Acts 10:15

"But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”"

Key Reflection

In first-century Jewish culture, the distinction between clean and unclean foods was strictly observed as part of Mosaic law. For Peter to declare that he had never consumed any unclean food would have been a significant statement, reinforcing his adherence to traditional dietary laws. This declaration highlights the shock and perhaps initial resistance Peter felt when confronted with the vision commanding him to eat what was previously considered unclean, setting the stage for a pivotal moment in Christian history where these barriers began to break down.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 15. What God hath cleansed. What God hath pronounced or declared pure. If God has commanded you to do a thing, it is not impure or wrong. Its use is lawful if he has commanded it. Perhaps Peter would have supposed that the design of this vision was to instruct him that the distinction between clean and unclean food, as recognized by the Jews, was about to be abolished, Ac 17. But the result showed that it had a higher and more important design. It was to show him that they who had been esteemed by the Jews as unclean or profane--the entire Gentile world--might now be admitted to similar privileges with the Jews.

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