Acts 10:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),

NIV: You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

NASB: The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)—

CSB: He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.

NLT: This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

KJV: The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)

NKJV: The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ— He is Lord of all—

Peter is making a point that we don't often think about. "God shows no partiality" (Acts 10:34), but accepts anyone who fears Him from any nation (Acts 10:35) for the purpose of peace through Jesus. We cannot experience true peace if we judge others on artificial, worldly standards. Peter, a Jewish leader of the church, cannot have God's peace if he doesn't accept that God wants Gentiles, too. We cannot really experience the peace Jesus died for if we don't accept that God also loves people of different ethnicities, skin colors, nationalities, political leanings, denominations, and genders. We know this on some level, but we also forget, like Peter will do (Galatians 2:11–14) and need to be reminded. Outside the non-negotiable essentials of the faith, our brothers and sisters in Christ don't have to live, look, or even believe exactly as we do.

The peace that Jesus' sacrifice offers is founded on our relationship with God. We have peace with God when our sins are forgiven and God sees Christ's righteousness in us. Jesus died "while we were enemies" of God (Romans 5:10). Our reconciliation with God reconciles us to other believers—a fact we should strive to live out. It also gives us the mission to join in God's work of reconciling the world to Him by sharing Jesus' story (2 Corinthians 5:18–21).

Hundreds of years before Peter preached the gospel to a room full of Gentiles, Daniel prophesied about the "son of man," saying, "And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14). The "word" is both the gospel and the logos—Jesus, Himself (John 1:1).

Acts 10:34–43 describes the first group of Gentiles receiving salvation. A Roman centurion in the Roman capital of Caesarea Maritima has filled his house with friends and family to hear from Peter, one of the leaders of a new Jewish sect. As a God-fearing Gentile in Samaria, the centurion knows about the prophets and the events around Jesus' ministry and crucifixion. He apparently needs to know about the resurrection and Jesus' role in God's plan of forgiveness. Before Peter is even finished speaking, the Holy Spirit falls on the group, and the era of Gentile Jesus-followers begins.

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.