Embracing Divine Revelation
Acts 11:1–10 (NASB95)
1Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, 6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. 7“I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8“But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’9“But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ 10“This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
In Acts 11:1–10, Peter addresses serious concerns raised by the Jerusalem believers regarding his fellowship with uncircumcised Gentiles. The early church, deeply rooted in strict observance of Jewish purity laws, was alarmed to hear that Peter had entered the homes of Gentiles and shared meals with them. Their objection, summarized in the charge, “You entered to uncircumcised men and ate with them,” reflected deep-seated cultural and religious barriers that had long defined Jewish identity. However, this criticism set the stage for Peter’s powerful defense of God’s work.
Peter’s response, recounted succinctly in verses 5–10, is not merely a rationalization of his personal behavior but also a testimony to God’s divine initiative. While in prayer, Peter experienced a vision—one where a sheet was lowered from heaven, containing various animals that Jewish law deemed unclean. When commanded three times by a voice from heaven not to call anything impure that God had made clean, Peter recognized that the boundaries drawn by tradition were to be superseded by God’s grace. This vision, which had earlier prepared him for his encounter with Cornelius’s household, served as divine confirmation that the Gentiles were to be welcomed into the covenant community. In Peter’s narrative, his actions were not based on personal preference; rather, they were entirely motivated by God’s revelation and command.
Just as an encounter with the Holy Spirit transformed Peter, we must remain open to divine guidance that calls us to dismantle barriers incompatible with God’s plan for people. Let us nurture a spirit of radical hospitality and unity, welcoming all who sincerely seek God, regardless of their background. By grounding our practices in prayer and a genuine willingness to listen to God’s voice, our church can embody the inclusive love of Jesus—affirming that what God has declared clean, we must celebrate rather than reject. This passage reminds us that human traditions do not limit the Gospel but is a universal invitation to all who would come to Him.