Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
When Peter returned after preaching to Gentiles, the believers in Judea met him with severe censure for going into the houses of uncircumcised men and eating with them. The charge was that he had entered the home of uncircumcised Gentiles and shared food with them, which they treated as the substance of his offense. Those who raised it were the circumcised believers and Jewish converts, rebuking him for entering a Gentile's house and for entering Gentile homes more broadly.
They were surprised and offended by such strange movements, regarding his conduct as presumptuous and improper. They feared it contradicted his own teachings and would undermine his teaching and the Jewish faith, treating his visit as direct opposition to Jewish faith and teachings. Their complaint rested on maintaining the ceremonial distinction between circumcision and uncircumcision, regarding Gentiles as unclean and contact with them as improper. From old prejudice and exclusiveness they regarded eating with the uncircumcised as a violation of Jewish tradition.
Peter answered by rehearsing the whole matter in order, showing that God had directed him to go to the Gentiles and had taught him not to regard them as unclean. His defense convinced the disciples that his course was in direct fulfillment of God's plan and that their exclusiveness was to be utterly destroyed by the gospel of Christ. He had known beforehand that visiting Gentiles would be treated as direct opposition to Jewish faith and teachings, but he followed God's direction and went. The dispute marks the time for an entirely new phase of the Christian church, in which the door the believers had closed against the Gentiles was manifestly thrown open. It reveals the resistance Peter faced and how difficult it was for Jewish believers to accept that God was opening the gospel to Gentiles and giving them the Holy Spirit when it began reaching them.
It shows the prejudice that separated Jewish Christians from Gentiles and had kept many Jewish converts from accepting Gentiles as fellow believers was broken down when God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentile believers. Gentiles who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ stand on perfect equality with Jewish disciples as fellow believers, without the necessity of circumcision. God carries forward His work by requiring every true believer to stand ready to be taught by Him, breaking down whatever prejudices he has had through heavenly messengers cooperating with people on earth, even setting a person of decidedly prejudiced sentiments to do a work that will break down those prejudices. Sending Peter to Cornelius shows how God works to enlighten all who love and fear Him even though they do not know all the truth, sending a heavenly messenger to bring about the work that must be done to bring many Gentiles to the truth; yet if people hold to their own ideas and are unwilling to yield, the Lord cannot use them but will pass them by and take those willing to walk in His ways.
When Peter returned after preaching to Gentiles, the believers in Judea met him with severe censure for going into the houses of uncircumcised men and eating with them. The charge was that he had entered the home of uncircumcised Gentiles and shared food with them, which they treated as the substance of his offense. Those who raised it were the circumcised believers and Jewish converts, rebuking him for entering a Gentile's house and for entering Gentile homes more broadly.
They were surprised and offended by such strange movements, regarding his conduct as presumptuous and improper. They feared it contradicted his own teachings and would undermine his teaching and the Jewish faith, treating his visit as direct opposition to Jewish faith and teachings. Their complaint rested on maintaining the ceremonial distinction between circumcision and uncircumcision, regarding Gentiles as unclean and contact with them as improper. From old prejudice and exclusiveness they regarded eating with the uncircumcised as a violation of Jewish tradition.
Peter answered by rehearsing the whole matter in order, showing that God had directed him to go to the Gentiles and had taught him not to regard them as unclean. His defense convinced the disciples that his course was in direct fulfillment of God's plan and that their exclusiveness was to be utterly destroyed by the gospel of Christ. He had known beforehand that visiting Gentiles would be treated as direct opposition to Jewish faith and teachings, but he followed God's direction and went. The dispute marks the time for an entirely new phase of the Christian church, in which the door the believers had closed against the Gentiles was manifestly thrown open. It reveals the resistance Peter faced and how difficult it was for Jewish believers to accept that God was opening the gospel to Gentiles and giving them the Holy Spirit when it began reaching them.
It shows the prejudice that separated Jewish Christians from Gentiles and had kept many Jewish converts from accepting Gentiles as fellow believers was broken down when God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentile believers. Gentiles who have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ stand on perfect equality with Jewish disciples as fellow believers, without the necessity of circumcision. God carries forward His work by requiring every true believer to stand ready to be taught by Him, breaking down whatever prejudices he has had through heavenly messengers cooperating with people on earth, even setting a person of decidedly prejudiced sentiments to do a work that will break down those prejudices. Sending Peter to Cornelius shows how God works to enlighten all who love and fear Him even though they do not know all the truth, sending a heavenly messenger to bring about the work that must be done to bring many Gentiles to the truth; yet if people hold to their own ideas and are unwilling to yield, the Lord cannot use them but will pass them by and take those willing to walk in His ways.