Acts 10:34 - Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism;
Acts 10:35 - but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
Acts 10:36 - The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ -- he is Lord of all. -- World English
By Ronald R. Day, Sr. (This study needs to be edited)
These verses are sometimes cited as proof that Peter called Jesus "God." Actually, "God" appears only once in these verses, and it is obviously referring to only one person, that is, the God and Father of Jesus. -- Ephesians 1:30.
Evidently, however, something in these verses is being interpreted to mean that Peter called Jesus "God". Directly, Peter calls Jesus "Christ," which means that he believed Jesus to be one whom Jehovah God anointed, not that Jesus is Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Rather than identifying Jesus as being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Peter thus identifies Jesus as being the one whom Jehovah, the God of Jesus (Micah 5:4), anointed and sent. -- Psalm 2:26; 45:7; Isaiah 61:1; Ezekiel 34:23,24; John 10:29; 17:1,3; Acts 2:23,36; 4:27; 10:38; Hebrews 1:9.
Some, however, may be reading into the expression "He is Lord of all" as designating Jesus as being God Almighty. Along this line, they may cite Ephesians 4:6, where the God and Father is designated as being "over all." More than likely Peter was not actually even speaking of Jesus as being Lord of all, but rather was referring back to He who sent the word to the children of Israel. If this is the case, then Peter was referring to "God" who sent the word through Jesus as being Lord of all.
If Peter did intend to call Jesus the Lord of all, it certainly could not be used as Paul used "of all" in Ephesians 4:6, not unless one were to claim that Jesus is this God and Father. It would have to be viewed in the sense that the God and Father of Jesus has exalted Jesus, and thus made Jesus to be the Lord of all, with the evident exception of being Lord of He who exalted Jesus. Jesus would not "Lord" at all if his God, Jehovah, had not made him both Lord and Christ (the one Lord through whom are all. -- Ezekiel 34:23,24; Isaiah 61:1,2; Acts 2:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6)
Jehovah has not just made Jesus Lord, but He has exalted Jesus to the highest position in the universe, far above all dominions, next to the only Most High. -- Acts 2:33,36; 5:31; Philippians 2:9; Ephesians 1:3,17-23; 1 Corinthians 15:27; Hebrews 1:4,6; 1 Peter 3:22.
Regardless, there is nothing in Acts 10:34-35 that states that Peter called Jesus "God." Any such thought has to be thought up beyond what is actually written, and with assumptions added and read into what is written. Since Jehovah is depicted as being the God of Jesus (Micah 5:4; Ephesians 1:3), and since Jesus is definitely not the "one God" through whom are all (1 Corinthians 8:6), the default reasoning is not to imagine, assume, add to, and read into the scriptures that Jesus is God Almighty, but rather that Jesus is not his God.
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