Acts 10:34
“Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
After a vision and the arrival of messengers from the centurion Cornelius, Peter enters a Gentile household and recognizes that God's acceptance extends to all peoples.
What Does Acts 10:34 Mean?
Acts 10:34 records a turning point in Peter's understanding -- he realizes that God shows no favoritism but welcomes people of every nation. Peter had received a vision of a sheet lowered from heaven filled with animals he considered unclean, with a voice telling him not to call common what God had cleansed. Soon after, messengers arrived from Cornelius, a Gentile centurion. Now standing in Cornelius's home, surrounded by Gentiles, Peter speaks words that mark a profound shift.
"Of a truth I perceive" signals a dawning realization, something Peter now grasps with clarity. The key phrase is "God is no respecter of persons." The Greek prosopolemptes literally means one who receives faces -- one who judges by outward appearance, status, or background, showing partiality. Peter declares that God is not like this. He does not play favorites based on nationality, heritage, or rank. The next verse completes the thought: "in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." This was a seismic insight for Peter, raised to see a sharp divide between his people and the nations. The good news, he now understands, is not the property of one group but is offered to all. This moment opens the door for the message of Christ to flow to the Gentiles, and it reflects the heart of a God whose love crosses every human boundary.
In the Original Language
The Greek "prosopolemptes" (respecter of persons) literally means one who receives or judges by faces, that is, one who shows partiality.
Cross References
“For there is no respect of persons with God.”
- Romans 2:11
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
- Galatians 3:28
“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
- Acts 10:35
Application
Because God shows no partiality, His people are called to lay aside every prejudice and welcome others across every line of nation, status, and background.