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11
Peter has to explain
1 Now the Apostles and the brothers throughout Judea* Talk about news spreading like wildfire; well this news was really ‘hot’! heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision party started contending with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”† In Matthew 28 the resurrected Jesus had commanded that disciples be made among all ethnic nations—so how can you disciple someone without talking to him or associating with him? In fact, the ‘Great Commission’ imposed a significant shift in worldview upon Jesus' Jewish followers. The transition was not easy, and many never made it.
4 So Peter began by explaining it to them in order, saying: 5 “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain object like a great sheet coming down out of the sky, being lowered by its four corners; and it came to me. 6 Upon peering into it I observed and distinguished the quadrupeds of the earth—both the wild animals and the reptiles—and the birds of the sky. 7 Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!’ 8 So I said: ‘No way, Lord! Never has anything ‘common’ or unclean entered my mouth!’ 9 But the voice answered me, a second time, from heaven, ‘Things that God has made clean you must not call ‘common’.’ 10 Well this was done three times, and it was all pulled back up into the sky. 11 At that very moment three men stopped in front of the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. These six brothers also went with me,‡ Peter presumably knew he would be called on the carpet, so he took his witnesses along. and we entered the man's house. 13 He then related to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying to him, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 14 who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 Well as I began to speak,§ Peter was set to give a proper discourse, but the Spirit intervened. the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as on us at the beginning. 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with Holy Spirit.’* See Acts 1:5. This was spoken by the Lord Jesus just before His ascension. 17 So if God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus,† Notice that there is no mention of keeping the Law, being circumcised, or following Jewish customs. Peter is saying that what God did indicates that the key to salvation is believing upon the Lord Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. I follow the best line of transmission that reads ‘the Lord Jesus’; some 75% of the Greek manuscripts add ‘Christ’. who was I to be able to withstand God?” 18 Upon hearing these things they acquiesced and started glorifying God, saying, “So then, God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance into life!”‡ Their religious culture had twisted the OT Scriptures so as to exclude Gentiles. So now they are surprised.
Enter Barnabas
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that came about in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews only.§ This was before the Cornelius episode. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who upon entering Antioch started speaking to the Greek-speakers,* In verse 19, those who spoke to Jews only, presumably used Hebrew, which would not be understood by outsiders. In verse 20, by preaching in Greek, the whole populace could understand, even if Greek-speaking Jews were the main target. Verse 21 implies that the number of believers exceeded the number of Jews, so Gentiles also were believing. preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. 22 Well the report concerning them reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23 Upon arriving and seeing the grace of God, he was glad, and he kept encouraging them all to remain true to the Lord with purpose of heart† Barnabas gives us a good example to follow. 24 (for he was a good man, full of Holy Spirit and of faith). And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and upon finding him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they met with the congregation and taught a great many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Enter Agabus
27 Now in these days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that a great famine was about to come upon the whole world (this indeed happened while Claudius was Caesar). 29 Then the disciples, to the extent that any had plenty, each of them determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea; 30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

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*11:1 Talk about news spreading like wildfire; well this news was really ‘hot’!

†11:3 In Matthew 28 the resurrected Jesus had commanded that disciples be made among all ethnic nations—so how can you disciple someone without talking to him or associating with him? In fact, the ‘Great Commission’ imposed a significant shift in worldview upon Jesus' Jewish followers. The transition was not easy, and many never made it.

‡11:12 Peter presumably knew he would be called on the carpet, so he took his witnesses along.

§11:15 Peter was set to give a proper discourse, but the Spirit intervened.

*11:16 See Acts 1:5. This was spoken by the Lord Jesus just before His ascension.

†11:17 Notice that there is no mention of keeping the Law, being circumcised, or following Jewish customs. Peter is saying that what God did indicates that the key to salvation is believing upon the Lord Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile. I follow the best line of transmission that reads ‘the Lord Jesus’; some 75% of the Greek manuscripts add ‘Christ’.

‡11:18 Their religious culture had twisted the OT Scriptures so as to exclude Gentiles. So now they are surprised.

§11:19 This was before the Cornelius episode.

*11:20 In verse 19, those who spoke to Jews only, presumably used Hebrew, which would not be understood by outsiders. In verse 20, by preaching in Greek, the whole populace could understand, even if Greek-speaking Jews were the main target. Verse 21 implies that the number of believers exceeded the number of Jews, so Gentiles also were believing.

†11:23 Barnabas gives us a good example to follow.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD