It appears that the Apostle Peter is the first to minister to Gentiles in Acts 10?

QUESTION:

It appears that the Apostle Peter is the first to minister to Gentiles in Acts 10, not Paul. So, how can Peter therefore be identified as an apostle “only” to the circumcision? I’m not convinced that “only” Paul was tasked with that ministry.

ANSWER:

Thanks for this question. We need to understand this scenario in the correct dispensational context. Let me provide some guidance.

The first thing to remember is that the WHOLE book of Acts is a book that documents the transition from Kingdom to Grace, from Jews to Gentiles, and from Prophecy to Mystery. In the beginning of Acts, we are entirely immersed in the Kingdom and prophecy for the Jews. At the end of Acts, we are completely immersed in the Grace and mystery for all nations. The middle sections are how this transition evolved from the one to the other. Consider the value of the book of Acts in another way. Think of the 4-Gospels, Matthew to John. They are all about Jesus and the coming Kingdom. Acts is the book that guides the reader systematically from these four Kingdom orientated gospels to Paul’s doctrine in Romans. We have a smooth transition due to Acts. But now, remove Acts and give a reader the 4-Gospels, followed immediately by Romans. Suddenly you have shifted from the Kingdom and the life of Jesus for the Jews to a Grace program for the Gentiles. How did one get from the one to the other? There appears to be a big gap of missing info. Acts has a very unique role in the bible to help a person transition into Paul’s ministry and doctrine.

Having said all that, let's look at the event with Peter and Cornelius that occurs in this transitional period of Acts. There is a very important purpose for this meeting. God set up this meeting for something that would happen almost 10 years after the fact. Let me explain.

Unless God told Peter to go the Cornelius, there is no way Peter would have gone. In actual fact, God literally had to twist the arm of Peter to go to Cornelius. God gave Peter a vision of a sheet filled with animals in Acts 10. The conclusion of this is that God told Peter not to call things common which He had cleansed, Acts 10:15. What God was actually doing here, in the bigger scope of things, was to prepare Peter’s heart and attitude to what God would later do through Paul. So, Peter’s ministry was never to the Gentiles, but God needed to educate Peter about Paul’s ministry. God was going to use Paul to ‘clean’ the Gentiles, and God was preparing Peter before the time to accept Paul’s ministry and not see it us common or defiled because it was towards the godless Gentile dogs. I’m not sugarcoating anything here! Peter, and the other disciples, and all of Israel was VERY intolerant against Gentiles. So, God had to command Peter to start thinking of Gentiles as clean, and not common and defiled. This was important for what was to transpire down the line.

By the way, did you know that Jews, including Jesus, called Gentiles, ‘dogs.’ They saw Gentiles as common and defiled because they did not know the living God of Israel and they did not have and know the perfect Mosaic law. Look what Peter told Cornelius after God literally had to drag Peter to his house. Peter said, “Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”, Act 10:28. Notice the prejudice mindset of Peter. He was still practicing the law. Like all Jews at that time, he was wholly biased against Gentiles. Peter did NOT want to be there. If it was up to Peter, he’d be a million miles away.

To take things further, consider what Peter ministered to Cornelius? Was it the grace doctrine or the Kingdom doctrine? Well, the fact that Peter told Cornelius about the life and ministry of Jesus, and then wanted to baptize Cornelius, is evidence that Peter ministered Kingdom to him. So, although Peter ministered to a Gentile, it was NOT the grace gospel to save Cornelius into the Body of Christ, and it was not by his choice, but it was God preparing Peter’s heart (in AD39) to later defend Paul and the Grace gospel at the Jerusalem council meeting in AD48, almost 10 years after the visit to Cornelius. By the way, Cornelius was saved under the Kingdom program because the grace program and the Body of Christ were not even in operation yet.

In light of this, Peter cannot therefore be identified as an apostle of the uncircumcised Gentiles. He ministered ONLY to the circumcised Jews, barring this one event that we have to understand in the right context. This account was not Peter willingly going to Gentiles, but Peter was ordered to go by God for God to change Peter’s heart. Peter was the subject in view, not the Gentiles. It remains therefore that ONLY Paul was called and commissioned by God to go to the Gentiles.

So, what happened in the Jerusalen council meeting? Do we have evidence that Peter had been prepared by God to defend Paul and his grace ministry to Gentile dogs? Absolutely! Look at these statements, spoken by Peter,

Act 15:5-13 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (6) And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. [the Jerusalem council meeting] (7) And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago [10-years before] God made choice among us, that the Gentiles [Cornelius] by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. (8) And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; (9) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. [do not call common what God has cleansed] (10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? (11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. [Peter here is prophetically declaring that in Paul’s ministry, Jews will be saved in the same way as Gentiles; by the grace gospel of the cross of Christ instead of through the Kingdom gospel.] (12) Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. (13) And after they had held their peace, …

So, what do we learn from this scenario. Although Peter approached a solitary Gentile at that time, it was not by his choice, and God was only using it to later support Paul and bring consensus in a meeting that would happen 10-years later. The salvation of Cornelius was not into the grace program and Peter did not teach him the mystery doctrine that was yet unknown. So, this experience has nothing to do with the mystery program and was more for Peter’s purpose than Cornelius’.

Let me end your excellent question with a very important reminder. It is absolutely necessary to always apply right division to scripture. In other words, we must always honour the fact that God deals with Israel completely separately from the Gentiles, therefore our studies and understanding should always take this into account.

Notice these scriptures,

Num.23:9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people [Israel] shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

Deut.7:6 For thou [Israel] art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

We cannot ignore that Israel has a separate relationship with God and in a separate program. God works with Israel differently. Everything about Israel must be divided out from that of the Gentiles. This includes the Old Testament, Jesus in His earthly ministry, the 4-Gospels, the ministry of the 12-apostles in Acts, and the information in the 9-Hebrew epistles (Heb. to Rev.). Remember, there is plenty that we can learn from these sections of the Bible, and there are some cross-dispensational truths we can take from it, but they do not contain doctrine that is for our application. Thus, coming back to your question on Peter, one must immediately be able to accept that Peter’s ministry cannot be merged with Paul’s ministry. Peter did not minister to the uncircumcision, and Peter did not contribute to the grace gospel and the mystery program.

I trust this adds additional emphasis on the matter.