God does not show favoritism [Act 10]

God Does Not Show Favoritism

Acts 9:32-10:48

Key verse 10:34-35

It was November 14, 1960. Ruby Bridges was six years old, an African American girl. That day she entered the first grade on the first day of court-ordered desegregation of New Orleans, Louisiana, public schools. She would be the first and only African American child in the public school. As anticipated, the day was so tough and intimating to her. When she arrived at the school, there was a large crowd of people outside of the school. They were throwing things, shouting, and threatening. So, the U.S. Marshals had to escort Ruby. All teachers refused to teach while Ruby was enrolled. All parents pulled their own children out and no white parents would allow their children to be in the same classroom with Ruby. But one teacher was willing to teach Ruby. Her name was Barbara Henry. She taught her over a year, which encouraged Ruby in many ways and brought a great impact to the Civil Right Movement. Barbara’s open mind has changed things a lot for this nation.

Today, we are going to study a more powerful story that has changed the whole entire world. Peter was a Jew who closed his mind to Gentiles. But when he opened his mind, the Holy Spirit opened a way for all Gentiles, including us, to come to God. I pray that God may remove all hurdles in our minds through this passage and use us to lead many souls to Jesus Christ.

I. “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat”

After Saul’s conversion, the church throughout the country enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened, increasing in number. As Peter traveled about the country, he went to Lydda to visit believers. There he healed Aeneas who had been paralyzed for 8 years. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas and turned to the Lord. Then, the disciples in Joppa sent for Peter because a disciple named Tabitha was dead. Peter went there and raised her from the dead. The resurrection of Tabitha became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Then, Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. ² He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 

Cornelius was a Roman centurion stationed in Caesarea where the Roman governor ruled over all of Israel. A Roman centurion was the captain of about 100 soldiers. Normally, a centurion was pagan and brutal. Surprisingly, however, Cornelius and his family were devout and God-fearing. He generously gave to those in need and prayed to God regularly. So, all the Jewish people respected him. (22)

One day at about three in the afternoon, an angel of God appeared to him in a vision and called his name. He was greatly surprised and terrified.

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Why did the angel of God appear to Cornelius? God saw Cornelius’ prayers and gifts to the poor, which was taken as a memorial offering by God. Even though he was a Gentile, God was pleased with his devotion to God and wanted to bless him with the gospel of Jesus as it panned out later. The angel told him to send men to Joppa to bring back Peter. Cornelius immediately sent two servants and a devout solider to Joppa, telling them everything that had happened.

About noon the following day when the men of Cornelius were approaching Joppa, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance and saw something very odd.

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.

Peter saw all kinds of animals in the sheet: camels, rabbits, pigs, moles, mice, lizards, cats, dogs, bears, lions, ostriches, storks, bats, etc. Immediately, Peter recognized that they were all impure and unclean animals, which were not allowed to be eaten according to In Lev 11 and Deut 14. (Jews never ate such animals, including catfish, lobster, crab, shrimp, mussel, clam, oyster, squid, and octopus.) Peter had never seen such a large number of unclean animals at one time. He felt disgusted. Even worse, he heard a voice saying an unthinkable thing.

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.”

“No!” Peter immediately refused it. Though Peter was hungry, he completely lost his appetite. Eating impure animals meant that he would become unclean, which could not be acceptable for any reason. While Antiochus IV occupied Israel in the second century B.C., Jews were forced to eat pork at threat of death. However, they did not yield to it and then were killed. It was better for them to die than to become unclean. They thought that staying clean ceremonially was the most important thing as God’s people. Such an idea was so much ingrained in their minds that Peter allergically refused the command. However, he heard the voice a second time.

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

The voice said that God had made them clean, so they were no longer unclean. God did not try to make Peter unclean. But since they were clean now, he could eat them. This happened three times, meaning the command was so important that Peter should obey it. God continued to challenge Peter and Peter refused it three times.  After that, the sheet was taken back to heaven.

Peter was confused and troubled. “What does this vision mean? How come unclean animals have been made clean? Why did God command me to eat them three times?” At that very time while he was still wondering and pondering about the vision, the men sent by Cornelius arrived and called out for Peter. The sudden visit of these Gentiles surprised Peter. It must have been unpleasant. But the Holy Spirit told Peter not to hesitate to go with them because he sent them. Now something began to click in his mind. Peter felt that their visit was not a coincident but had to do with the vision he had just seen. So, Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?” The men told Peter what happened to their master Cornelius and that Cornelius waned to hear from him.

Then, Peter began to understand the meaning of the vision he had seen. The animals he saw in the vision represented Gentiles. Convinced by the Holy Spirit and their testimony, Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests though it was strictly prohibited to Jews. The following day, he went to Cornelius along with some of the believers in Joppa.

II. God Does Not Show Favoritism

In the meantime, Cornelius was eagerly waiting for Peter with a high anticipation. He did not take this great opportunity for himself only. So, he called together his relatives and close friends. “You know Peter, Jesus’ disciple? He is coming to us! I am so excited. Please come and join me in meeting with him.”

²⁵ As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. ²⁶ But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

When Peter came, Cornelius greeted him in reverence as if he had seen an angel of God. It was amazing that a centurion fell at Peter’s feet. But Peter said that he was a mere man. He did not differentiate himself from them.

²⁷ While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. ²⁸ He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

Peter entered a gentile house and stand among a large gathering of Gentiles. It was kind of awkward and uncomfortable for him. But Peter came to understand the meaning of the vision.

Jews considered Gentiles as unclean animals like dogs. So, they looked down and despised Gentiles. Here are some quotes from the Talmud.

•       The Jews are called human beings, but the non-Jews are animals.

•       Honor the dog more than the non-Jew.

•       Even though God created the non-Jew they are still animals in human form. It is not becoming for a Jew to be served by an animal. Therefore, he will be served by animals in human form.

As such, Jews were adverse and hostile to Gentiles. They never associated with Gentiles - no eating or sitting together with them. Even now some Jewish people in Jerusalem are very allergic to foreigners. They do not even allow foreign tourists to come near their resident areas.  

However, God said to Peter, “Do not call anyone impure that God has made clean.”

While being led by the Holy Spirit so far, Peter began to see Gentiles from God’s perspective and open his heart and mind to them. Now he asked why Cornelius sent for him. Then, Cornelius explained what happened to him and asked Peter to tell them everything God commanded him to tell them.

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism ³⁵ but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 

Hearing Cornelius’s testimony, Peter finally realized that God does not show favoritism. To God, it is not an issue whether we are Jews or Gentiles. God does not show favoritism to anyone, based on his skin color, education level, social status, ability, culture, and any other human condition. Even if the person has tattoos all over his body, smokes all the time, has no pretty face, wears weird clothes, or has physical handicaps, God does not show partiality to them. Whoever fears him and seeks God, whether a Jew or a Gentile, God accepts him and blesses him.

Though Cornelius was a gentile, he feared God and did what was right. He prayed to God regularly and gave to the poor. He was a man who sought God. Though he was a proud Roman citizen, he humbled himself to Peter in reverence of God. Peter saw that God had already prepared his heart to receive the gospel. He was worthy of God’s blessing. He was ready to receive the gospel. In that sense, he was clean and so Peter must accept him.

Seeing this, Peter testified about Jesus: what he did and what the Jews did to him, how God raised him from the dead, and the forgiveness of sins by faith in Jesus. Finally, Peter testified that Jesus is Lord of all and the Judge of the living and the dead, whom all the prophets testified about. The Emperor was Cornelius’s lord. But now Jesus was his lord he should serve and worship because Jesus is Lord of all.

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message and they began to speak in tongues and praise God. Peter and the circumcised believers were astonished by what was happening in their eyes. They had never expected that Gentiles could also receive the Holy Spirit. The gentiles received the same Holy Spirit they received! The Jewish believers did not differ from Gentile believers. God did not differentiate the Gentiles from the Jewish believers.

Interesting enough, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them without Peter’s prayer or placing his hands on them. The Samaritans in Ch. 8 received the Holy Spirit when Peter and John prayed to God and placed their hands on them. But this time God himself poured out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was described as “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” As it means, the Holy Spirit is the gift of God given to all kinds of people regardless of their human backgrounds or conditions. God accepted even Gentiles! It came as a great shock to them.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Peter could not help but baptize them because they already received the Holy Spirit – God had already made them clean and accepted them. He acknowledged the work of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles. He did not plan this, did he? He never thought about preaching to the Gentiles and baptizing them. The Holy Spirit led Peter from Lydda and then to Joppa and then to Caesarea where he met Cornelius and the other Gentiles. In this way, the Holy Spirit led Peter to Gentiles to preach the gospel to them. Since he came to the world, the Holy Spirit had been working hard among all kinds of people, including Samaritans and Gentiles. He had convicted their hearts and minds and given them humble desire for God and the gospel of Jesus. However, the apostles and Jewish believers could not reach out to them because of their Judaism.

Judaism is a religious pride over other nations that Jews are superior to Gentiles and only Jews deserve God’s blessing, which is well reflected in their ceremonial cleanness. They thought that they were clean whereas Gentiles were all unclean and impure. So, they were very scrupulous in the ceremonial washing. In other words, Judaism is based on their self-riotousness. Peter, as a Jews, had such self-rightness. That was why he strongly refused the command he heard in the vision – “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.” But his Judaism was a great obstacle to the spreading of the gospel to Gentiles. But when he broke down his Judaism, Peter could obey the Holy Spirit and preach the gospel to Gentiles. This event became a great milestone in the church history.

Judaism is not only their thing. We also have our own Judaism and because of that we often do not follow the Holy Spirit or even work against his will and guidance. As we can see so far, preaching is the work of the Holy Spirit. But when we are stuck with our mindset, our own way of thinking, and our culture, traditions, and self-righteousness, we come to have favoritism and the Holy Spirit cannot use us. We UBF have our own traditions, culture, and mindset. Some are biblical and helpful. However, some cannot be applied to some Bible students. They all cannot follow our things. We mustn’t force them to follow our culture or judge them if they fail. What is important is to see how the Holy Spirit leads each of them and follow his guidance. When we remove our Judaism and break down all barriers in us, we can see the great work of the Holy Spirit.

Robert Hardie was a Canadian medical missionary. In 1903, he came to Korea. He had worked very hard, but he could achieve little in his missionary work. He felt greatly burdened and complained about unrepentant Koreans. One day, however, he was deeply convicted by Luke 11:13 – “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” He came to realize that his missionary work had failed because he had counted too much on his own effort rather than depending on the spirit of God. He also realized that his own pride over Koreans and hardness of heart had brought shame and confusion upon his ministry. He humbly asked his congregation to forgive his sins. It must have been painful and humiliating to him. His sincere repentance, however, made a strong impact on the hearts of the audience. The Korean congregation began to cry and repent of their sins. Then, they all experienced a great revival. Four years later that revival triggered the Great Revival in PyungYang, which is called Korean Pentecost. As such, when Hardie broke his pride over Koreans, the Holy Spirit came upon the congregation and Korea has become a spiritual nation since then.

Last week at the summer conference, we saw all kinds of people gather together in Jesus. They came from many different countries and spoke different languages. However, there was no difference or discrimination because we are all God’s children in Jesus Christ. As such, when we open our minds and hearts, the Holy Spirit has worked in many countries and brought them back to God. One time, one missionary from Africa lent some money to one of her Bible students. Normally, students there do not return the borrowed money or even run away with the money. So, others around the missionary strongly advised her not to lend her money. But this missionary broke her preconceived idea and mindset and decided to trust her Bible student. Months later, the girl students returned the money and gave her thanks. Since then, she has grown well in faith. The missionary was so happy not because she got the money back but because she established a trust relationship with her and won a soul in Christ.

As such, when we remove our Judaism, we can lead more people to God.

Overall, this event in the passage helped Peter to open his mind and break his Judaism to follow the Holy Spirit. God wants to save all people. The Holy Spirit works hard among all kinds of people, even people unlikely to change, and a lot of people are ready to receive the gospel. Jesus said, I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” Look at TL and BY. When they came to USA, the Holy Spirit had already prepared them to accept the gospel of Jesus. There are many more people out there on campus and in your neighbors, who God has made clean and prepared. But the problem is that our Judaism prevents from finding or bringing such people to God. Let’s remove our Judaism (our preferences, styles, expectations) and preach the gospel to anyone to whom the Holy Spirit leads us – even to your friends you don’t like. If you open your mind and accept anyone God leads to you, you can save the person. God does not show favoritism. He wants to save all people who fear him and seek him.

by David Yun