Saying, You went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them.
Acts 10:23,28,48 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him…
Luke 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
“You visited uncircumcised men
The term "uncircumcised men" refers to Gentiles, who were not part of the Jewish covenant community. Circumcision was a sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:10-14), and Jews traditionally avoided close association with Gentiles to maintain ritual purity. This phrase underscores the cultural and religious barriers that existed between Jews and Gentiles, which the early church had to navigate.
and ate with them.”
Eating with Gentiles was considered a significant breach of Jewish law and tradition, as it implied fellowship and acceptance. In Jewish culture, meals were a sign of community and shared values. By eating with Gentiles, Peter was demonstrating the breaking down of barriers through Christ, as seen in Ephesians 2:14-16, where Paul speaks of Christ as our peace, who has made both groups one. This act prefigures the inclusion of Gentiles into the church, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 49:6, which speaks of salvation reaching the ends of the earth.
• This phrase points back to Peter’s deliberate trip from Joppa to Caesarea, entering the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:23–24).
• The verb captures purposeful engagement rather than a casual stop. Peter did not stumble into Gentile company; he went because God directed him (Acts 10:19–20).
• By visiting, Peter followed the pattern of Jesus, who “had to pass through Samaria” to meet the woman at the well (John 4:4–7), showing that divine appointments often override cultural boundaries.
• “Uncircumcised” was Jewish shorthand for Gentiles—those outside the covenant sign given to Abraham (Genesis 17:10–14).
• This label carried strong social and religious stigma (Ephesians 2:11–12). To many believers from a Jewish background, mingling with such people risked ceremonial impurity (Galatians 2:12; Acts 10:28).
• Yet God had just revealed to Peter, “What God has cleansed, you must not call impure” (Acts 10:15), announcing a new era in which faith, not circumcision, marks God’s people (Romans 2:28–29).
• Sharing a meal in the first century signified acceptance, friendship, and covenant fellowship (Luke 15:2).
• Peter’s willingness to sit at Cornelius’s table mirrored Jesus’ ministry, where He “came eating and drinking” with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 11:19).
• By eating, Peter demonstrated that the dietary restrictions which once separated Jews from Gentiles were fulfilled in Christ (Mark 7:18–19; Colossians 2:16–17).
• The preposition underscores proximity and equality. Peter did not keep his distance; he embraced Gentile believers as brothers (Acts 10:48).
• This closeness anticipates the Spirit-formed unity Paul later celebrates: “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
• Peter’s actions embodied God’s impartial character: “God shows no favoritism” (Acts 10:34), a truth the Jerusalem church needed to grasp for the gospel to spread “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Acts 11:3 captures the shock of early Jewish believers when Peter crossed entrenched cultural lines to visit, eat, and fellowship with Gentiles. Peter’s obedience to God’s revelation affirmed that in Christ, external markers like circumcision no longer define God’s family. The verse highlights the gospel’s power to dissolve barriers, inviting all who trust Jesus into full fellowship without distinction.
(3) Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised.--The words cannot well be translated otherwise, but the Greek (literally, men with a foreskin) is somewhat more expressive of scorn than the merely negative form of the English. The same word is commonly used by St. Paul where he discusses the relation between circumcision and uncircumcision (Romans 2:25-26; Romans 4:9-10; 1Corinthians 7:18-19, et al.).Verse 3. - Thou wentest in, etc. The circumstance of his eating with Cornelius and his friends is not expressly recorded in Acts 10, but almost necessarily follows from what is there stated. It had been seized upon as the chief sting in their report by those who brought the news to Jerusalem. Observe the total absence of anything like papal domination on the part of Peter.