Acts and the Inclusion of the Gentiles
Quick Summary
The inclusion of Gentiles in Acts fulfills God's promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through Israel. From Peter's vision and Cornelius's conversion to the Jerusalem Council's decision, Acts shows the Holy Spirit forming one people from Jews and Gentiles through faith in Jesus. Gentile inclusion is not a departure from Israel's story but its fulfillment, as God's mercy reaches the ends of the earth.
Introduction
The inclusion of Gentiles is one of the central storylines in the Book of Acts. Luke presents it not as an unexpected development but as the fulfillment of God's plan stretching back to Abraham. The gospel begins in Jerusalem among Jews, but it does not remain there. The Holy Spirit drives the church outward across ethnic and cultural boundaries, creating a community that includes both Jews and Gentiles united by faith in Jesus Christ.
The question Acts addresses is not whether Gentiles can be saved. The question is whether Jewish and Gentile believers can belong to the same community without one group being required to adopt the cultural identity of the other. Acts shows the early church wrestling with this question, guided by the Spirit, and reaching conclusions that reshape their understanding of God's people.
For a broader overview of Acts and its movement from Jerusalem to the nations, see An Introduction to the Book of Acts.
The Promise Begins with Abraham
God's intention to include the nations is not a New Testament innovation. It is rooted in the covenant with Abraham. When God calls Abram, the promise is both personal and universal: "I will bless you... and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3). This promise is repeated in Genesis 18:18 and 22:18, establishing that Israel's calling is for the sake of the nations, not in isolation from them.
Israel is chosen to be a conduit of blessing to all peoples. This is not a minor theme in the Old Testament but a foundational element of God's covenant purposes. Acts does not introduce the idea of Gentile inclusion. Acts narrates how that ancient promise becomes reality through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
The Prophets Proclaim It
The prophets develop this theme with clarity. Isaiah, in particular, speaks directly to Israel's mission to the nations. God addresses the servant and declares, "It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6).
This is not vague language. "Light to the nations" means that Gentiles are in view. "End of the earth" means God's salvation will not stop at Israel's borders. Acts later echoes this language in Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8, showing that the church's mission is the continuation of what God promised through the prophets.
Jesus Commissions the Gospel to All Nations
Acts opens where the Gospels close. The risen Jesus commissions his followers to be witnesses and promises the Holy Spirit's power (Acts 1:8). The mission begins in Jerusalem, but it is not intended to remain there. Jesus' commission in Matthew 28:19 makes this explicit: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" (Greek: panta ta ethne, all the peoples, all ethnic groups).
Acts is the story of the church obeying this command. The obedience is not immediate or without struggle, but it is steady. The church moves outward from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and eventually to the ends of the earth, following the pattern Jesus outlined.
The Widening Circles of Acts 1:8
Acts 1:8 functions as the programmatic verse for the entire book. Jesus tells the disciples, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Luke structures Acts to follow this geographical and cultural expansion precisely.
The first widening occurs not geographically but relationally. Samaria is close to Jerusalem but separated by centuries of mutual hostility between Jews and Samaritans. When Philip proclaims Christ in Samaria, many believe, and the Holy Spirit is poured out on them, confirming their full inclusion in God's people (Acts 8:4-17).
Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch pushes the boundary further. The eunuch is a Gentile, geographically distant, and socially excluded by Jewish law due to his status as a eunuch. Yet Philip proclaims the gospel to him, baptizes him, and the man goes on his way rejoicing. The Spirit orchestrates the entire encounter, demonstrating that God's salvation crosses every boundary.
Cornelius: The Decisive Turning Point
Acts 10 marks the most significant turning point in the inclusion of Gentiles. Cornelius is a Roman centurion, a Gentile who fears God but has not converted to Judaism. Peter receives a vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals and hears a voice commanding him to eat. When Peter protests, the voice replies, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane" (Acts 10:15).
See Acts 10:9-23 Peter's Vision of the Sheet.
The vision is not primarily about food. It is about people. Peter himself says, "God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean" (Acts 10:28). When Peter enters Cornelius's home and preaches the gospel, the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles before baptism, before circumcision, before any ritual requirement is met.
See Acts 10:24-48 Peter and Cornelius.
Luke's logic is clear: God acts first, and the church responds. The Spirit's initiative forces the church to recognize that Gentiles are included on the basis of faith in Jesus, not through adherence to Jewish law or cultural practices.
The Church Reinterprets Its Story
Even after Cornelius, the tension does not disappear. When Peter returns to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticize him for entering the home of uncircumcised men and eating with them (Acts 11:2-3). Peter recounts the vision, the Spirit's direction, and the Spirit's falling on the Gentiles. He concludes, "If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" (Acts 11:17).
See Acts 11:1-18 Peter Explains His Actions.
The Jerusalem believers are silenced and glorify God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18). The early church is not portrayed as immediately enlightened. They are being taught by God, forced to reread Abraham's promise, Isaiah's prophecies, and Jesus' commission in light of the Spirit's actions.
Antioch: A New Kind of Church
Antioch becomes a major center for Gentile mission. It is one of the first places where a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile believers becomes the norm rather than the exception. Believers are first called "Christians" in Antioch (Acts 11:26), a label that reflects a community defined by allegiance to Christ rather than by ethnic identity.
See Acts 11:19-30 The Church in Antioch.
From Antioch, the Holy Spirit directs the church to set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary work (Acts 13:2). The church is no longer passively receiving Gentiles who come to them. They are actively going to find Gentiles and proclaim the gospel.
See Acts 13:1-12 Paul and Barnabas Sent Off.
The Jerusalem Council: Defining Inclusion
The rapid inclusion of Gentiles creates significant tension. Some Jewish believers insist that Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses to be saved (Acts 15:1). This is not a minor dispute. It is a fundamental question about identity: Is the church a renewed Israel that requires Gentiles to become Jews, or is the church a Spirit-formed people where Jews and Gentiles belong together in Christ without one group adopting the cultural practices of the other?
The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 gathers to resolve the issue. Peter speaks first, recounting God's action with Cornelius and arguing that God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles, "cleansing their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). He asks, "Why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?" (Acts 15:10).
James then speaks, citing the prophet Amos to show that the inclusion of Gentiles fulfills the prophets' vision of restored Israel welcoming the nations (Acts 15:15-18). The Council concludes that Gentiles should not be burdened with circumcision or full observance of the Mosaic law. Instead, they ask Gentiles to abstain from practices particularly offensive to Jewish believers, protecting the unity of the mixed community.
See Acts 15:22-35 The Council's Letter to the Churches.
The decision removes a major barrier to the gospel's expansion. Gentiles can become full members of God's people through faith in Jesus without adopting Jewish cultural identity. This ensures that the church will not remain a Jewish sect but will become a genuinely multiethnic community.
Paul's Mission as the Outworking of Promise
From Acts 13 onward, Luke follows Paul's missionary journeys through Gentile cities across the Roman Empire. Paul proclaims Christ in Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and beyond. The gospel enters synagogues, spreads into marketplaces, and forms communities across cultural and ethnic lines.
See Acts 17:1-9 Ministry in Thessalonica, Acts 17:16-34 Paul in Athens, and Acts 18:1-11 Paul in Corinth.
Paul's mission is not an innovation. It is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that all families of the earth would be blessed. It is Isaiah's vision of light reaching the nations. It is Jesus' commission to make disciples of all peoples becoming reality in cities where the name of Israel was barely known.
What Acts Teaches About Gentile Inclusion Today
Acts does not reduce inclusion to a slogan or a vague ideal. Inclusion in Acts is theological, rooted in what God has done through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is also practical, raising real questions about table fellowship, belonging, leadership, and shared identity in communities marked by ethnic and cultural diversity.
Acts shows that God's mercy is wider than human instinct. It also shows that widening mercy requires real work. The church must listen to the Spirit, repent of assumptions, and change patterns that once felt sacred but conflict with the Spirit's leading. The Spirit does not only save individuals. The Spirit reshapes the boundaries of community, and Luke insists that this reshaping is not a betrayal of Israel's calling but its fulfillment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Gentiles included in God's plan in the Old Testament?
Yes. God's promise to Abraham includes the blessing of all families of the earth (Genesis 12:1-3). Prophets like Isaiah explicitly describe God's servant as a light to the nations so that salvation reaches to the ends of the earth (Isaiah 49:6).
What is the main turning point for Gentile inclusion in Acts?
Acts 10 is the major turning point. Peter enters the home of Cornelius, a Gentile centurion, and the Holy Spirit falls on Gentiles before any ritual boundary markers are imposed.
Why was the Jerusalem Council necessary?
The Jerusalem Council addressed whether Gentile believers had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to belong. The Council concluded that Gentiles should not be burdened with becoming culturally Jewish as the entry price for salvation and community.
What does "all nations" mean in Matthew 28:19?
The Greek phrase panta ta ethne means all nations or all peoples. It points to Jesus' commission that the gospel is for every ethnic group, not confined to one cultural identity.
Does Gentile inclusion mean Israel is rejected?
No. Acts portrays Gentile inclusion as Israel's calling fulfilled rather than Israel discarded. God's promise to bless the nations through Abraham and Israel finds its widening fulfillment through Jesus and the Spirit.
See Also
Works Consulted
Bauckham, Richard. "James and the Gentiles (Acts 15:13-21)." In History, Literature, and Society in the Book of Acts, edited by Ben Witherington III, 154-84. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.
Jervell, Jacob. The Theology of the Acts of the Apostles. New Testament Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Johnson, Luke Timothy. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina 5. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992.
Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012–2015.
Pervo, Richard I. Acts: A Commentary. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009.
Tannehill, Robert C. The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation. Vol. 2, The Acts of the Apostles. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1990.
Witherington, Ben, III. The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998.
