What should American Christians think of those who belong to different cultures? As people from all over the world stream to our shores in huge numbers, this is not merely an academic question. Should we retreat into our holy huddles, as the Church seems to be all too fond of doing, and just surround ourselves with people who already agree with us?

No, today’s passage clearly demonstrates that Christians are called to welcome everyone, regardless of their ancestry. In verse 34, Peter says that God shows no partiality toward any certain ethnic group – and this was quite an amazing statement for a Jew to make to a group of Gentiles. Instead, Peter insists that God accepts people from every nation. In sum, God is no racist, and none of His followers thus has any room to imagine that anyone is superior just because of his particular ethnic background.

But at the same time, Peter insists that God does not accept all cultures as equally valid. The word culture, after all, is closely related to the word cult, and so it should come as no surprise that the hallmark of any culture is the unique mixture of things that its people value. We might say, for example, that modern Mississippi culture values college football and fried food, while other regional American cultures might value soccer and sushi.

But however innocuous some tastes and preferences may be, if the Christian faith treats all ethnic groups as equal, it does not say the same thing of everything that different groups of people value or think important. That’s why the lion’s share of Peter’s message to the Gentiles doesn’t focus on the particular folkways that separated Jews from Gentiles: circumcision, avoiding certain foods, and participating in certain rituals. Instead, Peter talks about the only One Who is worthy of our time, attention, and praise: Jesus.

For, as Peter says in verse 43, it is only those who believe in the crucified Christ, trusting in Him as Savior who can receive forgiveness of sins. It is only those who bow the knee to the risen Christ as Lord who will be saved on the day that He returns to judge the living and the dead, as verse 42 says. In other words, if the good news is that salvation is open to everyone regardless of ancestry, salvation only comes to those who abandon any values of their previous culture that prevent them from worshipping Jesus alone.

So, how should we American Christians treat people of different cultures all around us? Instead of avoiding them or looking down on them for their strange ways, let’s respect them and welcome them, just as God has welcomed all of us. But at the same time, let’s seek to bring them into the only culture that will last forever, the group of people who acknowledge Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the only Savior of sinners, the culture that expresses itself in obedience to God and loving welcome of others.

Acts 10:23-48 (NASB)

23 And so he invited them in and gave them lodging. And on the next day he arose and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And on the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 And when it came about that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am just a man.”
27 And as he talked with him, he entered, and found many people assembled.
28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
29 “That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. And so I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during the ninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments,
31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
32 ‘Send therefore to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’
33 “And so I sent to you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,
35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.
36 “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)–
37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.
38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.
39 “And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
40 “God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
45 And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also.
46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.