22.237 | Purified by God | Acts 10:9-16 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Acts 10:9-16 ESV

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

PURIFIED BY GOD

After Cornelius saw the vision, he sent three men to look for Peter at Joppa, at the house of Simon the tanner. The next day these three men arrived in Joppa. And as they were approaching the city, Peter went at the housetop about the sicth hour [12 noon] to pray. It was when he became hungry that he saw a vision of a big sheet lowered from heaven by its four corners of the earth. Inside it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

As a Jew, Peter’s reaction was expected, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

Three times are more than enough to convince Peter, head of the apostles, that God has made these animals clean for him to eat. That, His words from this vision must be believed now. That God had has the authority and prerogative to nullify the Mosaic ceremonial law. This vision wasn’t primarily about eating unclean made clean animals per se, was it? In due time, Peter understood that this signified the fulfilment that the salvation would happen to the Gentiles also beside Jews, starting from the conversion of Cornelius.

In the Old Testament, God had covenanted to Abraham unilaterally that he would bless all nations through his offspring. This came into fulfilment or fruition in Christ. Paul explains this to the Galatians, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.[Gal 3:16], Thus, he said to the Gentile believers in Galatia, “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise”[Gal 3:19] All people, regardless of ethnicity and gender status, who trust Christ as Savior are cleansed by His precious blood. “Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”[Col 3:11]

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