[smvoice]

Oh, THAT dude. I was wondering what in the world you were saying :) You mean Cornelius. 1.Peter fell into a trance when he went up on the housetop to pray. 2.He saw a vision of killing and eating all manner of beasts. 3. He argued with the Lord when the Lord told him to kill and eat of these "unclean" beasts. Peter said "not so, Lord". 3 times this happened. Obviously we see that Peter did NOT know that anything gentile in nature would be acceptable to God. Even though he was commanded to take the gospel of the kingdom to all the world, every nation.

4. Peter doubts in himself what this vision meant. He was told by the Spirit that 3 men sought him, arise and go to them, nothing doubting. Hmmm, that doesn't sound like he was ready to take the gospel of the Kingdom to all nations. 5. He is told that Cornelius was a just man, and of good report among all the NATION OF THE JEWS. Again, what about to all the nations? Would it not have mattered WHAT Cornelius believed if the twelve were actually carrying out the "great commission"?

6. And this is the kicker: "And he said unto them 'YE KNOW HOW THAT IT IS AN UNLAWFUL THING FOR A MAN THAT IS A JEW TO KEEP COMPANY, OR COME UNTO ONE OF ANOTHER NATION; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10, the whole Chapter).

What is THAT about? If they were given a commission to go into all the world, preaching the gospel to every creature, why in the world would Peter have hesitated, doubted, argued with anyone regarding Cornelius? Why hesitate regarding the gospel of the kingdom? Why not just RUN to Cornelius with the good news? And why did he rehearse what happened when he met before the council at Jerusalem? Did they not understand the commission given to them? Or were they doing EXACTLY what Christ commissioned them to do, go to the Jew first. And once Israel is saved, it's on to the gentiles. There's a lot of meat in this particular part of Acts. Meat that can change your life, if understood and believed as God had it written. Not as man has changed, avoided, or deceived others about. It says what it means and means what it says.

[Dutchboy88]

Great stuff about the way the story unfolds as it moves through Acts. That is excellent hermeneutics. The way you describe the grafting in of us Gentiles slowly dawning on Peter (well, after he is startled by the vision) also tells a lot about what was actually going on in the Gospels. The blood had not been shed and we were not yet included (Eph 2). There would not be near the collision between grace and Law if people would read the story as it unfolds. Wonderful info. Thanks.