Cornelius needed to hear the Good News about Jesus. Why did God send Peter and not Philip? Peter was thirty miles away, and Philip was in the same town. Philip knew the Gospel well and had already shared Jesus with a Gentile, the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8: 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him (the eunuch) the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea. [1]
Even though Philip was in the same town as Cornelius, God sent two visions to initiate a meeting between Cornelius and Peter. Why? Philip was already willing to evangelize Gentiles, but Peter was not. Peter needed the meeting with Cornelius to understand that the Gentiles were in God’s plan. This was necessary before the Gospel could go to the ends of the earth to turn the world upside down.
Peter and the Keys to the Kingdom
Jesus had a question for Peter, James, and John at His transfiguration. Matthew 16: 15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.[2]
Peter’s confession of Jesus as Messiah is the foundation of the Christian church. Keys open doors, and this confession opens the door of heaven to all who believe. God also had a plan for Peter to lead the early church. Peter is the only individual who was present at all three Pentecosts. Peter preached the Gospel at the original Pentecost (Acts 2) and the home of Cornelius (Acts 10) and prayed for the Samaritans (Acts 8).
God’s Unique Ways
God continues to work in unique ways today. We don’t always understand why, but God knows. Isaiah 55: 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. [3]
Just as God had a plan for Peter, He has one for each of us. We like to rationalize human ways we think God should work, but He works in ways we can’t imagine. God puts people onto our life’s stage because we need each other. Cornelius and Peter needed to meet to fulfill God’s plan. Who has God put into your life for you to influence? Who has God sent to influence you?
Why did God send Peter and not Philip? To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gentile-pentecost
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.