Acts 10:15
And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Peter's initial resistance reveals a common human tendency: we cling to religious rules, even when God is clearly expanding our understanding. The divine command isn't just about food, but about breaking down barriers; what God declares pure, we are not to deem "common" or defiled by our own prejudices. This moment is a powerful reminder that God's definition of clean extends far beyond our limited human categories.
Peter is in a trance, seeing a vision of various animals being lowered in a sheet from heaven, and he's told to kill and eat them. He objects because these are animals forbidden by Jewish law, but the voice repeats the command, clarifying that what God has made clean should not be considered impure by humans. This vision is happening as Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is also receiving divine instructions to send for Peter, setting up a pivotal moment for the inclusion of Gentiles into the early Christian community.
Peter, a devout Jew, was shocked. The voice from heaven declared that what God made clean, he shouldn't call 'common.' What does it mean for God to 'cleanse' something, and why is this distinction so crucial?
This verse is a pivotal moment where God directly intervenes to redefine purity.
God's Authority Over Purity
Peter's immediate reaction reveals his deeply ingrained understanding of Jewish law, where certain foods and people were deemed 'unclean' or 'common.' The voice from heaven doesn't just offer a suggestion; it makes a divine pronouncement. 'What God has cleansed' signifies that God's declaration of purity supersedes any human or ceremonial distinction.
Beyond Ritual Law
While Peter likely first thought of food laws (like those in Leviticus 11), the vision quickly expands to a profound theological truth. God's cleansing power is not limited to dietary regulations; it extends to people. This is the radical shift: the very 'common' or 'unclean' people, like the Gentiles, are now declared clean in God's sight through Christ.
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Peter's initial response was to object based on his lifelong understanding of the Law. But the divine command was clear: God's cleansing means a change in human practice. How does this challenge our own resistance to God's new ways?
This encounter wasn't just about revealing a new truth; it was about instilling obedience.
The 'Second Time' Speaks Volumes
The voice speaking 'a second time' indicates God's patience but also the seriousness of Peter's hesitation. God's desire is for us to align our understanding and actions with His revealed will. Peter's delay, while understandable given his background, needed correction.
Redefining 'Common'
To call something 'common' was to deem it profane or unfit for God's use. God's cleansing reverses this. What was considered 'common' (like the Gentiles in Jewish eyes) is now declared 'clean' and fit for God's kingdom and fellowship. This isn't just about food; it's a radical reordering of social and spiritual barriers, moving from exclusion to inclusion.
The Call to Adapt
God's power to cleanse implies His authority to change or abolish previous commands that were tied to temporary distinctions. When God declares something clean, our response should be humble acceptance and adaptation, not resistance based on past traditions.
Understand the original words
katharizō · Greek Verb
To be declared ceremonially pure, consecrated, or set apart for God's use. It signifies the removal of defilement, allowing something or someone to enter into the presence of the Holy God.
This vision dramatically broke down the sacred barrier between Jews and Gentiles, signaling a radical expansion of God's kingdom to all people, not just those under the Old Covenant.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Peter's Vision at Joppa
While praying and fasting, Peter experiences a trance where a vision of various animals is presented to him with a divine command to kill and eat, which he initially refuses due to Jewish dietary laws. This vision is repeated, culminating in the message, 'What God has made clean, do not call common.'
c. 30-33 AD
Cornelius' Vision and Messengers
Simultaneously, Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion, receives a vision of an angel instructing him to send men to Joppa to find and bring the apostle Peter.
c. 30-33 AD
Peter Meets Cornelius' Messengers
The Holy Spirit prompts Peter to go with the messengers sent by Cornelius, despite the Jewish prohibition against associating with Gentiles.
c. 30-33 AD
Peter Preaches to Cornelius and Gentiles
Peter enters Cornelius' home, an unprecedented act, and preaches the gospel. The Holy Spirit falls upon Cornelius and the Gentile believers, validating their inclusion in God's covenant.
c. 48-49 AD
Jerusalem Council
Disputes arise over whether Gentile converts must follow Jewish law. The Council, including Peter and Paul, affirms that salvation comes through grace, not adherence to the Law, and that Gentiles are not required to be circumcised.
This verse from the Old Testament Law explicitly lists animals that the Israelites were to consider unclean and avoid, directly contrasting with the new understanding God is revealing to Peter that He has made all things clean.
Mark 7:19Jesus declares all foods clean here, which is the foundational teaching that Peter is wrestling with and that this vision in Acts is designed to solidify in his understanding, demonstrating a shift from ceremonial law to spiritual truth.
Romans 14:14Paul echoes the sentiment of Jesus and the vision, stating 'I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself,' providing theological reinforcement to Peter's experience and its implications for the church.
Galatians 3:28This passage speaks to the breaking down of social and ethnic barriers in Christ, mirroring the breaking down of ceremonial barriers between clean and unclean, Jew and Gentile, that Peter's vision signifies.
Ephesians 2:14Paul describes Christ as having broken down the 'dividing wall of hostility' between Jews and Gentiles, a concept that directly aligns with the abolition of distinctions represented by clean and unclean foods in Peter's vision.
ellicottActs 10:15: "And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."
(15) What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. —In the framework of the vision, the clean and the unclean beasts stood on the same footing, were let down from heaven in the same sheet. That had purified them from whatever taint had adhered to them under the precepts of the Law. In the interpretation of the vision, all that belongs to humanity had been taken up into heave…
jfbActs 10:15: "And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."
- What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common—The ceremonial distinctions are at an end, and Gentiles, ceremonially separated from the chosen people (Ac 10:28), and debarred from that access to God in the visible ordinances of His Church which they enjoyed, are now on a perfect equality with them.
Peter's initial resistance reveals a common human tendency: we cling to religious rules, even when God is clearly expanding our understanding. The divine command isn't just about food, but about breaking down barriers; what God declares pure, we are not to deem "common" or defiled by our own prejudices. This moment is a powerful reminder that God's definition of clean extends far beyond our limited human categories.
Peter is in a trance, seeing a vision of various animals being lowered in a sheet from heaven, and he's told to kill and eat them. He objects because these are animals forbidden by Jewish law, but the voice repeats the command, clarifying that what God has made clean should not be considered impure by humans. This vision is happening as Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is also receiving divine instructions to send for Peter, setting up a pivotal moment for the inclusion of Gentiles into the early Christian community.
Peter is in a trance, seeing a vision of various animals being lowered in a sheet from heaven, and he's told to kill and eat them. He objects because these are animals forbidden by Jewish law, but the voice repeats the command, clarifying that what God has made clean should not be considered impure by humans. This vision is happening as Cornelius, a Roman centurion, is also receiving divine instructions to send for Peter, setting up a pivotal moment for the inclusion of Gentiles into the early Christian community.
"And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”" — Peter's initial resistance reveals a common human tendency: we cling to religious rules, even when God is clearly expanding our understanding. The divine command isn't just about food, but about brea…
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