Peter refused because he was a law-keeping Jew who had never eaten anything common or unclean, and he was still living under the law roughly ten years after Pentecost.
In the vision, the voice said, "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat," but Peter answered, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). Les Feldick teaches that Peter was under the law — he followed the dietary rules of Leviticus 11 and was not about to eat pork or any other unclean animal. Peter was not consciously mixing law and grace; he simply had not yet been told the law was set aside and was not aware of the doctrines of grace.
Acts 10:14 — Peter's exact words of refusal — he had never eaten anything common or unclean.
Acts 10:28 — Peter later applies the vision to people, showing he understood the lesson God was teaching.
Leviticus 11 — The law that defined which animals were clean and unclean, the standard Peter was obeying.
Acts chapter 10 records Peter's vision on the housetop in Joppa. He saw heaven opened and a great sheet knit at the four corners, descending to earth, containing all kinds of four-footed beasts, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air. A voice said, "Rise, Peter; kill, and eat." Peter answered, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean." The voice spoke again: "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." Later, when Peter stood before Cornelius and his household, he said, "Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company with one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." The law of Israel, found in Leviticus 11, had defined which animals were clean and which were unclean for the children of Israel to eat.
Les Feldick makes the point that Peter's answer, "Not so, Lord," is easy to miss but crucial. He teaches that Peter said he had never eaten anything common or unclean because he was under the law. Roughly ten years after Pentecost — ten years after the crucifixion — Peter was still keeping the Jewish dietary law. He was not going to eat pork or anything that was not on the clean list in Leviticus 11. Les also stresses that Peter was not mixing law and grace. Peter had simply never been told that the law was set aside. He was a typical Jewish believer — he believed Jesus was the Christ, had repented of his sin, and been baptized — but he was not yet aware of the doctrines of grace. He had not been told to stop temple worship, and so he remained much aware of the law. God had something new in store: He was about to turn to the Gentiles. The vision made it so plain that even Peter — who was uncomfortable, "shaking in his boots," at the thought of entering a Gentile's home because it was unlawful — could go to the house of Cornelius. Peter realized the vision was about the human race, not just food: "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."
Peter's phrase "common or unclean" came straight from the Jewish law. As Les Feldick notes, Leviticus 11 defined which animals, fowl, and fish Jews could eat. "Common or unclean" meant anything outside that list — such as pork. Les says Peter had never eaten anything that wasn't kosher and wasn't about to start.
Not in Peter's experience. Les Feldick stresses that this happened about ten years after Pentecost, ten years after the crucifixion, and Peter was still practicing the law. Peter had not been told to stop temple worship, and he had not been told that he was no longer under the law. Les's point is that if you think the law had long since been set aside and that you enter the Christian economy as soon as you reach Matthew, "you better think again." Peter was the typical Jewish believer, not yet aware of the doctrines of grace.
God was preparing Peter to go to the house of the Gentile Cornelius. Les explains that it was unlawful for a Jew to keep company with someone of another nation, so Peter was uncomfortable at the very thought. But God had something new in store — the apostle of the Gentiles, Paul, had already been saved in Acts 9, and the gates were now being opened to Gentiles. Peter understood that God wasn't just talking about food; he was talking about the human race. He later told Cornelius, "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean."
Everything in the Gospels Was Under the Law
Les lays the foundation that everything during Christ's earthly ministry — temple worship, sacrifices, and instructions to keep the commandments — was still under the law, which explains why a Jewish believer like Peter remained a law-keeper.
Peter Refused Because He Was Under the Law
Les points to Leviticus 11's clean and unclean lists and then to Peter's reply, "Not so, Lord," asking why he said it and answering plainly: "He's under the law."
Ten Years After Pentecost, Still Under the Law
Les notes that ten years after Pentecost Peter was still sticking to the law — he wouldn't eat pork or anything outside the clean list — and that Peter himself called it "unlawful" to associate with Gentiles.
The Vision Was About People, Not Just Food
Les shows that Peter eventually realized God was not just talking about eating food but about the human race — he should not call any man common or unclean — preparing him for the Gentile Cornelius.
The Law Had Not Long Been Set Aside
Les challenges the idea that the law was already set aside: about ten years after the crucifixion, Peter's reaction to the vision proves he had not been set free from the law.
'No Way, Lord' — Peter the Law-Keeper
Les recounts Peter's reaction — "No way, Lord" — because he had never eaten anything that wasn't kosher, and explains that this was because Peter was a law-keeper.
Not Mixing Law and Grace
Les clarifies that Peter was not mixing law and grace — he simply hadn't been told to stop temple worship and wasn't yet aware of the doctrines of grace, so he remained much aware of the law.
A Law-Keeping Jew at Cornelius's Door
Les directly answers the question: Peter was a law-keeping Jew and wasn't about to break the law by eating something that wasn't kosher, then notes he also called it unlawful for a Jew to keep company with Gentiles.
Acts 10:14: But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Peter's direct refusal to eat the animals in the vision; he had never eaten anything common or unclean.
Acts 10:15: And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
The voice's second response — what God has cleansed must not be called common.
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 with one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Peter applies the vision to people, explaining it was unlawful for a Jew to keep company with a Gentile.
Leviticus 11:2: Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.
The law that defined which animals Israel was permitted to eat — the standard Peter was keeping.
Peter said "Not so, Lord" because he had never eaten anything common or unclean. Les Feldick explains that Peter was a law-keeping Jew — he was still under the law and was not about to eat food the law didn't permit, such as pork.
Yes. Les teaches that the vision took place about ten years after Pentecost, and Peter was still sticking to the law. He had not been told to stop temple worship and was not yet aware of the doctrines of grace, so he naturally responded as a law-keeper.
The vision was about people as well as food. Les explains that Peter finally understood God was showing him not to call any man common or unclean. The vision prepared Peter to go to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, and opened the way for God to turn to the Gentiles.
Les Feldick says it was about ten years after Pentecost — ten years after the crucifixion — and Peter was still keeping the dietary laws.
Watch the Teaching: The 3 Parts of the Law & Why They Don't Save You