"I Myself Am Also A Man

by Bill Irby

March 2, 2010

“I MYSELF AM ALSO A MAN”
Many will recognize these words as having been said by Peter at the house of the Roman centurion Cornelius (Acts 10:26). Peter had been sent to that house by Divine directive. Cornelius had been told to send for Peter through the same Divine agency. But just here we are invited to contemplate a powerful instance of the intersection between the Divine and the human.
Peter and Cornelius lived in a unique time. God was, for the last time until judgment, interjecting Himself supernaturally in human affairs. He had done this before, first in the Creation, then in the days of Noah and the flood and then a few times in the life and work of some of the prophets. Indeed, the prophets foretold of the time of the Christ and the establishment of the church and God’s great work in doing it (Hebrews 2:1-4).
So it was that Peter had seen his vision on the rooftop and Cornelius had seen a man “in bright clothing” in his house. But when Peter had made his way to Caesarea and come into that house a distinction had to be made. Cornelius bowed down to worship Peter. Peter would have none of it. He was no Divine being, nor was he an angel. He made it plain by saying, “I myself am also a man.”
Like so much in God’s Word, Peter’s words are full of meaning. Think of the historical significance of Peter being in Cornelius’s house. Jews and Gentiles did not meet under the same roof. But here we do not have a Jew and a Gentile. Instead we have two men. Not only is Peter not a divine entity but he is part of the same human family as Cornelius. This is an idea quite unfamiliar to the first century Jewish mind. Peter himself had just learned the principle. As he said, “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him” (Acts 10:34-35). God doesn’t look at the face; He sees the heart (Galatians 3:26-28).
We know that Peter was an apostle. That was an important thing. The apostles guided the early church as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1 and 2, and John 14-16). Here Peter reminds us that the apostles were something other than inspired leaders of the body of Christ. They were men. They didn’t always do the right thing (Think of Peter and Paul’s behavior and disagreements). But they always taught the right thing (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is significant that the teaching of the truth, the Word of God, was even then entrusted to men.
Closely related to this is something too important to overlook. Cornelius was not saved by the man in bright clothing. He was not even saved by the presence of the apostle Peter. Most significantly he was not saved by the Holy Spirit falling on him and his household. The coming of the Holy Spirit on the household of Cornelius was proof that God did not reject Gentiles (again see Galatians 3:26-28). Salvation came to those people through the preaching of the gospel of Christ (see Acts 10:34-43). Peter had taught them and then commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord (10:48).
That Peter said “I myself also am a man” should be a tremendous encouragement to all of us. God’s great work of saving mankind is not dependent on someone having miraculous ability. As we have seen, even in the days of the supernatural work of the God, the gospel was to be preached by men. We have the same truth that was entrusted to earthen vessels then. Faith must be created in the minds of men and that will happen by the same means it always has, the word of God (Romans 10:17). In the Word of God the mind of God contacts the mind of man allowing for great things to happen.
Like Peter, we are just men. We are, however, men and women with a great and wonderful work to do. Ours is the cause of Christ, and thank God for it.