Acts 10 20

Acts 10:20 kjv

Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

Acts 10:20 nkjv

Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

Acts 10:20 niv

So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

Acts 10:20 esv

Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them."

Acts 10:20 nlt

Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them."

Acts 10 verses

Acts 10 20 Meaning

This verse delivers a direct, unequivocal command from the Holy Spirit to Peter, instructing him to promptly leave the rooftop, descend, and accompany the men who have arrived, without any internal debate, hesitation, or making discriminatory distinctions. The directive is underpinned by divine authority, with the explicit assurance that God Himself has orchestrated and dispatched these men, making Peter's immediate and unreserved obedience essential for God's unfolding plan.

Acts 10 20 Context

This verse is a crucial turning point in the book of Acts, directly following Peter's profound rooftop vision in Joppa (Acts 10:9-16). In the vision, a large sheet filled with all sorts of ritually "unclean" animals was lowered, and a voice commanded Peter to "kill and eat." Peter, a devout Jew, refused three times, adhering to the strict Jewish dietary laws and cultural purity codes. The voice then declared, "What God has made clean, do not call common."

Immediately after the vision ascended, the Holy Spirit speaks to Peter in verse 19, revealing that three men are seeking him. Verse 20, therefore, is the Spirit's direct and urgent instruction to Peter to link his recent divine revelation with the practical, real-world scenario unfolding at his doorstep. These men, as revealed later, are messengers from Cornelius, a Roman centurion, a Gentile. The command for Peter to "go with them, doubting nothing" directly challenges Peter's ingrained Jewish cultural and religious segregation from Gentiles. The implication is that just as the unclean food was declared clean, so too were these "unclean" Gentiles now accessible for the Gospel. It initiates the dismantling of the profound socio-religious barriers separating Jews and Gentiles in the early Christian mission.

Acts 10 20 Word analysis

• Arise (ἀναστὰς - anastas): An aorist participle, conveying immediate and decisive action. It signifies a physical standing up from a resting or prayerful position (Peter was praying on the rooftop) but also a spiritual readiness for action. It's an imperative to move beyond contemplation to practical obedience.
• therefore (οὖν - oun): A connective particle indicating consequence or logical conclusion. It links the preceding divine events – the vision, its interpretation by the Spirit, and the arrival of the men – to the commanded action. It means "consequently" or "as a result of what just happened."
• and go down (κατάβηθι - katabēthi): An aorist imperative verb, commanding physical descent from the rooftop where Peter had the vision and received the Spirit's word, to the lower level where the men are waiting. This signifies a practical movement from a place of divine encounter to a place of human interaction.
• and go with them (σὺν αὐτοῖς πορεύου - syn autois poreuou): A present imperative verb, commanding Peter to accompany the men. The "with them" (σὺν αὐτοῖς) is significant, implying shared journey, association, and fellowship, something forbidden between Jews and Gentiles by contemporary custom. This command directly challenges the cultural boundary.
• doubting nothing (μηδὲν διακρινόμενος - mēden diakrinomenos): A strong negative command using an aorist middle participle, literally meaning "making no distinction," "wavering in no respect," or "hesitating in nothing." This is paramount; it directly addresses Peter's internal struggle with Jewish dietary and social purity laws. It demands an absence of internal debate, judgmental differentiation (between Jew and Gentile), or hesitation due to ingrained prejudices. It commands a complete acceptance of God's new directive without prejudice.
• for (διότι - dioti): A causal conjunction, meaning "because" or "for this reason." It introduces the divine explanation and justification for the preceding command, emphasizing its divine origin and authority.
• I have sent them (ἐγὼ ἀπέσταλκα αὐτούς - egō apestalka autous): The pronoun "I" (ἐγὼ) is emphatic in the Greek, underscoring that it is God (speaking through the Spirit) who is personally, authoritatively, and intentionally sending these Gentiles to Peter. The perfect tense "have sent" indicates a completed action with continuing results, affirming that this encounter is not accidental but part of God's sovereign design. It serves as Peter's ultimate assurance.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Arise therefore, and go down, and go with them": This sequence of three distinct, yet interconnected, imperatives (Arise, go down, go with them) emphasizes urgent, consecutive, and specific actions required of Peter. It's a rapid succession of divine instructions moving Peter from a place of prayerful revelation into a practical mission, leaving no room for delay.
• "doubting nothing: for I have sent them": This phrase encapsulates the core tension and resolution of the verse. The command "doubting nothing" directly addresses Peter's personal struggles and the deep-seated cultural barriers. The succeeding declaration "for I have sent them" provides the irrefutable divine authority and absolute certainty necessary for Peter's obedience. It functions as the ultimate validation and empowerment for an otherwise revolutionary and counter-cultural action.

Acts 10 20 Bonus section

The repetition of three in Acts chapter 10 is significant:

• Peter saw the vision of the sheet with unclean animals three times (Acts 10:16).
• Peter heard the voice "What God has made clean, do not call common" three times (Acts 10:16).
• The men from Cornelius sought Peter for three days of travel.
• Three men were seeking Peter (Acts 10:19).
• Peter is commanded to "go down" and "go with them, doubting nothing" – a sequence of three divine prompts leading to action, mirroring the thrice-repeated vision and voice, which solidified the message's divine origin and importance. This numeric repetition underscores the absolute certainty and divine intentionality of the message Peter received.The phrase "doubting nothing" also has a rich interpretive range: it includes the idea of making no distinction or differentiation. This is not just about personal uncertainty, but a prohibition against judging or classifying the Gentiles as inherently separate or unworthy based on former Jewish custom, essentially nullifying the very distinction that kept Jews and Gentiles apart for centuries in Israel's tradition. This sets the stage for God's clear declaration in Acts 10:34-35 that "God shows no partiality."

Acts 10 20 Commentary

Acts 10:20 is a watershed moment, bridging Peter’s private divine revelation with the dramatic public expansion of the Gospel. It signals a paradigm shift for the early church: the breaking down of the deep-seated racial and religious divide between Jews and Gentiles. The Holy Spirit’s command bypasses Peter's cultural conditioning and explicit scriptural interpretations of purity. "Doubting nothing" is a call to radical faith, directly challenging the deeply ingrained Jewish perception of Gentiles as "unclean" and separated. This is not merely an instruction to physically move but to decisively overcome deeply rooted prejudices and theological assumptions. The reason "for I have sent them" unequivocally places divine authority behind the otherwise unthinkable action, empowering Peter to initiate the most significant evangelical movement of his era – the bringing of the Gospel to the Gentiles, marking a fundamental stage in fulfilling the Great Commission (Mt 28:19; Acts 1:8).