Peter the apostle has provided the substance of much discussion among Christians for two thousand years. Christians in an ethical rut often identify with Peter's impetuous mistakes or character flaws. But few have his winsome virtues, his bold preaching, staunch love of the truth, and deep love for the Lord. Acts chapter 10 recounts a didactic episode in the life of one of Christendom's favorites, a lesson we would all do well to learn alongside this ancient friend of God. Here is the text:

Acts 10 (King James Version)

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.

And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and he had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? .....

.... Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, 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. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

This text highlights an important point Peter had need of. It took a little time and teaching effort to bring Peter up to speed on the global redemption God had accomplished in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord. But Peter finally got the point: "God is no respecter of persons." This meant that He saves people from different nations -- not merely or predominantly Jews. The Church had gone from a national community to an international community, and the clean-unclean dietary laws -- which taught a distinction between Jew and Gentile by means of diet in the Older Testament -- no longer had any valid point to make. God was going to send out Jews now -- the Jewish apostles -- to preach the gospel among the Gentiles.

Separation from the Gentiles commanded under the Older covenant aimed to keep the Jews from adopting the unethical practices and customs of the wicked nations around them. It was an ethical quarantine. Now, with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Christ had inherited the nations from the Father (Psalm 2; Matt. 28:18-19). Upon ascending to the heavenly throne as King of kings (Acts 1:8, Rev. 5), He poured out his Holy Spirit upon His people. This in effect functioned as a replacement for Christ on earth. Jesus had to "go away" before He would send "another comforter."

Now, God had sent them out into the nations -- with the Spirit and power -- to preach the gospel to "all men," meaning people from every tribe, tongue and nation, without regard for their ethnicity. God is no respecter of persons. But notice the interesting point about Peter's important lesson. Peter had assumed that God intended to continue the older pattern -- separation from Gentiles and maintaining a dietary difference from them to show it. But redemptive history had moved forward and was expanding to heal the nations.

God did not rebuke Peter sharply. He taught him gently and persistently -- three times. The apostle Peter had assumed continuity with the past where none existed. God was doing a new thing. So he taught Peter. Peter's instinct to keep doing what God has commanded until God says otherwise, precisely and succinctly displays the theonomic principle. Peter was a good Theonomist.

In other words, Peter -- and God's kindhearted intervention -- show that neither God nor the apostles assumed what many Christians teach today, "Unless God repeats it in the New Testament, we no longer have to do it." The sort of reasoning behind the rejection of Theonomy runs thus: "We don't have to do it (or avoid it) until God says so again in the New Testament."

The Bible could not more clearly or aggressively rebut this point in saying such words as "It is easier that heaven and earth should disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to fall away from the law" (Luke 16:11). The Law of the Lord binds men to perpetual obedience in every detail, unless and until God says otherwise in the Holy Scripture, either explicitly from a single passage, or else implicitly (by the logical force of many passages together). But the New Testament is not sufficient for the faith and practice of Christians. God never intended it to fly solo.

Whole-Bible Christianity comprises the faith Jesus and the apostles taught. Acts 10 shows this clearly. God rebuked Peter for his misapplication of the dietary laws (assuming continuity where none properly obtained), but NOT FOR ASSUMING the ethical continuity of Old Testament law in general. And Paul also quoted passages from Deuteronomy and Leviticus as binding upon New Testament Christians. But God never rebuked Paul for this. Neither did the other apostles.

They each assumed the perpetual and binding character of the law of the Lord in its holy details. The only ones who want to rebuke them for this are pagans and many modern Dispensational "Christians." But the New Testament without the Old as the foundation of our faith and practice is not Christian at all. It is Gnostic and heretical. This means that much of what passes for "Christian" today merely counterfeits the biblical faith.

My recommendation then comes in the form of an ancient warning: Caveat Emptor. Look to the Word of God to distinguish the true from the false. The Bible -- like Peter -- has the answer, meaning the whole Bible, and not just the last 27 books.