34Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. 36The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— 37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.”
Increasing clarity comes quickly to Peter: the broad scope of the Abrahamic covenant extended to “all” people:
“Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country . . . I will make you a great nation . . . and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ “ (Gen. 12:1–3)
This promise is reiterated many times (Gen. 22:18, 26:4, 28:14, Acts 3:25, Gal. 3:8), so we make no mistake in emphasizing it here—especially here, since we are at the place in the story when Peter is about to unlock the door to the Gentiles. The enormity of this movement of God, outward from the Jews to the whole world, is pivotal in what God was doing in the world. The message of Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment of all God promised Israel, is for all people, not just the Jews!
Peter’s proclamation, “I most certainly understand now,” reveals his hard-to-come by certainty. We today may find it hard to grasp both the difficulty and the wonder of this revelation for Peter once he comprehended it. It was an “aha” moment of the highest order: “God is not one to show partiality.” From an early age, Peter (like all Jews) was taught to look down on non-Jews. But now he sees that God does not look down on them, so neither can Peter any longer. In fact, God called him to be the pioneer and proponent of this new, enlightened understanding.
God is looking for those whose hearts are open to Him, having not just an inward sentiment but an outward concern for others’ wellbeing that reveals genuine openness to the things of God. Peter in no way implies that a person’s moral character earns his right to the gospel. Rather he intimates that God is not “unfair”; He will not shun anyone who genuinely fears Him. Of course, by His grace, God often reaches into the lives of those who do not fear Him, but in cases like that His invasion of their lives brings them to the point of fearing Him. And when that happens, it matters not whether they are Jew or Gentile. It is a matter of the heart.
So Cornelius, who welcomed Peter, is himself welcomed by God. And now, Peter will bring all the truth of Jesus to bear in the clear gospel message.
Lord, I lay my heart completely open to You. Take control of my life.
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