Yes — Peter went because God directly commanded and compelled him to, overriding the Jewish prohibition he himself acknowledged.
God prepared Peter with a vision and sent men from Cornelius to bring him, so Peter went contrary to his own desires. At the house, Peter admitted it was an unlawful thing for a Jew to keep company with another nation, but he added that God had shown him not to call any man common or unclean. Les Feldick explains that Peter was a law-keeping Jew and would never have gone without God forcing the issue.
Acts 10:28 — Peter's own statement that the visit was unlawful under Jewish law, followed by God's revelation not to call any man common or unclean.
In Acts 10, Peter receives a vision in which a voice says to him, 'Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.' Peter answers, 'Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.' When Peter arrives at Cornelius's house, he tells those gathered, '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 God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.' After Peter speaks these words, the Holy Spirit falls on all those who heard the word, and those present are Gentiles, with the exception of a few Jewish believers who had come with Peter from Joppa.
Les Feldick teaches that Peter was a law-keeping Jew who had never eaten anything he regarded as common or unclean, even eight to ten years after Pentecost. God knew Peter's heart and knew it would take something special to get Peter to go, so He gave Peter the vision to prepare him and then forced the issue. Les says there were 'heel prints in the sand' from Joppa to Caesarea because Peter did not want to go. Peter's own words at the threshold — that it was an unlawful thing for a Jew to enter another nation's house — show he was still appealing to the law. But Peter then acknowledged that God had shown him not to call any man common or unclean. Les sees this as a distinct divine purpose: God was beginning to turn to the Gentile world, and Peter went under divine compulsion rather than personal inclination.
Peter said to Cornelius and those gathered, '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 God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.' Les Feldick points out that the word 'unlawful' shows Peter coming back to the law, and that Peter had not been convinced of this before.
No. Les says Peter had a lot of trepidation and would never have gone up to that Gentile home had God not taken drastic measures. While Cornelius's men were on the way, God gave Peter the vision so he would be ready to go. Les describes Peter's reluctance by saying there were 'heel prints in the sand' from Joppa to Caesarea.
Yes. Les emphasizes that Peter was still a good law-keeping Jew and was not about to break the law by eating anything not kosher. Ten years after Pentecost, Peter told the Lord he had never eaten anything common or unclean. When Peter returned to Jerusalem, the believing Jews of the circumcision contended with him for going in to men uncircumcised and eating with them, showing the law-keeping mindset was still in place.
Les teaches that God sent Peter to the house of Cornelius for a distinct divine purpose. Peter had no idea that God's purposes were moving toward the Gentile world, but God was now going to turn to the Gentiles. Even so, Les says Peter was not commissioned to go to the Gentiles in general — only to the house of Cornelius for the specific purpose being revealed.
God Forced Peter to Go
Les says God knew Peter's heart and used a vision to prepare him, because Peter would otherwise never have gone to a Gentile home; there were 'heel prints in the sand' from Joppa to Caesarea.
God's Divine Purpose in the Visit
Les explains that Peter went contrary to his own desires and that as he entered the door he acknowledged it was unlawful, but there was a distinct divine purpose — God was about to move toward the Gentile world.
Peter's 'Unlawful' Admission
Les highlights Peter's own words, 'it is an unlawful thing...', showing Peter kept appealing to the law even as he entered Cornelius's house.
'God Hath Showed Me'
Les notes Peter said 'But God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean,' and that Peter had never been convinced of this before; then the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles.
A Law-Keeping Jew at the Threshold
Les shows Peter as a law-keeping Jew who stretched the law by entering a Gentile house, but who agreed that God had shown him something new — God was now turning to the Gentiles.
Peter's Trepidation and Companions
Les observes Peter's trepidation and says Peter took some of his fellow Jewish believers with him to Caesarea, likely for support.
Jerusalem Believers Still Under Law
Les explains that when Peter returned to Jerusalem, believing Jews of the circumcision contended with him for entering and eating with uncircumcised men, showing the law-keeping mindset still held.
Peter's Unclean Food Refusal
Les stresses that ten years after Pentecost, Peter said he had never eaten anything common or unclean, and then called his entry into Cornelius's house 'unlawful' — proof he was still law-keeping.
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 God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Peter's own admission that the visit was unlawful under Jewish law, immediately followed by God's direct revelation that no man is common or unclean.
Acts 10:13: And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
God's direct command in the vision that prepared Peter for the Gentile visit.
Acts 10:14: But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Peter's response shows he was still a law-keeping Jew, which is why God needed to take drastic measures to get him to go.
Yes. Peter himself said, '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' (Acts 10:28). Les observes that Peter kept coming back to the word 'unlawful' because he was still a law-keeping Jew, but God had shown him not to call any man common or unclean.
God knew Peter's heart and knew it would take something special to get him to go. Les says Peter would never have gone to a Gentile home voluntarily, so God gave the vision of the sheet and forced the issue. Peter then went, even though he had no idea God was beginning to turn to the Gentile world.
Les shows that Peter was still a law-keeping Jew after Pentecost, still refusing to eat common or unclean food. When he returned to Jerusalem, believing Jews of the circumcision contended with him for eating with uncircumcised men. The vision taught Peter not to call any man common or unclean, but Les does not portray Peter as immediately abandoning the law.
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