Peter At Cornelius’s House; Acts 10:24 – 48 – Part 2

Church History: This is the first interview between Peter and Cornelius, in which he gave profound and indeed undue respect and honor to Peter: He met him as he was coming in, and instead of taking him in his arms, and embracing him as a friend, which would have been very acceptable to Peter, he fell down at his feet, and worshipped him; some think, as a prince and a great man, according to the usage of the eastern countries; others think, as an incarnate deity, or as if he took him to be the Messiah himself. His worshipping a man was indeed culpable; but, considering his present ignorance, it was excusable. It was an evidence of something in him that was very commendable. Peter's was modest and indeed just and pious in his refusal of this honor that was given him. He took him up into his arms, with his own hands, saying, "Stand up, I myself also am a man, and therefore not to be worshipped this way." How careful was Paul that no man should think of him above what he saw in him!
Peter declares the direction God gave to him to come to the Gentiles. They knew it had never been allowed by the Jews, but always looked upon as an unlawful thing, an abomination, for a man that is a Jew, a native Jew as I am, to keep company or come unto one of another nation, a stranger, an uncircumcised Gentile. It was not made so by the law of God, but by the decree of their wise men, which they looked upon to be no less binding. They did not forbid them to converse or traffic with Gentiles in the street or shop, or upon the exchange, but to eat with them. Even in Joseph's time, the Egyptians and Hebrews could not eat together, (Genesis 43:32). They might not come into the house of a Gentile, for they looked upon it to be ceremonially polluted. The Jews looked scornfully upon the Gentiles, who were not backhanded with them in contempt, as appears by many passages in the Latin poets. "But now," saith Peter, "God has shown me, by a vision, that I should not call any man common or unclean, nor refuse to converse with any man for the sake of his country." Peter, who had taught his new converts to save themselves from the previous generation of wicked men, is now himself taught to join himself with the future generation of devout Gentiles. Ceremonial characters were abolished, that more regard might be had to moral ones. Peter thought it necessary to let them know how he came to change his mind in this matter, and that it was by a divine revelation. God has taken down the partition-wall. He assures them of his readiness to provide all the help he could; that, when he kept at a distance, it was not out of any personal disgust to them, but only because he wanted instruction from heaven, and, having now received permission, he was at their service: "Therefore I came to you without hesitation, as soon as I was sent for, ready to preach the same gospel to you that I have preached to the Jews." The disciples of Christ had some notion of the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles, but they imagined it must be only to those Gentiles that were first converted to the Jewish religion, which mistake Peter acknowledges was not rectified. He enquired as to where he might be of service to them: "I ask, for what intent have you sent for me? What do you expect from me, or what business have you with me.