Daily Thoughts from Acts: Kosher or Not, Here I Come (Acts 10:9-23)

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. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In 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.” But Peter said, “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.

Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”  And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.  (Acts 10:9-23 ESV)

It is simply fascinating the way God prepares us for huge paradigm shifts.  God has already sent an angel to tell Cornelius to send for Peter.  Now, as Cornelius’ servants and soldier are approaching the house where he is staying, He gives Peter a vision while Peter is in a trance (presumably not aware of what else is going on around him, but solely tuned into God’s revelation).  But God doesn’t use this moment to tell Peter about Cornelius or that Peter should go to Cornelius’ house in another town.  Instead, God teaches Peter a principle by commanding Peter to kill and eat unclean animals.  Peter refuses God’s command, but God repeats it three times, saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”  This is what is really at the heart of what God is doing as He brings Peter to the place of ministering to this Gentile and adding the Gentiles to the church.

As Peter sits in confusion about this vision those sent by Cornelius arrive and ask for Peter.  Now the Holy Spirit tells Peter to go with them.  But first, they must have a place to stay before the journey back.  They need hospitality.  But inviting these Gentiles in to stay risked the Jewish inhabitants becoming unclean and going to visit Cornelius did also.  Peter claims never to have violated the law against eating anything unclean and we may presume the same was true of his interaction with Gentiles.  But now God was telling him to interact with these Gentiles and not call it unclean.  Peter is prepared for a huge change in his life and in the life of the church.

Was God also saying that foods commonly considered unclean were not so any longer?  It is hard to imagine God using this example in the vision without it having that implication.  Just as these foods can be declared clean, so God has declared Gentiles clean.  Do Jews then no longer need to observe kosher?  Many Jewish Christians would answer that they do.  Observing circumcision, kosher, etc., are what set Jews apart from everyone else.  Their very identity as Jews is tied to these observances of the Law.  They are not observances that make Jews worthy of salvation.  They never were and aren’t now. 

Others would argue that it is not strictly these law observances that set Jews apart from Gentiles.  It is their lineage in Abraham and the unique promises God is going to fulfill in their nation.  If they choose to observe these practices that is fine.  Paul, it seems, felt freedom to observe or not to observe depending on who he was trying to reach (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).  Gentiles are certainly free in the Lord to eat whatever they want.  We are all required in the Lord, whether Jew or Gentile, to reach out to any and all people in the world with the gospel and to view ourselves on equal footing before the Lord.