The word `proselyte' is made up of pros = `towards' and eleutho = `to come', and is used by the LXX for the

stranger or foreigner who came to dwell among the Jews and embraced their religion (Exod. 12:48,49; Lev. 17:8).

In the New Testament the word refers to a convert from heathenism, but does not necessarily imply that the convert

actually lives among Jewish people. These proselytes of Acts 2:10 came up to Jerusalem to keep the feast.

The initiation of the proselyte involved the observance of three rites. He must be circumcised; he must be

baptised; and he must offer a sacrifice. The Jew looked upon the proselyte as though he were a newborn child.

Maimonides says:

`A Gentile who is become a proselyte, and a servant who is set at liberty, are both as it were newborn babes, and

all those relations which he had while either a Gentile or a servant, now cease from being so'.

There is a possibility that our Lord in His conversation with Nicodemus referred to this initiation. Calmet and

his followers distinguish two kinds of proselytes, namely the Proselyte of the gate - these observed the seven

precepts of Noah, but were not circumcised - and the Proselyte of righteousness - these were converts to Judaism,

who were circumcised and observed the whole law. Cornelius was `uncircumcised' (Acts 11:3), and therefore was

not a proselyte, yet he is called `a devout man, and one that feared God'. The dispersion of the Jew throughout the

Roman world had of necessity influenced Gentile thought, and there were accordingly some who, though

uncircumcised and outside the Hebrew pale, were nevertheless worshippers of the true God. Lydia, a woman of

Thyatira, is said to be one who `worshipped God' and is found at the place of prayer (Acts 16:14,13). At

Thessalonica there were `of the devout Greeks a great multitude' (Acts 17:4); at Athens Paul disputed with devout

persons (Acts 17:17); and at Corinth Paul found a refuge in the house of one named Justus who `worshipped God'

(Acts 18:7). It was to this class that Cornelius belonged, for if he had been a proselyte he would not have been

looked upon by the Jew as `common and unclean'. This conclusion is further strengthened by Peter's confession:

`Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh

righteousness, is accepted with Him' (Acts 10:34,35).

If preachers and teachers had perceived the truth which the latter part of verse 35 enunciates, in connection with

the status of Cornelius, no problem would have arisen concerning justification by faith, and the fact that by works of

righteousness no man can be saved.

We must now turn our attention to the vision given to Peter, which produced so great a revolution.

Joppa ! Did Peter ever think of Jonah? Was not Peter's name `Simon bar Jonah'? Did not Jonah remonstrate

with God because of His mercy to Gentiles? Were the problems of the expanding gospel forcing themselves upon

Peter? We are not told, but we believe that he would have been neither human nor an apostle, if such were not the

burden of his thought.

Falling into a trance upon the housetop he saw a vessel descending from heaven, and containing all the

fourfooted beasts, reptiles of the earth, and fowls of the air, and a voice said to him: `Rise, Peter, slay and eat'. It is

hardly possible for any Gentile to enter into the thoughts that would fill the mind of a Jew, whether Christian or

otherwise, who received such a command. We can, however, acquaint ourselves with the law that governed this

matter of clean and unclean animals and see what is written:

`These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof,

and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat' (Lev. 11:2,3).

Then follows the long list of prohibited animals, with the recurring sentiment:

`They are unclean to you' (Lev. 11:8).

`Ye shall have their carcases in abomination' (Lev. 11:11, cf. 11:20,23).

Not only so, but:

`These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean

until the even' (Lev. 11:31).