Acts 10

It was the middle of the day. They neared the city and one of them decided to go up on a roof to pray. Soon, though, he grew hungry. But he’d have to wait a while before eating; as the food was being prepared, he saw a large sheet descending from heaven bearing all manner of creature. A voice said to him:

“Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

Peter replied: “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

The voice spoke again: “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”

Twice more this happened, leaving Peter bewildered indeed. (Acts 10:9:17) On the surface, this vision seemed to be saying that God broke the lines between “clean” and “unclean” meat as outlined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:3-12. Simple, isn’t it? But it clearly wasn’t; Peter was pondering over the meaning of the vision!

Declared All Food Clean

NIV Mark 7:18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’?
NIV Mark 7:19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)
NIV Mark 7:20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’
NIV Mark 7:21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
NIV Mark 7:22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
NIV Mark 7:23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”

To many people, the above passage is sure proof that there is no “unclean” food now. But looking at these verses in context, we realize it is not referring to any law that came from God, but rather traditions of Pharisees:

NIV Mark 7:1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and
NIV Mark 7:2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed.
NIV Mark 7:3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.
NIV Mark 7:4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
NIV Mark 7:5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

The issue here is “unclean” hands that would make the food they eat “unclean”. It is not addressing the law to abstain from “unclean” meats; it is addressing the tradition of the elders. Look at the following:

KJV Mark 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
KJV Mark 7:19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
KJV Mark 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
KJV Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
KJV Mark 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
KJV Mark 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The phrase “purifying all foods” is taken by the NIV to be a parenthetical commentary on Jesus’ words, paraphrasing it to “In saying this, Jesus declared all foods ‘clean.’ ” And yet, Peter, as apostle of Christ, had not learned that lesson. Even if he had not been there in this incident, he would likely have heard. And yet, after receiving the Spirit of his Master (Acts 2), he still had not figured out that the Christian is permitted to eat any meat he so desires. Look through all of Acts (and indeed the rest of the New Testament) and you will not see an account or sign of Peter every learning this lesson, from the vision or otherwise. In fact, Peter was baffled; he knew the Lord does not contradict Himself and, I believe, reasoned the meaning of the vision must be more than what it appears. Jesus’ words are expressing that nothing we eat makes us unclean; that it is disobedience that makes us unclean; but he made no reference to Leviticus 11, and indeed we never see any account of Christ or any of the apostles eating unclean meats. What he was speaking about is the traditions of men.

If we look at the words spoken in the vision, we notice something interesting; the voice said not to call anything common (that is impure, defiled) but did not say that Peter should not call anything unclean. It is clear that the vision is not annulling the concept of unclean meat.

So what was the vision about?

As a prelude to Peter’s vision, we are introduced to a man called Cornelius.

Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
Acts 10:2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
Acts 10:3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
Acts 10:4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
Acts 10:5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.
Acts 10:6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”
Acts 10:7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.
Acts 10:8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

The fact that this Cornelius’ story is introduced before Peter’s vision and continued after seems to indicate that the two are connected occurrences. It continues as quoted below:

Acts 10:17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate.
Acts 10:18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.
Acts 10:19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you.

Acts 10:20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”
Acts 10:21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”
Acts 10:22 And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you.”

Acts 10:23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Acts 10:24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

Acts 10:25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

Acts 10:26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”

Acts 10:27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.

Acts 10:28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Acts 10:29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”

You see Peter’s words? He said that God had shown him that he should not call any man common or unclean. Do you recall this term being used earlier in the chapter? Peter used this term himself:

Acts 10:13 And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”
Acts 10:14 But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.”

Later, Peter was shown more astounding proof that even these Gentile men were to be counted among the people of God. While speaking of the truth of the Messiah whom “they killed… by hanging on him on a tree” (verse 39), it is recorded:

Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
Acts 10:45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
Acts 10:47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
Acts 10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Having heard these men speak in other languages just as he and his associates did on the day of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost in the year Lord Jesus died, he knew these men had received the same Spirit that he had been blessed with.

But, you may say, Peter said God had shown him that he shouldn’t call any man common or unclean. During the vision, the voice had said he shouldn’t call anything impure that God has called clean. Remember, it was a vision. In both the Tanakh and the New Testament, visions are symbolic. This one is no different. Peter uses the same words he used during the vision, a clear correlation between the vision and his reaction to the men’s actions. And what’s more; Peter himself makes the connection in the very next chapter:

Acts 11:1 Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
Acts 11:2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him,
Acts 11:3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
Acts 11:4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:
Acts 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.
Acts 11:6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
Acts 11:7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
Acts 11:8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’
Acts 11:9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’
Acts 11:10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
Acts 11:11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
Acts 11:12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
Acts 11:13 And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
Acts 11:14 who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’
Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
Acts 11:16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
Acts 11:17 If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

If the vision had nothing to do with Peter’s realization not to call any man “common or unclean”, he would not have included it in this account. The lesson the Lord Yahweh had taught him that day was the very one the circumcised (Jewish) believers did:

NIV Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

Once again, the Biblical truth proves more profound than what most have been taught. What an awesome God our Adonai Yahweh is!

Note: All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James (NKJV) of the Bible unless otherwise indicated. For King James Version (KJV) and NKJV quotations, words in italics are added by translators. Bolded words in Bible quotations are my own emphasis.

· Romans 14: Unclean Defined

· What Is Means To Be Under Grace

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