This vision conveyed to Peter both reproof and instruction. It revealed to him the purpose of God--that by the death of Christ the Gentiles should be made fellow heirs with the Jews to the blessings of salvation. As yet none of the disciples had preached the gospel to the Gentiles. In their minds the middle wall of partition, broken down by 136 the death of Christ, still existed, and their labors had been confined to the Jews, for they had looked upon the Gentiles as excluded from the blessings of the gospel. Now the Lord was seeking to teach Peter the world-wide extent of the divine plan.

Dette syn virkede både dadlende og belærende på Peter. Det åbenbarede ham, hvad der var Guds hensigt, at hedningerne ved Kristi død skulle blive jødernes medarvinger til frelsens velsignelse. Indtil nu havde ingen af disciplene prædiket evangeliet for hedninger. Efter deres mening bestod den skillemur, som var nedbrudt ved Kristi død, stadig, og de havde koncentreret sig om arbejdet for jøderne. De havde nemlig betragtet hedningerne som udelukkede fra evangeliets velsignelse. Nu prøvede Herren at lære Peter, at den guddommelige plan omfattede hele verden.