Father August Bisping's Commentary on Acts 10:34-43
Summary of Acts 10:34-43. In the solemn address which Peter now delivers to those present, he particularly emphasizes the universality, the catholicity of salvation in Christ after the removal of all barriers of nationality (Acts 10:34–36). To be sure, this salvation had its historical beginning and point of departure in Israel; there Jesus had revealed himself through word and deed as Messiah and Savior, there he had suffered and risen from the dead (Acts 10:37–41). However, the universality of his salvation becomes evident from the commission which the Risen One gave to his apostles (Acts 10:42), and from the prophetic announcement which designates Jesus as the Redeemer of all through faith in him (Acts 10:43).
"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons, but in every nation the one who fears Him and practices righteousness is acceptable to Him. The word [I understand] which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—this One is Lord of all.'"
Regarding προσωπολήμπτης [respecter of persons], see on 8:35, and regarding προσωπολημψία [partiality], see on Romans 2:11 (cf. Galatians 2:6).
The words of the Apostle in vv. 34f. have frequently been cited in defense of religious indifferentism. However, the context of this statement within the entire narrative decisively opposes such an interpretation. For the matter at hand was precisely the conversion of Cornelius, his and his household's admission into the Church of Christ. But a weighty objection stood in the way of this admission: whether the Gentile could be directly incorporated into the Church, or whether he first had to pass through Judaism. The removal of this objection through divine intervention constitutes the focal point and true significance of this entire event. Had Peter intended by these words to express that Gentile, Jew, and Christian are absolutely equal before God, he would have had to let Cornelius remain as he was—as a Gentile—rather than converting him to Christianity. Rather, Peter intended only to say that before God, not nationality, but religiosity and morality are the conditions for admission into the Christian Church. As Bengel aptly remarks: "non indifferentismus religionum, sed indifferentia nationum hic asseritur" ["not an indifferentism of religions, but an indifference of nations is asserted here"].
With regard to salvation in Christ, no exclusive precedence of Israel over all peoples exists before God. For just as Israel without fear of God is equal to the Gentiles (cf. Romans 2:25), so among the latter, fear of God—that is, a humble will to obey God—and the practice of righteousness—that is, obedience to the dictates of conscience (cf. Romans 2:14f., 26f.)—are completely sufficient for God to accept them and call them directly to the salvation offered in the Church of Christ, without their having to pass through Judaism. Peter has only now truly recognized and grasped this truth (νῦν ἐπιγινώσκω) from recent events—he who previously had held that the admission of Gentiles into the Church of Christ was possible only indirectly and after their incorporation into Judaism. The phrase προσωπολήμπτης οὐκ ἔστιν thus refers to the supposed partiality of God for the chosen people of Israel, and δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν refers to acceptability before God for admission into the Christian Church. Through his natural religiosity and morality, the Gentile acquires a meritum de congruo [a merit of fittingness], which moves God to turn His full grace toward him; he thereby places himself in a disposition that renders him receptive to admission into Christianity.
Acts 10:36 contains the most widely attested reading: τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀπέστειλεν κ.τ.λ. ["the word which He sent, etc."]. The relative pronoun ὅν is indeed absent in manuscripts A, B, in the Vulgate, and in some other versions, but was likely omitted only because the connection of this verse with the preceding was not understood. For the accusative τὸν λόγον (with Tischendorf and others) should be understood as dependent on καταλαμβάνομαι in verse 34. Then τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀπέστειλεν forms an epexegesis [explanatory expansion] of the preceding ὃν οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήμπτης... δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν, and εἰρήνην ["peace"] is initially to be understood as referring to peace between Jews and Gentiles (cf. Ephesians 2:14f.), although the full concept of reconciliation lies in the background (Ephesians 2:17). The "word of peace" is described as having been sent to Israel in order to affirm to them their πρῶτον ["priority"] (cf. 3:26; 13:26; Romans 1:16). The phrase διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ belongs to εὐαγγελιζόμενος ["preaching the gospel"], not to εἰρήνην; for εὐαγγελιζόμενος εἰρήνην διὰ Ἰ. Χ. contains the closer explanation of τὸν λόγον ὃν ἀπέστειλεν, and must therefore also designate Jesus as the one sent by God through whom the λόγος ["word"] was brought (Meyer). With οὗτός ἐστιν πάντων κύριος ["This One is Lord of all"], wherein πάντων is to be understood as neuter and referring to Jews and Gentiles, the meaning of the entire passage is summarized and concluded: Christ is Lord of all—both Jews and Gentiles—as God is (cf. Romans 3:29); therefore, His message of peace is not restricted to the Jews alone.
Several exegetes (including de Wette, p. 498) prefer a different syntactical structure. They take the three accusatives—τὸν λόγον (v. 36), τὸ γενόμενον ῥῆμα (v. 37), and Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ (v. 38)—as dependent on ὑμεῖς οἴδατε (v. 37), and must then naturally treat οὗτός ἐστιν πάντων κύριος as an isolated note in parentheses. According to these scholars, Peter, already at τὸν λόγον, had the phrase ὑμεῖς οἴδατε in mind, but interrupts himself with the parenthesis οὗτος... κύριος, and now begins again to develop the thought initiated in verse 36 in expanded form—doing so by now placing ὑμεῖς οἴδατε at the beginning, and then appending the continued expansion and elaboration through Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ in appositional fashion. So Meyer, and very similarly Lechler. However, according to this structure, the words οὗτός ἐστιν πάντων κύριος lose their pragmatic weight; moreover, this construction is too artificial, whereas the first explanation presents itself quite naturally.
Acts 10:37-38. There now follows a closer exposition of the preceding οὐκ ἔστιν προσωπολήμπτης... διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ by means of a reminder of the principal historical facts of the Christian revelation, as Peter continues:
"You know the event that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: Jesus of Nazareth—you know how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power; He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him."
With ὑμεῖς οἴδατε ["you know"], the speaker presupposes that his listeners, although they are Gentiles, are not entirely unfamiliar with the history of Jesus; and he could assume this knowledge, partly because of their residence in Caesarea in the Holy Land, and partly because of their pious and religious disposition and receptivity.
The expression ῥῆμα here stands, as frequently the Hebrew דָּבָר (cf. 1 Kings 20:8, 10; 21:11, 26; 1 Kings 11:41; 1 Chronicles 27:24), in the sense of "matter, event." Cf. Luke 2:15.
Regarding ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας κ.τ.λ.: The reading ἀρξάμενος in C, E, 11, Sinaiticus, etc., or ἀρξάμενος γάρ in A, D (Vulgate) is nonsensical and therefore to be regarded as an ancient scribal error.
Peter describes the historical aspect of the work of salvation from three perspectives: (1) with respect to locality, καθ' ὅλης τῆς Ἰουδαίας... Γαλιλαίας; (2) with respect to time, μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα... Ἰωάννου; and (3) with respect to the acting person, Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ. The latter, described according to His earthly origin as ὁ ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ, is then more precisely designated in ὃν ἔχρισεν... ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ as the messianic priest-king; and His activity is characterized in two aspects—which nevertheless contain everything essential: First, Peter describes Him generally as a benefactor who, wherever He came, dispensed His graces (pertransiit benefaciendo, Vulgate); then specifically as the Victor over the devil, thereby demonstrating Him as the Redeemer of the Gentiles. For this was precisely the great need of the Gentiles: that, separated from the true and living God, they had fallen without resistance under the power of Satan (cf. 26:18; Colossians 1:14; Revelation 12:9). To express this with emphasis, Peter employs the stronger expression τοὺς καταδυναστευομένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου ["those oppressed by the devil"] instead of the more common θεραπευομένους ["those being healed"].
The mystery of the Lord's divine-human nature is not directly expressed by Peter, but only hinted at in ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ ["that God was with Him"]. Cf. John 3:2; 16:32.
Acts 10:39ff.:
"And we are witnesses of all that He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they [namely, the Jews] even killed by hanging Him on a tree" (cf. on 5:30).
ἡμεῖς μάρτυρες ["we are witnesses"] stands in contrast to ὑμεῖς οἴδατε in verse 37: Cornelius and the others present knew of that event (ῥῆμα, v. 37) only through the report and testimony of others, and even then only partially. But Peter and his fellow apostles are eyewitnesses and ear-witnesses of all that the Lord accomplished during His public ministry up to His death on the cross.
Regarding the form ἐκρέμασαν, which is here the most widely attested, instead of ἐκρέμασαν, see de Wette, p. 68.
Acts 10:40f.:
"This One God raised on the third day and granted that He should become manifest, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God—to us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead."
Because Israel rewarded with the basest ingratitude all the love and kindness of its King anointed by God, the highest glory of that King after His resurrection was no longer publicly displayed to them; the privilege of beholding it was reserved for the small circle of the chosen disciples. Thus was fulfilled what Jesus, during His lifetime, had threatened in advance against the hardening Jews (cf. John 7:33f.; 8:21; 12:36; Matthew 23:39).
μαρτύσιν τοῖς προκεχειροτονημένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ["to witnesses chosen beforehand by God"] refers to the apostles and witnesses elected by God from eternity. Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:1, where Paul designates himself as an apostle διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ ["through the will of God"]. Regarding συνεφάγομεν... μετ' αὐτοῦ, cf. Luke 24:43; John 21:12. Some arbitrarily connect ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀναστᾶσιν κ.τ.λ. with αὐτὸν φανερὸν γενέσθαι and enclose οὐ παντὶ... αὐτῷ in parentheses. According to this connection, συνεφάγομεν... μετ' αὐτοῦ would not be restricted to the forty days between the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, but extended to the three years of His ministry.
Acts 10:42-43. If one is to attain salvation, one is henceforth directed to faith—specifically, a faith grounded in the testimony of eyewitnesses. And the apostles have received the commission to turn with the proclamation of the Gospel first of all to the people of Israel, despite all prior proclamation thereof:
"And He commanded us to preach to the people [of Israel] and to testify solemnly (διαμαρτύρασθαι, cf. 2:40) that He is the One ordained by God as Judge of the living and the dead."
That is, over those who at His coming are still alive (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 15:51f.) and over those who have already died by that time. Cf. 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5. In contrast to Jewish unbelief, Peter first brings the threatening aspect of the Gospel to the foreground: by announcing Jesus as Judge of the living and the dead, judgment is thereby pronounced upon the persistent unbelief of the Jews.
Immediately, however, in verse 43, he introduces another thought, in which he makes the comforting aspect of the Gospel accessible to all:
"To Him all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name."
Regarding μαρτυροῦσιν... οἱ προφῆται, cf. 3:24. The forgiveness of sins is conditioned objectively by the "name of Jesus"—that is, by Him and His redemptive work—and subjectively by faith. Therefore, everyone without exception, in every condition, has free access to salvation in Christ. The universal πάντα τὸν πιστεύοντα εἰς αὐτόν ["everyone who believes in Him"], which establishes no national distinction, is placed at the end with emphasis.
CONTINUE
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