With the movement of Peter to Joppa (Acts 9:31–43), the Lord was preparing his servant to engage in the first official mission to a Gentile. The first publicly recognized endeavour to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to someone who is not from a Jewish or Samaritan background was about to take place. This would involve crossing a major redemptive-historical threshold. As a result, it had to be made crystal clear to the early Christian believers as well as the first readers of Acts that the Gentiles are part of God’s plan.

Reading Acts 10:1–48 with modern eyes, most people today will be somewhat amused by the initial surprise of Peter and the later amazement of those who went with him to Cornelius. To our minds, Gentile mission is a standard assumption. It is a natural consequence of the gospel. Of course, the church should make plans to share Jesus Christ with people from all walks of life. Of course, there must be cross-cultural mission. For the early Christians however, this kind of thinking was radically different from what they were taught in Judaism. Not so much the idea that Gentiles would seek to serve the Lord and submit to his Messiah. The Old Testament Scriptures are full of promises that the nations will come to worship the Lord at his holy mountain (see Isaiah 1:1–2:22; Psalm 99:1–9, Psalm 117:1–2). The concept of nations worshipping the Lord and joining his people is not a novel idea. What is new is the idea that Gentiles can be part of God’s church without first becoming Jews.

Up until this point in time, if a Gentile wanted to worship the Lord, he would be expected to forsake his idols, reform his ethics, and gather for prayer at the weekly synagogue meeting. This was the place where he would receive regular instruction from God’s Word with the hope that he would eventually come to submit to circumcision. Thereafter he would be baptized and expected to bring purification sacrifices at the temple.¹ Once he did so, it would still be many generations before he would be allowed to worship in the inner courts at the temple (see Deuteronomy 23:1–8). Gentile pollution takes time to be cleansed. Still, he would be considered part of God’s people in a broad sense. Someone who enjoyed God’s favour, someone who was waiting for the coming Messiah.

What has happened in Acts 10:1–48 is that a Gentile has become part of God’s people without becoming a Jew. Someone who is uncircumcised has been baptized and received as a full member in the church. A Gentile has been let into the inner courts so to speak, and that with the full approval of God. The full approval of the Lord, who has all those old covenant laws to guard access into his presence.

This is the reason for the surprise shown by the believers at the end of Peter’s sermon. This is the reason why the people who came with Peter are specifically identified as being circumcised (Acts 10:45). A strange detail to include but it is there to highlight the contrast. And this is the reason why the Holy Spirit comes visibly once again, just like he did with the Samaritans, just like he did at Pentecost. It is a special occasion meant to help God’s people change their thinking.

The early church knew that Jesus is the Messiah, the judge of the living and the dead. They are waiting for his return; they submit to his teaching as given by the apostles. What they did not know or at least did not fully appreciate, was that faith really is the only requirement to be part of this new community. Faith in Christ opens the door to membership and God truly wants people from all nations to be included. As Peter himself states so clearly in Acts 10:34–35: God does not show favouritism, in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what it right is acceptable to him.

Speaking in a judicial context, Peter acknowledges that the same standard counts for everyone. God does not take bribes. He does not have one standard for Jews and one standard for Gentiles, one standard for men and one standard for woman. Everyone is subject to the demands of his law and anyone who meets the requirements of the law will be accepted by him. This does not mean that Cornelius has earned his salvation through his deeds. If that was the case there would be no need for Christ, no need for forgiveness of sins. Rather, similar to old covenant believers, Cornelius has been trusting in God. He has been demonstrating the fruits of faith, and now the Messiah, whom he has looked for in shadows, is proclaimed in his presence. Christ who has kept the law in his place. Christ who has died the death which he deserved. Christ is accepted by the Father and so are all who are united to him through faith, irrespective of background or social status. Faith in Christ truly opens the door to full approval in the sight of God.