How Did the Early Church Overcome Prejudice? Acts 10

We live in a time where there is a lots of division in our country. Whether it is politics or race relations, we are facing we are a far cry from "One nation under God".   Ethnic issues were equally present in Jesus' time.  One of the biggest ethnic divides was between a Jew and a Gentile.  Jews were strictly forbidden to associate with Gentiles, who were basically non-Jews.  The Jewish people of Jesus day divided people into two groups Jews and Gentiles.  We see in Acts 9 that this was about to change starting with the lead apostle Peter. 

Acts 9:27-26 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.  

Cornelius was a centurion in the Roman army and oversaw 100 men.  He was a devout and God-fearing man as a Gentile.  Cornelius saw a vision where an angel told him to bring back a man named Simon, who was a tanner.  He sent three men to bring Simon back to his house. Meanwhile Simon, who we know as Peter, had a dream where God basically declared all things clean. When the three men show up at Simon's house the Spirit tells him to invite them into his home.  

As you can read above Peter realizes his meeting with Cornelius is a divine appointment and a radical departure from his view of Gentiles. When all these things come to pass Peter realizes that his vision from God was to show him that the message of the gospel was for all people Jews and Gentiles.

Famously he says,  "Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." 

What might this mean for us in light of our current challenges?

1. Jesus was the most inclusive person who ever lived. He showed radical love to: prostitutes, lepers, legalistic Pharisees, the rich and the poor, rulers and slaves, and Jews and Gentiles.  He treated them all equal because they were made in the image of God.  

2. Peter leads the early church to have the same love for all people, as evidenced by the conversion of Cornelius the Roman Centurion. As we read through book of Acts we will see many more examples of inclusivity, as women become leaders in the church and people of all backgrounds come to faith in Jesus.   

3. The church's history is filled with good and bad examples of the radical and inclusive love that Jesus lived out every day of his life.  We all know the stories of examples where the church exhibited prejudice and other behaviors not befitting of the gospel. But there are stories of men like William Wilberforce, a politician who helped abolish slave trade in England.  

The Church is not perfect because it is filled with sinful people like you and me.  

At the root of our sinful nature is to think too highly of ourselves and not highly enough of others who are different than us.  It took Peter's radical experience of meeting Cornelius to help him move out of his prejudicial stance toward the Gentiles.  It was a huge statement by the lead apostle and set the tone for the inclusion of the Gentiles into the mission of the Church.  

What unites all people of all races, political bias and economic status is our need for Jesus and what he did for ALL of us.  Romans 3:23 tells us that , "All of sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Jesus died for all people.  When we trust in Christ for salvation we become part of the family of God. We become brothers and sisters in Christ.  This is our new identity which supercedes all the previous identities.  

Paul writes this as he addresses the Galatian church who still was having a huge problem with accepting Gentiles into the church.

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

Friends, we have one source of unity from which all unity flows.  The source of that unity is God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Peter, John and the early church received the Holy Spirit, the very presence of God at Pentecost. This same Holy Spirit produced fellowship and unity in the early church which is equally available to us today. This unity, which flows from God himself, I believe is the hope of the world and the only hope of the healing our nation needs right now.