Acts 10:15 Meaning and Explanation
“And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The voice answers a second time: what God has cleansed, Peter must not call common.
What Does Acts 10:15 Mean?
The voice does not argue with Peter's record of faithfulness; it moves the question. The issue is no longer what Peter has always avoided but what God has now cleansed — and over that, Peter's verdict of common no longer stands.
Cleansing is God's prerogative, and his word of cleansing outruns every human verdict. Peter will soon give the vision its meaning in his own words: God has shown him to call no person common or unclean (v. 28). Where God has pronounced someone clean through Christ, we are not free to keep them at arm's length.
Acts 10:15 in the Original Language
katharizo (καθαρίζω), 'cleansed' -- to make clean, to purify; here it is God himself who cleanses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 10:15
What does Acts 10:15 mean?
The voice answers a second time: what God has cleansed, Peter must not call common.