Who was Simon the tanner?

Answer

Simon the tanner provided lodging for Simon Peter while Peter ministered to believers in Joppa (Acts 9:32-43). Joppa, known today as Jaffa, is situated 40 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It sits atop a high cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and functioned as the port city for Jerusalem. A tanner is someone who works with leather. Simon was involved in the process of treating animal hides to create leather, a profession considered unclean by the Jews of that time. It is likely that Simon the tanner opted to work in the seaport of Joppa to easily receive incoming pelts and ship the finished products. His house was located “by the sea” «he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. », (Acts 10:6), probably at a distance from the rest of the community to allow the unpleasant odors associated with his work to dissipate.

It was during his time at Simon the tanner’s residence that Peter received a revelation from the Lord that salvation was also intended for the Gentiles (Acts 10:10-16). While on the roof of Simon the tanner’s house, Peter saw something resembling a sheet being lowered from the sky containing various animals, both clean and unclean (verses 11–12). Peter heard a voice instructing, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat” (verse 13). Initially hesitant, as he had never consumed non-kosher food before (verse 14), Peter was told, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (verse 15). This vision recurred three times, and then Peter was informed by the Spirit that three men were seeking him and he should accompany them without hesitation (verses 19–20). The men arrived as predicted, and due to the vision, Peter welcomed them.

To the house.

The fact that Simon Peter lived with Simon the tanner for a considerable length of time and felt comfortable welcoming strangers to stay with him there (Acts 10:23) may indicate that Peter was working or apprenticing as a tanner himself. Although Simon Peter was a fisherman by trade, “Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.” (Mark 1:16), he may have been earning his keep by working in the tanning trade with his host, Simon.

The three men who came looking for Peter at Simon the tanner’s house were sent by a Roman centurion named Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea. Cornelius, a Gentile, had earlier received a vision from the Lord instructing him to contact Peter and bring him to Caesarea (Acts 10:3-8). Peter left with the men the next day to return to Cornelius, and several believers from Joppa went with them. It is possible that Simon the tanner was among them (verse 23).

When Peter arrived at the home of Cornelius, he shared the gospel, and the entire household was saved. The Holy Spirit fell upon all of them, and Peter began to understand his vision (Acts 10:44-48). God had prepared him for a tradition-shattering idea: Gentiles were to be welcomed into the fellowship of God’s people. After all, here were Gentiles who had received the same Holy Spirit the Jews had received at Pentecost. The Jews had believed that the Messiah had come only for them (Romans 3:29; Galatians 3:27-29). But now Peter was a witness to the fact that the church was extending to all people groups, in fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8. Peter was soon able to share the news of what God was doing.

Dealing with the congregation in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18).