Acts 10:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As in the speech on the day of Pentecost, in chapter 2, Peter sets forth chiefly the human side of the Lord Jesus’ activity.

Correspondingly, he chooses expressions in such a way that God the Father accomplishes everything in Christ and through Christ.

“He sent the word to the sons of Israel” is a figurative expression. It means that God the Father sent His Son into the world in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He sent Him with the preaching of the new Kingdom of God on earth, established by Jesus the Messiah.

This preaching is the preaching, or good tidings, of peace through Jesus Christ.

By peace is meant here salvation in the Kingdom of the Messiah in general. For the speech concerns the content of Christ’s proclamation in general, and this general content is precisely the world’s salvation through Christ.

Peace with God, peace between Jews and Gentiles, peace in the conscience, and the like are particular concepts contained in the general concept of peace, namely the salvation of all through Christ.

Having mentioned for the first time before the Gentiles gathered there the name of Jesus Christ, who had been sent with the word to the sons of Israel, the apostle immediately adds that He is Lord of all.

That means not only of Jews, but also of Gentiles. Therefore His word, though originally addressed to the Jews, applies equally to the Gentiles, as the word of the Lord of the Gentiles also.

Second, Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of all.

The foundations of this teaching are as follows. For the first thought, God is impartial. For the second, Jesus Christ was sent to the sons of Israel to establish peace in its broadest meaning, though they did not understand this.

He is our Peace, who slew enmity by the Cross and preached peace to those far off and those near, as the holy Apostle Paul says.

For through Him both have access to the Father in one Spirit (cf. Eph 2:14-18).

The thought of acceptability, or being pleasing to God, must be understood in an inseparable connection with the adjoining thought of Jesus Christ’s lordship over all.

This acceptability must be understood in relation to Him. Everyone who fears God and lives according to conscience can be received by Jesus Christ as desired and pleasing to Him.

Apart from this connection, the apostle’s first word cannot be taken by itself. It was spoken precisely for the sake of the second thought, in which the essence of the apostle’s Christian preaching lies.

Otherwise it would not be Christian, since according to Christian teaching there is no other name by which one must be saved (cf. Acts 4:12).

The Apostle Peter carries through the same thought here, only presenting it differently. Yet he preaches the doctrine of Christ as fully as possible.

He presents Him as the Anointed One, Wonderworker, suffering Savior, risen Judge of the living and the dead, and merciful Rewarder of those who believe in Him. According to their faith, He can forgive their sins (verse 43).

“How?” asks Saint John Chrysostom. “Is even one belonging to the Persians acceptable to Him?

“If he is worthy, then he will be acceptable in such a way as to be counted worthy of the faith. Therefore He did not despise the eunuch from Ethiopia.

“But what, they will say, are we to think of God-fearing people who are nevertheless left in contempt? No, no God-fearing person is left in contempt.

“For no such person can, indeed never can, be despised.”