Acts 10:34-43

Peter Preached to the Assembled Gentiles

The beginning of Peter's sermon makes it obvious that he had learned a great new lesson. As Ash said, "Acceptability to God no longer depended on national descent, but upon character (cf. Amos 9:7; Micah 6:8). Thus one need not become a Jew to please God." So, he began to preach the simple gospel message he had already proclaimed to so many Jews. First, the Jews had learned Jesus was the means of man obtaining peace with God and his fellow man. To do that, Jesus had to be Lord, or master, over all. Peter presumed they had already heard of the preaching of Jesus which had spread through Judea and Galilee, beginning with the message of the forerunner, John the baptizer.

Jesus was God's anointed and had performed numerous acts of kindness and healing. Peter and the other apostles stood as witnesses of the good he did and the terrible trial the Jewish leaders put him through, followed by his death on the cross. They also could testify that God raised him up and made him known to certain witnesses, some of whom even ate with him. Those same were given a commission to testify that Jesus would ultimately judge both the living and dead. Even the prophets had referred to the coming Messiah through whom those believing on his name could receive the remission of their sins (Acts 10:34-43).