Acts 10:1, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared YHWH with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to YHWH alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of YHWH coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, sir? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before YHWH.”

 

Any thought-provoking Christian is now asking, “But didn’t Peter’s Dream do away with the requirements to eat kosher food?” Let’s examine Peter’s dream:

The dream of Cornelius required no interpretation; it was a direct message from YHWH alerting him of an event that would change his life forever. Cornelius, although Italian, was known as a “ger toshav” or “righteous stranger” (v.22) – translated here in Acts as an “God-fearer” – a Gentile who embraced YHWH of Israel and worshipped  with the Jews in a synagogue (but not in the Temple) (John 17:11, John chap 15, John 10:16, John 10:30, John 11:52).

This was not a new thing; Gentiles of Egypt are mentioned as traveling with the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 12:38) and commanded to follow Torah, the Law of Moses (Exodus 12:49). Most became Israelites themselves, as did Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite. He joined the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6).

Peter’s dream, however, was more like Pharaoh’s dream where the lean cows ate the fat cows in that it required interpretation.  I have never heard anyone argue that lean cows literally charged up and ate a bunch of fat ones, neither did a sheet physically appear to Peter.

Acts 10:9, “On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him,” Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Adonai; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.” And the voice spake unto him again the second time, “What YHWH hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.”

Peter answers the question of interpretation himself so as to avoid any conflict or ambiguity:

Acts 10:28, “And he said unto them, 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 Adonai hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”

 

So why then was the sheet full of unclean things dropped and lifted three times? He explains in Acts 11:10: “And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.”

It had not occurred to Peter that He who ate with sinners would be asking him to eat with Gentiles,  but there is no indication here that Peter was being commanded to give up the dietary laws of the Israelites. There is no hint anywhere that Peter ever ate anything unclean against YHWH’s commandment as stated in Leviticus chapter eleven.

The Jewish believers of his day had been instructed by the “scribes”, the teachers of the Law, and the Pharisees, the traditional law makers, to take Leviticus 22:10 (read 1-10) "legalized" Torah that meals were sanctified holy, so they were not to eat with Gentiles.

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Peter was indeed eating with Gentile believers, however this is not "different" in that he was now eating non-kosher food. Rather, it was "different" because Jews generally did not sit and eat with Gentiles at that time. However, Peter was told by God that Gentiles were to be considered "clean."

Peter was rebuked by Paul because of his hypocrisy, as when he saw Jewish brethren approaching, he walked away from the Gentiles, treating them as if they were spiritual inferiors. When Paul says to Peter that they "live" in the same way, he is not talking about their eating habits. Rather, he is saying they are "saved" in the same way. This is consistent with the theme of the rest of the letter, that Jews and Gentiles are saved ("live") in the same way, by faith, not "works of Law." (72)

For Fuller to arrive at the conclusion that "Paul now eats pork," and is telling Peter he should as well, he has to:

  • Assume Paul is anti-Torah and teaches this way
  • Assume what Paul is talking about in these verses is "no longer following the kosher laws"
  • Ignore the immediate and overall context, which is salvation by faith for both Jew and Gentile

As mentioned, this practice of injecting anti-Torah dogma into the text of Scrtipture stems from hundreds of years of Scripture twisting, first done willfully by those in power who held anti-Jewish opinions, and perhaps inadvertantly today. This is even done, in the latter fashion, by Jews who are more than happy to distance Judaism from Christianity, especially with the resurgence of Messianic Judaism."

 

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Are you walking with Peter or Pharaoh?