Acts Reading in Easter Year 3C

Peter and John Healing the Lame Man, 1655 Poussin

ACTS 10:34-43

³⁴Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Beginning with Easter, the First Reading in the Lectionary cycle focuses on the Acts of the Apostles.  This tradition goes back to Cyril of Jerusalem (313 AD).  With the Easter Vigil reading focusing heavily on the Old Testament salvation story, the reading progress with a focus to the church's mission in the apostolic age. 

The Acts 10:34-43 passage listed on Easter is taken from the Cornelius and Peter story which takes up two chapter in Acts, 10 and 11.  This reading focuses on the sermon or message preached by Peter to the household of Cornelius.  This "Easter message" demonstrates again the core creedal belief of the church.  These passages will be again dealt with on the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Acts 11:1-18) and the story of Peter's resistance to visiting the house of Cornelius, a gentile proselyte.

One theme that is set at the outset of these lectionary readings comes from the first verse of Acts 10, "God shows no partiality."  The Easter message for the whole world, opening up the family of God and the People of Israel to all who come in faith to God through Jesus Christ.  Jesus as the judge of the earth (Jesus is Lord) is the one that comes to put things right between God and humanity and the one who brings forgiveness of sins and reconciliation.   The following readings will illustrate this with the stories of Cornelius, Saul of Tarsus, Lydia, and Tabitha.