Neither Common nor Unclean

We miss some of the radical force of Peter’s declaration in Acts 10:28 if we don’t keep OT distinctions of holiness and purity in mind. They are not the same category. Holiness is the opposite of common, pure the opposite of impure or unclean. One can be pure without being holy; “pure and common” is the baseline state of an Israelite, who might become impure through various bodily processes or through contact with dead bodies, unclean meat, or virulent forms of uncleanness. He can become “holy,” though, only by a sanctifying rite like ordination.

Peter says he no longer regards Gentiles as unclean. They are no longer considered impure per se . By itself, that only means that they are not defiled or defiling; they might well be common. But Peter adds that he doesn’t regard any man as “profane” ( koinos ) either. The only alternative is that he regards them as holy. He is declaring that the Gentiles are not merely cleansed but sanctified, not merely pure but saints.

But Peter seems to go even further than this. He is speaking to Gentiles who want to join with Jews as disciples of Jesus. But Peter’s declaration is very general: God has shown him that he is not to categorize any man as common or unclean. Peter has the freedom to associate not only with saints, but with human beings in general. Peter’s thus announces the foundation for mission and ministry: No man is unapproachable and untouchable, whether because of race, moral condition, belief or unbelief, economic status or physical perfection. Peter treats them all as “neither common nor unclean.”