The Gospel Goes Out to the Gentiles

A major theme in the Book of Acts is how the church that started as inherently Jewish not only became Gentile but also essentially outside the fold of Judaism. After Pentecost, the apostles along with the church did not see themselves as those who are parting ways with Judaism. They thought of themselves as those who merely recognized that Jesus is the promised Messiah according to Scripture. However, just like they rejected the offer of the Kingdom by John the Baptist and by Jesus, the leadership in Jerusalem rejected the offer of the Kingdom by the Apostles. Just like they killed Jesus, they killed Stephen and were intending on destroying the church with Saul leading the charge.

Ironically, Saul was converted and was given a new charge by the Lord Jesus Himself: "to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel" (Acts 10:15). However, it would not be up to Saul—now the Apostle Paul after his conversation—to take the Gospel to the Gentile. Instead, God uses the Apostle Peter, an already established apostle because this expansion of the purview of the Gospel will prove to be controversial. Having the Apostle Peter there will prove valuable to maintaining the unity of the church. Acts Chapter 10 is a significant turning point in the life of the church. From this point on, the Gospel will go out in all directions and to broad geographical regions, especially through the Apostle Paul’s missionary journeys. 

Some have attempted to argue that the Ethiopian Eunuch was the first Gentile Christian. However, there are three major distinctions to highlight that make the conversion of the household of Cornelius significant. One, the Ethiopian Eunuch was a Jewish convert as evident by his long journey to worship in Jerusalem. Two, the event at Cornelius's house was a corporate event with multiple people turning to the Lord among many witnesses. Three, and most significantly, just like the Holy Spirit came on the disciples in the upper room at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came on the Gentile (Cornelius' household) in a very dramatic way.

This scene marks the expansion of the church and the gospel to those outside the fold of Israel, something that was unexpected even by the Apostles themselves. Perhaps they understood Jesus' Great Commission as "Go and make disciples of all the [Jews in every] nations." God had to work on the Apostle Peter's heart first through the vision at the tanner's house. So, when he went to Cornelius's house he immediately acknowledged:

“I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him." (Acts 10:34-35)

Some have attempted to use these verses as a prooftext for some form of Universalism—namely, that God saves everyone or at least all the good people. However, the context proves the opposite. Although Cornelius was "a devout man and one who feared God", God did not leave him there. Instead, he sent him the Apostle Peter to share Christ because "through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins" (Acts 10:43). This applies to everyone because in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile.

Ironically, while the significance of this event was to demonstrate how the gospel went out to the Gentile because God shows no partiality and in the church age He accepts Gentiles alongside Jews, now it's significance is why we need to include Jews in our evangelism. Remember, "there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).