Peter had received a revelation that it was now time to take the gospel to everyone—not just to the Jews, which is where the focus had been during the Savior’s mortal ministry, but also to the Gentiles. Everyone!
So Peter found himself addressing an audience consisting of Jews and Gentiles, none of whom were Christians (yet). Now, it’s one thing to talk to people who already believe in Jesus Christ. You have common ground to start on. But where do you begin with people who either don’t believe we need a Savior or don’t believe He has come yet?
Peter’s strategy was to start by describing Jesus as someone “who went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Nobody could argue with that. Peter’s audience may not have believed that Jesus was the Son of God, but He had healed and comforted people and taught them to love one another—there was no denying He had done good things. That was something everyone could agree on, which is always a good starting place.
There’s something else wonderful about Peter’s description of Jesus as someone “who went about doing good.” Many of the other things we say about Jesus—He’s the Savior, the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son, our Advocate with the Father, and so forth—are things that only describe Him. But all of us can (and should!) be people who go around “doing good.” That’s one area where the Savior definitely wants us to be like Him.
What good can you do this week?