God Is No Respecter of Persons (Acts 10-11:18)

Lyrics · Acts

God Is No Respecter of Persons

Acts 10-11:18

LISTEN HERE

Lyrics

Now playing

God Is No Respecter of Persons

Acts 10-11:18

Lyrics and song details

0:000:00

Volume

Playing next

About this song

This song belongs to the Acts collection. 8 recordings are available to play here, with the complete lyrics below.

Bible book: Acts
Collection: Acts
Musical styles: Acoustic, World Music, Alternative Pop, Worship & Gospel, Soul, Blues & Jazz, Cinematic Rock

[Verse 1] Cornelius prayed in Caesarea, Gave to poor and feared the Lord. An angel marked his alms and worship, Sent for Peter by the word. At Joppa, Peter saw a vessel Lowered full of beasts unclean. Three times heaven challenged boundaries; No creature cleansed should be called mean. [Refrain] God is no respecter of persons. Every nation may draw near. Those who fear Him and work righteousness Find the gospel spoken clear. God is no respecter of persons. The wall men trusted would not stand. The Lord of all sent peace through Jesus, And mercy crossed to Gentile land. [Verse 2] Peter entered Cornelius's household, Found a room prepared to hear. He told of Jordan, works of healing, Cross and resurrection clear. While he spoke, the Holy Ghost Fell on all who heard the word. Jewish brethren heard new tongues And magnified the Lord. [Chorus] Who can forbid the water When the Spirit has been given? They were baptized in the name That joins the earth to heaven. Jerusalem first questioned, Then glorified the Lord: God has granted Gentile nations Repentance unto life. [Final Refrain] God is no respecter of persons. The door stood open wide.

Named in this songCornelius Peter Joppa Jesus Jordan Jerusalem

About the passage

Acts 10: The Spirit arrives before the boundary is settled

Two separate directions bring Cornelius and Peter together, and neither man begins with complete understanding of what the meeting will mean. Cornelius is already described as devout, generous, and prayerful, yet he is told to send for someone who will speak to him. Peter is hungry when a repeated vision challenges his categories of common and unclean, but the meaning is still unsettled when Gentile messengers arrive at the gate. Obedience moves faster than comprehension. Peter receives them, travels with witnesses, refuses Cornelius's prostration, and finally states the human force of the vision: he is not to call any person common or unclean. His proclamation keeps Israel's history intact while naming Jesus “Lord of all,” risen, appointed judge, and the one through whom forgiveness is announced. Then the Holy Ghost falls before Peter finishes speaking. The decisive inclusion arrives before circumcision, a vote, or even baptism, and water follows what God has already done.

Study Acts 10 in depth

Acts 11: The welcome must be explained in Jerusalem

News of Gentiles receiving God's word reaches Jerusalem together with a more practical objection: Peter entered the home of uncircumcised people and ate with them. Peter does not answer by appealing to rank. He recounts the sequence, the repeated vision, the Spirit's direction, the six witnesses, Cornelius's message, and the Holy Ghost falling as at the beginning. The argument ends with a question about whether he could withstand God, and the critics move from contention to glorifying God for granting Gentiles repentance unto life. The chapter then returns to the earlier scattering after Stephen and follows unnamed believers as the message reaches Antioch. Barnabas arrives, recognizes grace, and strengthens what he finds rather than claiming it. He seeks Saul in Tarsus, and the two spend a year teaching there, where the disciples are first called Christians. The chapter closes with prophecy becoming relief, as Antioch sends practical aid toward Judaea through Barnabas and Saul.

Study Acts 11 in depth