Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. 35 Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. 36 You know the word [that] he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, 37 what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Peter speaks these words in the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, after God has already been moving both men toward the same meeting. What Peter now states plainly is what God has been teaching him step by step: God does not “show partiality.” God does not favor one nation over another, as if some people deserve His attention more than others. This does not mean God is indifferent to how people live. It means no nation is outside His concern.
So Peter adds a line that can be misunderstood if it is pulled out of context. He says that “in every nation” the person who fears God and acts uprightly “is acceptable to him.” He is not saying that people save themselves by being good. He is saying that Gentiles are not disqualified in advance. They are not “second-tier” people who must first become Jews in order to be welcomed by God.
Peter then moves from the principle to the message. God “sent” His word to Israel, and that message was “peace through Jesus Christ.” But Peter immediately widens the horizon: Jesus Christ “is Lord of all.” That line matters. It means Jesus is not a local religious figure for one people only. His lordship reaches beyond Israel to every nation, and it also shows that no government or ruler is above him and no one can claim final authority. The peace God proclaims is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the saving peace that comes when God sets things right through the One who has authority over all.
Next Peter summarizes what his listeners already have heard “all over Judea,” beginning in Galilee after John’s baptism (Acts 10:37; cf. Mk. 1:14-15; Mt. 4:12-17). He is anchoring the story in public events rather than private visions. The gospel is not presented as a hidden mystery for a few insiders. It is something that happened in the open, in places people could name, beginning with the public ministry that followed John’s preaching.
Peter’s summary then turns to Jesus Himself: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power.” This does not suggest Jesus became God’s Son at baptism, as though He lacked divine identity before that moment. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who became man, and his baptism reveals him and begins his public mission. Peter’s language highlights mission and empowerment for ministry. God marks Jesus out as the Messiah and equips Him publicly for the work He has come to do. What follows matches that anointing: Jesus “went about doing good,” acting like a true benefactor who brings real help, and He “healed all those oppressed by the devil.” Luke’s wording keeps the reality of evil in view, but it also keeps the emphasis where it belongs: Jesus’ active goodness and God’s presence with Him. The final line—“for God was with him”—underscores that Jesus’ saving work is not a solo project. It is God acting, God sending, God anointing, and God bringing peace and healing through His chosen Servant who is Lord of all.
Lord God, give us Peter’s clarity to see that You show no partiality, and give us humble hearts that fear You, love what is right, and receive the peace You proclaim through Jesus Christ, the Lord of all. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Acts (Ignatius Press), p. 225.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Acts of the Apostles (Four Courts/Scepter), pp. 491-492.
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018), p.1207.
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990), p. 746 (para. 63).
- John J. Collins et al., eds., The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, 3rd fully revised ed. (2020) (nihil obstat & imprimatur, Archdiocese of Chicago, Sept. 10, 2020), p. 1487-1488.
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