Peter opened the gate to Gentiles.

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
Acts 10: 9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

I got this from the commentary.

Peter had pretty much put God in a box of limitations, and now God was going to shake Peter up to change his thinking. He can do the same for us. “Shake yourself up a little, my brother. If you are too precise may the Lord set you on fire, and consume your bonds of red tape! If you have become so improperly proper that you cannot commit a proper impropriety, then pray God to help you be less proper, for there are many who will never be saved by your instrumentality while you study propriety.”​
Three men are seeking you…go down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them: At this point, God has not told Peter that his visitors were Gentiles. Normally, a godly Jew like Peter would not associate in this manner with Gentiles. Knowing this, and knowing Peter’s previous resistance (Not so, Lord!), God simply surprised Peter with the knowledge that these men were Gentiles. All Peter needed to know was that the Spirit said, “I have sent them.”​
I bet a lot of preachers, after reading these verses to the congregation, shut their Bibles with authority, looked out at the congregation, and say, "this is when Gentiles were called to be Christians.".

Remember when God took Moses and the Jewish Nation out of Egypt? Most, almost everyone, was of Jewish descent. They were raised in Egypt, but they praised the Living God rather than the massive number of Egyptian Gods. Jews always set themselves apart. Only a few Gentiles were traveling with Moses and company. Jews self-segregated because of their belief they are the "chosen ones". They believed "If you're not Jewish... then you aren't chosen". That's the way they were taught.

Non-Jewish men were at the gate. God wanted Peter to let them in. Gentiles were at Peter's gate!

Meanwhile, Peter was upstairs having a foodie dream. He dreamt that God told him he could eat "unclean" animals. Peter was arguing with God about it in his dream. I bet he was having hunger pains!

Here's the verse.... Verse 15 “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

I wonder if Peter was dreaming about bacon?!? Good Jewish men can't fry up bacon in the pan and slide it on the plate alongside a couple of butter fried over easy eggs. Peter told God it wasn't proper. God told Peter to get his proper-self down to the front door, company was at the gate.

Figures.... Peter had to go open the gate!

Peter opened the gate to Gentiles.

:coffee:
 
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