Gospel for all Nations (Sixth Sunday of Easter)

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This passage of Acts marks the first major wave of conversion of Gentiles to the Christian faith. Prior to meeting with Cornelius, St. Peter had a vision wherein several non-kosher animals were presented to him, from which he was instructed to eat. Upon refusing on the grounds that they were ritually unclean, the Lord said to him, “do not call unclean what I have called clean.” This happened three times until men sent by Cornelius appeared at his doorstep (Acts 10:9-23).

At this point Peter realized that under the New Covenant, Gentiles were not to be excluded, but incorporated into God’s people just as the Jews had been. He connects this to the vision he saw before in Acts 10:28, where he says, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.” Thus, he would declare that God shows no partiality, favouring one nation over another, but extends salvation in Christ to everyone regardless of social class or ethnic origin (vv. 34-35). After preaching about the saving work of Christ, we see the Holy Spirit coming down upon all the Gentiles in the room, who were subsequently baptized (vv. 44-48).

This move of the Spirit marked the beginning of the spread of the Gospel beyond the confines of Judea and Samaria. God’s will is that all men may be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), and that the Gospel should spread to all the ends of the earth before the end comes (Matt 24:14). The apostles would later go out throughout the world to such far off places as Rome, India, Arabia and Ethiopia. But it all begins with the conversion of Cornelius and his men.

Those of us who are Gentile believers are recipients of this move of the Gospel to the nations. We should be ever grateful to God for having sent His Son to save us, and do what we can to help spread the Gospel to all nations and peoples.

J. Luis Dizon