When Cornelius insisted that Peter reveal his knowledge of God, the courageous apostle became enlightened. He realized that the word of God is not only given to Jews, but to each and every rightful man. All men are worthy of hearing about God and what He did in Christ. This realization was a mind-opener to Peter and to the believers who accompanied him. They observed that Christ was starting to break down the barrier between them and the Gentiles. They realized that God desired to receive people from all nations, tongues, colors, and cultures, those who seek Him with upright hearts, and who train themselves in good works.
Peter then declared to them the totality of all Christian faith with sheerest simplicity. He summed up its meaning in one statement and in one name: “Jesus Christ is Lord of all. He who receives this Mediator between God and man obtains peace of mind and heart. This message of divine reconciliation was first deposited in the children of the Old Testament, who lived among Jewish towns and villages of Samaria and Galilee. The news reached Caesarea through Philip, the deacon who not only preached to Jews, but on one occasion even to a Gentile Ethiopian. With the coming of Peter into this town, Christ was ceremonially opening the gospel to all men. The word given to Abraham: ‘In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ was seeing its accomplishment in the apostle.
After that the apostle told his listeners of the most important events in the life of Jesus, of how He had come down from a mountainous town in Galilee to the deep, hot Jordan Valley to meet John the Baptist, with whom many of those who longed for God were gathered. There it was that God opened heaven. He anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit publicly and empowered him to service, to heal all diseases, to cast out demons, and to preach the gospel. Jesus had not proclaimed imaginary, lofty philosophical thoughts without practical realization. Instead, He had practiced what He said, fulfilling the will of God as proclaimed in His gospel. Peter and all the other apostles had been eye-witnesses to the life of Jesus. They had seen with their own eyes how He lived in full harmony with God, whose work was visible in Him. The authority of Christ was beyond question.
What then happened was unbelievable to the human mind. Men killed this Holy One of God by hanging him on the infamous tree, a place meant for runaway slaves and unclean murderers. God, however, had proved the innocence of the love of His Son, declaring His holiness when He raised him from the dead. Following that Jesus showed himself publicly, wandering among the living. He did not meet with all the people of Jerusalem, but with those God had chosen before to be witnesses of the resurrection. One of those chosen witnesses was Peter. Jesus had lived, eaten, and drunk with them after His resurrection to prove to them that the body in which He was raised was true and real.
During the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension, Christ taught them the mysteries of the kingdom of His heavenly Father. He told them that God had given to Him all authority in heaven and on earth. Thus Jesus is the Judge of all men and Lord over the living and the dead. Cornelius and all those gathered in his house were His own, just as we are today.
We need not, however, be afraid of this Almighty, for the prophets foretold that whoever believes in the name of Jesus Christ receives remission of sins and does not enter into judgment. He who came from God also exited the Day of Judgment and opened wide the door to heaven. Therefore, we do not have to be afraid because of our sins or to tremble at the just wrath of God. The Son of God washed us from our sins in His own blood and sanctified us completely, bringing us near to God, our heavenly Father.
He who believes these fActs.is justified, and he who receives the gospel of salvation is sanctified. With these words Peter offered the fullness of the grace of Jesus Christ for the first time to the Gentiles. He opened to them the right of Christ’s atonement. The apostle drew the hearers into belief and a life of accordance with the redemptive will of God.
Peter did not prove the mysteries of Christ’s redemptive work theologically. He did not reason logically using unique words or deep insights. Instead, he testified as an eye-witness to these historical truths. Salvation found its way to his hearers through his telling of these events, and not through reproaching them for their sins or making them remorse with tears. Peter guided them not to himself, but drew their eyes to Jesus. Faith in Jesus alone saves, and he who trusts in him is sanctified.
In this meeting we find a unique historical confirmation of Jesus’ crucifixion, for the Roman centurion would never have approved of Peter’s testimony about Jesus’ crucifixion unless it had actually happened. This truth, however, was known, and Peter had explained it as the foundation and reason of our salvation.