Acts 10:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

NIV: It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.

NASB: and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky.

CSB: In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.

NLT: In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.

KJV: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

NKJV: In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

Peter is on a rooftop in Joppa, praying. He's hungry and is waiting on food (Acts 10:9–10), but he has fallen into a trance. The skies open and a sheet falls to the earth. On the sheet are animals. A voice tells him to kill and eat the animals (Acts 10:13). Peter may be a Jesus-follower, but he is also a devout Jew. He's not going to eat animals forbidden by the Mosaic law without a major realignment of his understanding.

It seems that some of the animals fit the qualifications of Deuteronomy 14 as food fit to eat, but some are birds of prey and reptiles, which do not (Acts 11:6). According to the Mosaic law, Jews are not allowed to eat camel, rabbit, pig, carrion birds, and winged insects (Deuteronomy 14:7–19). God declared these animals "unclean" for His people.

It's important to clearly understand what the term "unclean" means: it does not mean "evil." It doesn't even mean sinful. Regarding physical conditions, it means "irregular;" as a general term it means something not fit to be used to worship God. God gave the metaphor of cleanness and uncleanness to show His people how to live set apart from the pagan nations around them.

Jesus had already taught that what is on the inside of a person—their heart and devotion to God—are far more important than any clean/unclean status. Regarding food, He taught that "unclean" food doesn't defile people because it enters the stomach and is expelled. What makes people defiled is when something unclean resides in their heart, like evil thoughts that lead to sin (Mark 7:14–23). It's not the literal, physical touch of certain foods that's a problem, it's when someone knows God has told them not to eat it and they do so, anyway (Matthew 15:10–11).

In Mark's account of Jesus' teaching, he added the parenthetical note, "Thus he declared all foods clean" (Mark 7:19). That note comes from hindsight: at this point, Peter is just learning what Jesus meant. The purpose of the vision is not primarily about food, it's about associating with Gentiles.

Acts 10:9–23 occurs as Peter is in Joppa, after having healed a paralyzed man in nearby Lydda and raising Tabitha from the dead in Joppa (Acts 9:32–43). Peter doesn't know that a Roman centurion who worships the Jewish God is sending three men to bring Peter to Caesarea. The centurion wished to learn what God has planned for him, which he will find is to be saved in Jesus' name. First, God makes Peter understand that Jesus' offer of salvation is as available for Gentiles as it is for Jews.

Peter has been a dominant voice in the spread of Jesus' message to Jews and proselytes. Now he brings the gospel to Gentiles. An angel tells Cornelius, a centurion, to ask Peter to come to him. Peter is praying when he receives a vision of food—including non-kosher food—and God's voice telling him to eat. When the centurion's messengers arrive, Peter realizes the dream meant that Gentiles are no longer unclean. He follows the messengers and tells Cornelius' household about salvation through Jesus. Before Peter can lay his hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit falls on them.

Jesus told the disciples they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Oddly, the disciples didn't understand this meant the Holy Spirit would come upon Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles alike. After several years reaching Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem (Acts 1—7) and Samaritans in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25), God calls Peter to bring the message to Gentiles. Peter's witness that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 11) clears the way for Paul's ministry to Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, Greece, and Italy (Acts 13—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.