Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean." Acts 10:28Through Peter's vision, God showed us a new way to see the church.
As Peter prefaces in this situation, Jews were not supposed to associate with outsiders. But, after Peter saw the vision, he understood that not only did God purify all animals, but also all people. God sent a message with Peter so that Cornelius could be received into the body of Christ, alongside all the foreigners.
That's how the church grew. It wasn't with people who closed themselves off to a study, just to become stagnant with their own interpretations, speaking among only scholars and not congregations. It was with the willingness of the disciples to be challenged, to be taught anew, to welcome those around them, to go out and serve, to see strangers as guests rather than aliens.
When we, as Christians, are open to listen and receive the voice of God, only then can we grow and unite.
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