Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: (35) But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. (36) The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) (37) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; (38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: (40) Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; (41) Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. (42) And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. (43) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
I beg the Reader's attention in a very particular manner, to the opening of this Scriptural sermon of the Apostles, as well as to the whole subject contained in it. Never, I believe, hath there been any part of the word of God twisted to speak the very reverse of what the Apostle meant, more than in this verse; and therefore it merits the closer attention.
The advocates for a general inoffensiveness of conduct, as, in their view, the first and only qualifications, for an appearance before God, both here and hereafter; are continually endeavouring to lessen the infinite importance of redemption by Christ, with harping upon this string, that God is no respecter of persons; and that it matters not, how men live, provided they live up to the light of nature, and the reason that is in them; for in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. Whereas, both Peter's sermon, and Peter's journey to Cornelius, testified the very reverse of this interpretation of Peter's words. In the instance of this Gentile, the Lord decidedly declared, that neither his devotion, nor his charity, were of any account, in a way of justification before God: and that without a change of heart, in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he could not be saved. Else wherefore the expense of a vision to send men to Peter, to tell him words, whereby he and his might be saved? Wherefore Peter, receiving also the ministry of a vision, and a special command from God the Holy Ghost, to go to Cornelius, at such a distance, had Cornelius been in a salvable state before?
Let it be supposed, for argument's sake, that this honest Gentile had entertained such sentiments as these despisers of the Person and work of Christ do entertain; who, from being unacquainted with the plague of their own heart, think lightly of Christ, and his salvation: and when the angel had delivered his message of sending to call Peter, he had said, wherefore send for Peter? I am serving God to the best of my power. I do no wrong. I injure no one. I give much alms; and pray continually. I need no more. What can we reasonably conclude would have been the consequence? Would not the Lord's displeasure have been most justly called forth against such contumacy? Mistake me not. I am not for a moment supposing, Cornelius as at all liable to fall into such a temptation of arrogancy and presumption. He was better taught. The Lord, which gave him instruction to send for Peter, had at the same time inclined his heart to obey. But I am simply stating the case, in order to shew more pointedly the dangerous situation of those, who wrest the Scriptures of God to speak the reverse of what those Scriptures mean; and act upon that perversion. Very awful must it be in all who reject the council of God against their own souls, who rest satisfied with a general inoffensiveness of conduct, and live, and die, uninterested in the great salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if Peter had not the most distant idea of such a perversion of words, when he thus delivered himself, and which his journey to Caesarea most plainly proves; what did the Apostle mean, when he said: Of a truth, I perceive, that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him? Nothing can be more evident, than that Peter meant to say, that all his Jewish prejudices were done away. He now discovered, what he knew not before, that the Jew and the Gentile as such, were equally the objects of divine favor in Christ. And, under these impressions, he hesitated not to declare openly the convictions of his mind; that the great redemption by Christ was not limited to the Jew; but his people, were equally to be found, among the other nations of the earth. Hence he exclaimed, God is no respecter of persons. An expression similar to that of Paul, Galatians 1:6. God accepteth no man's person: meaning the same in both; that there is nothing in the person of any man, whether Jew or Gentile, to find respect, or acceptation; for both are only in Christ. He hath made us accepted in the beloved, saith the Church, Ephesians 1:6
And, to the same amount Paul speaks, when, under the influence of divine teaching, he crieth out: Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes! of the Gentiles also. Seeing, it is One God which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith, Romans 3:29-30. God is no respecter of persons in Paul's view, no more than in Peter's. The God of the Jew, is the God of the Gentile, not only in nature and providence, but in grace and glory. God was in Covenant in Christ for his Gentile Church as well as his Jewish Church, before the Covenant of the law given by Moses on Mount Sinai: before the Covenant of Circumcision given to Abraham after the flood: before the Covenant transaction with Noah, before the flood: before the Covenant of promise, made at the fall, in the seed of the woman bruising the serpent's head: yea, before the foundation of the earth was laid. This is proved to us in what hath been before remarked, in the beginning of the observations in this Chapter. And the sending Peter to Cornelius, and the call of all the Church of the Gentiles in all ages, proves the same. The whole Church, both Gentile and Jew, were from all eternity, chosen in Christ; and in the time-state of the Church, all are called in Christ, adopted in Christ, justified in Christ, sanctified in Christ, and will be glorified in Christ, when they are all brought home from their present time-state on earth, to their eternal state in heaven. And all these blessings are the sole result of free, sovereign, and unconditional grace; Seeing it is One God existing in a threefold character of Persons, which shall justify; and justify in the same way, and by the same cause: not from human merit, but divine mercy; not from man's deserving, but God's free grace; the whole Church of his love, whether they be Jew or Gentile; whether they be bond or free. And this justification hath nothing in it derived from the Church; for it is wholly of God, The circumcision of the Jew, doth not in the least promote it; neither the uncircumcision of the Gentile, retard. All the sufficiency is of God. And the enjoyment by faith in the Jew, or through faith of the Gentile, is the same. The glorious comprehensive source of all justification, is as the Apostle closed his sermon, with observing, as all the Prophets witness that it is through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins. See Commentary, Acts 13:39.