About noon the following day
as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the
roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted
something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw
heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its
four corners. It contained all kinds of
four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a
voice told him, “Get
up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have
never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
The voice spoke to him a
second time, “Do
not call anything impure that God has made clean.” Acts 10:9-16
Peter
still had some Old Testament prejudices inside him that God needed to deal
with. He still saw the Gentiles
(non-Jews) as unclean and unworthy to be saved.
God’s vision of unclean animals spoke to the dietary restrictions a good
Jew followed. However, Peter saw
Gentiles as unclean. God told Peter that
only He determined what was clean or unclean.
Right after this dream, some men from Cornelius, the military leader of
an Italian regiment, came to bring him to their boss’ house. Peter spoke the Gospel and they got saved,
filled with the Holy Spirit.
While Peter was still
speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The
circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of
the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they
heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Acts 10:44-46
Peter
understood he needed to set aside his favoritism (prejudice) and allow all
people to receive Jesus—Jews and non-Jews.