seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 11:1 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
a. Acts 11:16 Or in
b. Acts 11:16 Or in
Good morning.... Peter is a cool cat.... He's finally standing up and taking on the crowd. I have to admit.... He's getting gumption.....
This is from the blueletterbible.org site.
Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning: This account is an obvious condensation from Acts 10:9-43. God is emphasizing the importance of these events by repeating the story.
What God has cleansed you must not call common: At first, Peter thought God was speaking about food. But Peter came to understand the vision of the sheet and kosher and unkosher animals has to do with people, not food (Acts 10:28). There is a sense in which the sheet represents the church, having both "kosher" (Jews) and "unkosher" (Gentiles) on it, with no distinction.
The conclusion is important: The Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning shows that God's stamp of approval was on this ministry to the Gentiles. How could these believing Jews withhold their approval when God had given His?
If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God? If God was moving ministry out to the Gentiles, who is Peter that he could withstand God? Peter recognized the importance of sensing where God is going and heading that same direction, instead of trying to persuade God to go your direction.
They became silent: The Jewish believers in Jerusalem first react with a stunned silence. But then they glorified God, because they saw He was now working among the Gentiles also!
This is a powerful passage, demonstrating that the hearts of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were soft enough to be guided by God. It is a glorious thing when God's people will allow their prejudices and traditions to be overcome by God's Word and God's work.
The church in Jerusalem embraced these Gentile believers at first, but it would be a long time until all the objections were answered.
Encouraged them with all purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord: Barnabas rightly focuses on his main job as a leader of the congregation. He strengthened the church family itself, with the result that a great many people were added to the Lord.
So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. Together, Barnabas and Saul taught a great many people, making the church in Antioch strong.
Showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar: We don't know exactly how Agabus showed by the Spirit this famine was on the way. But the Christians took the word seriously, and generously begin preparations to meet the needs.
You can tell these are truly disciples and Christians, because they gave generously to meet the need. They gave, each according to his ability.
Yesterday I read about that sheet that came down from Heaven. It was full of animals.... and God was sending a message to Peter. I hadn't seen that before... and maybe that's why I have never liked Peter. After reading today's study.... I get to change my mind. I'm an old half blind woman with an online Bible and a lot of online commentary.... and I have a little attitude now too.... so I can change my mind. The other disciples saw that Peter was teaching people about Jesus... and a lot of those people Peter was teaching were not descendants of Jacob [Israel]. Peter is spreading the word to anyone and everyone.. His buddies called him on it... and he told them about the sheet and the animals..... and they understood..... it was ok to include everyone. I found it interesting that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times... and then God had to show him the sheet and the animals three times for him to get the gumption to get the mission going.
A lot of the disciples took off after Stephen was murdered..... they fled to save their own lives.... but then wherever they settled, they just couldn't help talking about Jesus and the Cross and the Empty Tomb. So the word was getting spread anyway..... and as Peter said.... "If that's what God wants... who am I to question it!"
Meanwhile..... Barnabus and Saul were in Antioch. Antioch was the first "Christian" church..... And then something huge happened..... one of the Christians at Antioch had a vision about a famine.... so the church [the congregation at Antioch] started to store up grain and stuff so the church could stand during the famine. They were working together..... cool ......
I notice that Paul is still Saul..... but He's working with Barnabus..... Barnabus is the guy who sold his land and joined the disciples back in Acts 4. He wanted to give everything to the new little church.... so no one went without.
So... now the Christian Church is setting up a program to help the people of the church..... and God is in the plans.....
So..... now things are starting to happen.... the church is growing..... Peter is including everyone from everywhere..... it doesn't matter who they are or where they came from..... their criminal history didn't matter.... after all Saul was teaching in the church and he had been holding the coats for the men while they murdered Stephen...... their race didn't matter..... after all those people in Greece had no problem getting naked and fighting while the descendants of Jacob [Israel.... Jews] wouldn't be caught without clothes..... their culture didn't matter.... after all those animals in the sheet were the kind God told them they couldn't eat... and now they could...... and I'm pretty sure.... their sex doesn't matter in the Christian church... I'm petty sure I'm going to see a few women in the church now.... women who will be treated with respect.... not just as a possession to be left at the door of the Temple... not allowed in....
I wonder.... who else does God want Peter have the gumption to include in the Christian Church......
