,"Real Ride"and“Summertime”) and Bryan Odeen for our closing music.