Acts 10:37 - Printer Friendly

ESV: you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed:

NIV: You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached--

NASB: you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.

CSB: You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached:

NLT: You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.

KJV: That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

NKJV: that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

Peter is speaking to a household of Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital of Samaria and Judea. The Gentiles follow the Jewish God, but although they have heard of Jesus, they don't know the whole story.

John's baptism of Jesus started His ministry. John was the son of Elizabeth, Mary's kinswoman, and Zechariah, a priest (Luke 1:5–25). They lived in Judea, south of Samaria which is south of Galilee, and John stayed in Judea, at the Jordan River, during his ministry. There are several different sects of Judaism, including Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. When a person chose to commit to a sect or a teacher, they were baptized as a public display of their allegiance. John preached that people should repent of their sins—admit they were sinning against God and resolve to change their ways. Despite the fact Jesus never sinned, He validated John's message by having John baptize Him. At the baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, in some way empowering Him for ministry (Matthew 3). John's ministry was extremely popular. Years later, in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila meet Apollos, who spoke of Jesus accurately but only knew about John's baptism (Acts 18:24–28). They shared more with him and Apollos became an apologist, evangelist, church leader, and friend of Paul's. Similarly Paul completes the education of a dozen of John's disciples, who place their faith in Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1–7).

Immediately after Jesus' baptism, He was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1–11). He returned to Nazareth until He heard that Herod Antipas had arrested John (Mark 1:14). Then He began His public ministry in Galilee.

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.