Acts 10:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

NIV: Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.

NASB: Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;

CSB: Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter.

NLT: Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.

KJV: And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

NKJV: Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

An angel has appeared to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, in Caesarea Maritima on the coast of Samaria. Despite his responsibility to protect the Roman occupiers from rebellion by the Jews and Samaritans, Cornelius faithfully worships the Jewish God, praying to God regularly and offering charitable donations to the needy (Acts 10:1–4).

Simon, as named here, is the apostle Peter. "Simon" is a variation of the Hebrew Simeon and is Peter's original name (John 1:40–42). Jesus changed his name to Cephas or Peter. "Peter" is the English translation of the Greek Petros, which means stone or rock. "Cephas" is the Latin version of Kefa, the Aramaic version of Peter.

Jesus made a pun of Peter's name in Matthew 16:15–18. Peter witnessed that Jesus was the Messiah; Jesus responded, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…" (Matthew 16:18). While the Roman Catholic Church takes this to mean Peter was the head of the church and the first pope, it's more likely Jesus is using Peter's name as a pun and means that the church will be founded on Peter's confession that Jesus is the Savior. Still, it's interesting to note that Peter validates the salvation of the Jews (Acts 2), the Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17), and the Gentiles (Acts 10:34–48).

Joppa, today, is Jaffa, a city next to Tel Aviv. Peter is there because after healing a paralyzed man in Lydda, Jesus-followers brought him to Joppa to heal a respected woman named Tabitha. By the time Peter arrived, Tabitha had died, but Peter brought her back to life. Peter stayed in Joppa with a tanner, also named Simon (Acts 9:32–43).

Acts 10:1–8 introduces the first group of Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit. Cornelius is a Roman military leader stationed in Caesarea Maritima, the coastal city that serves as the headquarters for Herod Agrippa I. Cornelius is a devout follower of the Jewish God, although probably not a full proselyte. While praying one day, an angel appears and tells him God has heard his prayers and appreciates his charity. He is to send for Peter in Joppa and hear what the apostle has to say. What follows is the opening of the gospel to all Gentiles.

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.