What does "Get up, Peter, kill and eat" reveal about God's commands to Peter? Setting the Scene Acts 10:9-16 places Peter on a rooftop in Joppa while praying. Hungry, he falls into a trance and “saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners” (v. 11). Inside are “all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air” (v. 12). Then comes the directive: “Then a voice said to him: ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’” (Acts 10:13) Three Imperatives, One Divine Voice • Get up – urgency; move from contemplation to action • Kill – decisive obedience; no halfway measure • Eat – full acceptance of what God now declares clean God addresses Peter by name, underscoring a personal, authoritative conversation. What the Command Reveals about God’s Instructions to Peter • They override previous ceremonial restrictions—only the Lawgiver can amend His own law (cf. Leviticus 11; Mark 7:19 “Thus He declared all foods clean”). • They come with absolute authority; Peter’s conscience must yield to God’s word rather than to tradition (Acts 10:14-15). • They are repeated for emphasis (vv. 15-16), highlighting God’s determination that Peter embrace the new directive. • They prepare Peter for immediate mission: welcoming Gentiles into the covenant family (Acts 10:28, 34-35). • They move the focus from external ritual purity to the cleansing accomplished by Christ (Hebrews 9:13-14). Reasons Behind the Command 1. To teach that God alone determines what is clean. 2. To eliminate ethnic and ceremonial barriers to Gospel fellowship. 3. To equip Peter to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile centurion (Acts 10:22-24). 4. To display the unfolding plan promised to Abraham: “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). 5. To model obedience that other Jewish believers would later imitate (Acts 11:17-18; 15:8-11). Immediate Outcomes in the Text • Peter abandons hesitation, welcomes Cornelius’s men (Acts 10:23). • The Holy Spirit falls on Gentile listeners, confirming God’s inclusion of them (Acts 10:44-48). • The Jerusalem church comes to the same conclusion after Peter’s report (Acts 11:18). Scripture Connections • Mark 7:18-19 – Jesus foreshadows the change in food laws. • Ephesians 2:13-16 – Christ removes the dividing wall of hostility. • 1 Timothy 4:4 – “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” • Romans 14:17 – The kingdom is “not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Key Takeaways for Today • When God speaks clearly in Scripture, prior customs, feelings, or traditions must yield. • God’s commands often serve larger redemptive purposes beyond our immediate understanding. • Prompt, wholehearted obedience positions believers to participate in God’s expanding work. |
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