Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.” 
Acts 10:34-36 (MSG)

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Peter’s words in Acts 10 mark one of the most radical moments of the early church. Up until now, the message of Jesus had only been shared among the Jewish people. But suddenly, the Spirit of God was moving in unexpected places that changed the future of the church forever. (If this portion of the Bible were a movie, we would all be on the edge of our seats right now… so lean in and hang on!)

In earlier verses, we learn about a man named Cornelius, who was a Roman soldier. He had no religious training—he didn’t grow up quoting scriptures nor did he have experience sitting in synagogues. And as a Gentile (not with Jewish heritage nor from the land of Israel), he could have been considered an outsider to what was happening in the early church in almost every way. 

And yet, God saw him. 

Cornelius feared God, gave generously and prayed sincerely. He had, without a formal religious background nor affiliation, come to know God and he chose to honor Him with his heart. And then God spoke directly to Cornelius—he received the Holy Spirit—and God told him to go find Peter. 

In today’s verse, we learn that when Peter saw the Holy Spirit fall on Cornelius (someone who was considered an “outsider”), this was the moment the church became something entirely new: a place where your past, heritage, or background didn’t determine your welcome in God’s Kingdom. 

Read that paragraph above again. 

This is incredible, right? The Bible reveals to us through this story that God had a bigger vision for His church—that includes all of us! The church was never meant to be a closed circle, but an expanding family, and God has been building His church without borders ever since. 

Next Steps

How do you see our church reaching people from every background? What new “Cornelius” might God be asking you to welcome into our church this season?