#defend the faith

[Acts 11:1-18] is not the actual [or ‘real-time’] narration in Acts of the conversion of Cornelius– [that is recorded in 10:1-29–] but Peter’s rendering of it to the community [of Jewish converts to Christianity] when he is justifying his action [of not only visiting but also eating with the Gentiles]. Like the story of Paul’s conversion, this story therefore occurs three times in Acts– [first as narrative, then twice again as speech–]showing the importance of this moment when the first gentile is received into the Church, [and the need to continually proclaim this universal heart of the Good News]. Nevertheless, Peter is humble and witty enough to include his little tiff with the Voice from heaven, whose liberalism so scandalised him, and which [therefore] ended up by roundly ticking him off for his criticism of God’s creation [as 'unclean’]! Peter also amusingly stresses that the Holy Spirit, and not himself, was responsible for the acceptance of the first gentile: in the original account the Spirit merely 'interrupted’ Peter (10:44), whereas now Peter [himself] says, [in effect, that his speech was neither a requirement nor a cause for grace– emphasizing that] he hardly had time to begin speaking when the Spirit poured down!

Dom Henry Wansbrough; Commentary on Acts 11:1-18