Acts 10:15

And the voice [spake] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common.

And {G2532} the voice {G5456} spake unto {G4314} him {G846} again {G3825}{G1537} the second time {G1208}, What {G3739} God {G2316} hath cleansed {G2511}, that call {G2840} not {G3361} thou {G4771} common {G2840}.

The voice spoke to him a second time: “Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.”

The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

And a voice came unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.

This verse is a pivotal moment in the book of Acts, occurring during Peter's vision on the housetop in Joppa. It is the second time the voice speaks to him, reinforcing a revolutionary message that challenges his deeply ingrained Jewish understanding of clean and unclean.

Context

The Apostle Peter is praying and falls into a trance, seeing a great sheet descend from heaven filled with all sorts of animals, both clean and unclean according to Jewish dietary laws. A voice instructs him to kill and eat. Peter initially refuses, stating he has never eaten anything common or unclean (Acts 10:14). This verse contains the voice's second, emphatic response, directly countering Peter's objection and preparing him for a much larger truth regarding people, not just food.

Key Themes

  • Divine Authority Over Purity: God declares what is clean, overriding human or traditional distinctions.
  • Breaking Down Barriers: The vision, though presented with food, is a metaphor for the inclusion of Gentiles into the body of believers, signifying that God's grace extends beyond ethnic and religious boundaries.
  • Transformation by God: What was once considered "common" or "unclean" by human standards is made acceptable and holy by God's action.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word translated "cleansed" (ekatharisen) means to make clean or purify. The word translated "common" (koinon) refers to something profane, defiled, or ritually impure, especially in contrast to that which is holy or set apart. The voice's statement directly challenges the Jewish understanding of koinon as applied to food and, by extension, to people (Gentiles).

Reflection

Acts 10:15 is a powerful statement about God's inclusive grace and the breaking down of barriers through the gospel. Peter later understands this vision is not primarily about food but about people, as he tells Cornelius, "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28). This verse challenges believers today to examine their own prejudices and judgments, recognizing that God's salvation is available to all who believe, regardless of background, ethnicity, or social status. It reminds us that God's perspective on who is "clean" and acceptable may differ radically from our own.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:25

    Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, [that] eat, asking no question for conscience sake:

  • Matthew 15:11

    Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

  • Titus 1:15

    Unto the pure all things [are] pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving [is] nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

  • Mark 7:19

    Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

  • Romans 14:14

    I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

  • 1 Timothy 4:3

    Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

  • 1 Timothy 4:5

    For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

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