The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

95 vision, "Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind . .. the men who had been sent . appeared at the gate" (10:17) . Clearly the answer to Peter ' s conundrum involves men, namely, god-fearing Gentiles. 11 7 And just as Luke makes this providential connection clear to the reader ( 10: 17-18), God makes the connection clear to Peter ( 10: 19-21) . The narrative returns here (10 :19) to Peter with the genitive absolute (while Peter is still ruminating about the meaning) the Spirit encourages him to meet the men and go with them "without misgiv– ings ." Clearly, the command by the Spirit signals the reader that Peter still does not under– stand the point of the vision. Not until Peter arrives in the house of Cornelius does Peter articulate the meaning of the vision. 11 8 Peter ' s arrival at Cornelius' house When Peter greets the family of Cornelius he immediately acknowledges that his very presence in the house is a serious breach of Jewish custom, but that he has done so because of God ' s revelation "that I should not call any man unholy or unclean" (10 :28). For the first time , Peter articulates the meaning of the vision and clearly under tands it in term of men . Evidently the greatest obstacle which Peter had to overcome in the story wa hi reticence to associate with and vi it within the house of a Gentile. 119 At thi point Peter till 117 One of the me enger whom Corneliu ent i de cribed in the ame t rm a h , i.e., a devout oldier (aTpanwT11v EUaE~fi, 10:7, 17). 118 Part of the rea on for Peter' lack of under tanding i uk ' mph i t h th t part th the entil mi ion riginate with G d rather than m n. Pet r i n t th of the incident. He i led along tep by tep by d and i a urpri stor unfold . Thr ugh ng 1 ic app arance , i ion , pr id ntial m tin , dir t mmuni h 1 in id nt ngin t ntile Mi ion in t. , c tion nd m1ra l rom th H ly pirit, Luk d m n trat th t th ith nd 1 dir ct d b d. f. al , Wil n, The entile and the 177-7 119 th t the d m t1 b Lu d-f the h u f orn Ii ' i 10n at h m nd P t r'