Acts 10:23 kjv
Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Acts 10:23 nkjv
Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
Acts 10:23 niv
Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
Acts 10:23 esv
So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
Acts 10:23 nlt
So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.
Acts 10 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 19:34 | You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native... | OT precedent for treating strangers well. |
| Deut 19:15 | A single witness shall not suffice... two or three witnesses... | Principle of multiple witnesses, key for later validation (Acts 11). |
| Matt 25:35 | For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty...and a stranger and you welcomed me, | Christ's teaching on hospitality to strangers as service to Him. |
| Lk 24:48 | You are witnesses of these things. | Disciples' role as witnesses, applied here to Peter's companions. |
| Acts 9:43 | And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner. | Peter's prior lodging, illustrating his receptiveness to "unclean" professions. |
| Acts 10:17 | Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed... | His struggle highlights the obedience of his subsequent actions. |
| Acts 10:19 | While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him... | Direct divine instruction preceding Peter's hospitality and departure. |
| Acts 10:20 | Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation... | God explicitly commands Peter to go, overcoming his scruples. |
| Acts 10:34-35 | God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. | Peter's realization and proclamation stemming from this journey. |
| Acts 11:1 | Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard... | The communal nature of the church hearing of these events. |
| Acts 11:12 | And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me... | Peter later explains, explicitly mentioning the brothers as witnesses. |
| Acts 15:7-9 | Peter rose and said to them, “Brothers, you know that early on God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word... | Peter uses this experience to argue for Gentile inclusion at Jerusalem Council. |
| Rom 12:13 | Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. | Call to hospitality within Christian conduct. |
| Eph 2:14 | For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility... | Christ's work abolishes the Jew/Gentile barrier, anticipated here. |
| Gal 3:28 | There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female... | Egalitarian nature of the new covenant community, shown in principle here. |
| 1 Tim 3:2 | Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded... hospitable... | Hospitality as a quality of church leadership. |
| Titus 1:8 | but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. | Similar expectation for elders. |
| Heb 13:2 | Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. | Direct command to Christians to practice hospitality. |
| 1 Pet 4:9 | Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. | Practical instruction for Christian living. |
| 3 Jn 1:5-8 | Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brothers, especially for strangers... support them, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth. | Supporting missionaries/strangers is a way of co-laboring for the truth. |
Acts 10 verses
Acts 10 23 Meaning
Acts 10:23 describes Peter's immediate and hospitable response to the men sent by Cornelius, offering them lodging for the night. The following day, demonstrating his obedience to divine instruction, Peter departs with them for Caesarea. Crucially, he is accompanied by "some of the brothers" from Joppa, signifying early communal support and serving as critical witnesses to the unfolding, transformative events concerning Gentile inclusion. This verse marks a pivotal step in bridging the deeply ingrained separation between Jews and Gentiles, embodying both Christian hospitality and obedience to God's revealed will.
Acts 10 23 Context
Acts chapter 10 is a foundational narrative for the early church's understanding of Gentile inclusion. Prior to this verse, Peter experienced a profound, repeated vision (vv. 9-16) instructing him to "kill and eat" all sorts of ritually "unclean" animals, symbolically challenging Jewish dietary and purity laws that enforced separation from Gentiles. While Peter was pondering this, three men sent by the Gentile centurion Cornelius arrived at his door in Joppa, seeking him out as directed by an angelic vision (vv. 17-21). The Holy Spirit then explicitly commanded Peter to go with them, making no distinction (vv. 19-20). Acts 10:23 immediately follows this divine instruction. Culturally, Jewish believers at this time would have considered interaction with Gentiles, especially lodging them, as defiling. Peter's action here, though preceded by confusion, marks his decisive obedience to God over deeply ingrained social and religious customs. The subsequent journey to Caesarea with the Joppa brothers sets the stage for the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit on uncircumcised Gentiles (vv. 44-48), radically reshaping the mission of the early church.
Acts 10 23 Word analysis
- So: (οὖν, oun) - An inferential conjunction. It connects Peter's action to the preceding divine instruction (Acts 10:19-21) and his vision. Signifies consequence and immediate obedience.
- he invited them in: (ὑπεδέξατο αὐτούς, hypedexato autous) - From hypodechomai, "to receive under one's roof," "to welcome," or "to entertain." In some manuscripts, parekalesen (παρεκάλεσεν, invited/urged) is used alongside hypedexato. The core meaning emphasizes hospitality and welcome, a significant act given the social barriers.
- and gave them lodging: (καὶ ἐξένισεν, kai exenisen) - From xenizō, "to host," "to entertain," "to provide lodging for a stranger." This act was counter-cultural for a Jew interacting with uncircumcised Gentiles, highlighting Peter's obedience. Hospitality was a profound cultural value, even for strangers, yet its application to Gentiles was revolutionary for Jews.
- The next day: (Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον, Tē de epaurion) - Marks a distinct temporal shift. Peter's hospitality concludes, and the next phase of his journey begins, indicating his sustained commitment.
- he got up and went with them: (ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθεν σὺν αὐτοῖς, anastas exēlthen syn autois) - Anastas (risen/having arisen) implies intentional action. Syn autois (with them) emphasizes Peter's direct fulfillment of the Spirit's command to accompany the Gentile delegation without hesitation.
- and some of the brothers: (καί τινες τῶν ἀδελφῶν, kai tines tōn adelphōn) - Tines (some) indicates a select group, not all, underscoring their specific role. Adelphōn (brothers) refers to fellow Jewish believers in Christ from the Joppan Christian community.
- from Joppa: (ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰόππης, apo tēs Ioppēs) - Specifies their origin, connecting them to Peter's current location and familiar context.
- went along: (συνῆλθαν, synēlthan) - "Went together," "accompanied." Their presence provides eyewitness testimony, crucial for validating Peter's actions to the wider Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem and beyond (Acts 11:12).
Acts 10 23 Bonus section
The seemingly simple act of Peter offering lodging to Gentiles reflects a profound shift in worldview commanded by God. Jewish tradition often distinguished between "proselytes of the gate" (Gentiles who followed some Jewish laws but were not circumcised) and fully circumcised "proselytes of righteousness." Cornelius's men fall into the former category, but Peter's initial reluctance even to eat common food (Acts 10:14) reveals the ingrained segregationist mindset. His willingness to not only speak with them but house them overnight forges intimacy and acknowledges shared humanity, preparing him for the further revelations about God's non-partiality (Acts 10:34-35). This verse emphasizes that obedience to God often requires transcending our personal prejudices, comfort zones, and cultural norms. It exemplifies how individual obedience can catalyze systemic change within the body of Christ.
Acts 10 23 Commentary
Acts 10:23 serves as a pivotal scene in the unfolding drama of God's redemptive plan to include Gentiles. Peter, despite his profound vision and direct command from the Spirit, could easily have hesitated or offered only perfunctory assistance. Instead, he embodies radical obedience and genuine Christian hospitality (xenia). Welcoming and lodging uncircumcised Gentiles was a deliberate violation of deeply held Jewish purity customs and social norms, demonstrating the immediate, transformative impact of his vision and the Spirit's instruction. This action, born from divine command rather than cultural convention, signifies the first breaking down of the "dividing wall of hostility" (Eph 2:14) within the very personal space of Peter's lodging. The inclusion of "some of the brothers from Joppa" is not a trivial detail; these companions are crucial eyewitnesses. Their presence ensures the validity and acceptance of the unprecedented events that follow in Caesarea by the broader Jewish Christian community, especially when Peter later recounts these events in Jerusalem (Acts 11). This collective testimony paved the way for the Jerusalem Council's decision on Gentile inclusion (Acts 15), profoundly shaping the trajectory of the early church and its universal mission.