ACTS

ACTS 11

• Acts 11:1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 

This should be a time of rejoicing.

• Acts 11:2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 
• 3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 

We can admire them in one way. They thought Peter was doing something wrong and they tried to see what was going on. They were not willing to allow Peter to do wrong. However, they were the ones making an error here, not Peter. 

We must remember that these were Jews, but Jews that had converted to Jesus Christ. However, they still were Jews. Jewish people were not to associate with Gentiles when they were worshiping God. They considered Gentiles to be dogs or the filth of the world. This was because the Gentile nations worshipped idols and with idol worship came fornication and much uncleanness including child sacrifices and evil that Israel was warned by God to avoid. They were to have nothing to do with nations that worshipped idols because they would be influenced to do the same things. There was a reason for their concern here but they had to realize that it was the day of grace and the preaching of the gospel so that Gentiles could also be delivered from sin and be granted eternal life. The message of Jesus and His salvation is for all who would believe. Man, woman, child, Gentile or Jew. 

• Acts 11:4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, 
• 5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 
• 6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 
• 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 
• 8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 
• 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 
• 10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. 
• 11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. 
• 12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house: 
• 13 And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 
• 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 
• 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 
• 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 
• 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 
• 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. 

Peter could have handled this differently and had a different result. He could have gotten angry and had the attitude, "How dare you question the great Peter, chosen of God." Peter did not considered himself a Pope or head of the church. He knew that he was a pillar but not the head. He, in the spirit of meekness and truth told what had happen in order to convert the thinking of these Jews, not to intimidate them. We don't convert anyone to our way of thinking by using intimidation and making them feel inferior. By this I don't mean that we are to pat people on the back and never warn against sin. Preaching against the consequences of sin is what will bring them to Christ to be free from sin. Yet we don't have to preach people into hell and not tell them how to keep from going there. Peter gladly shared his experience with his Jewish brethren so that can also rejoice to see the works of God and realize that God wants to save Gentiles as will as the Jews.  

This same vision of the same vessel descending upon Peter three times represented the three visitors that was coming to see him. God was preparing Peter's heart to bring the message of the gospel to the Gentiles. This being done three times reminds me also that the Lord once asked Peter if he loved Him three times when before the death and resurrection of Jesus Peter had denied Christ three times. Maybe Peter was the type of person who had to be reminded more than once to get through to him. Later Peter had trouble again deciding whether to eat with Gentile believers. Paul had to correct him at that time. We all may have occasional weaknesses that we need to overcome by God's loving correction.

• Acts 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 

I sometimes wonder if persecution did not come upon them; whether they would all have stayed in Jerusalem and just build a big mega church forgetting the call of Jesus Christ to go into all the world and preach the gospel. 

The persecution sent them away from Jerusalem. Yet even then most of them found other Jews and preached only to them. That never should have been neglected but they eventually had to preach to Gentiles to obey the full commission Jesus gave them. 

• Acts 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 
• 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. 
• 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 

Barnabas must have been a great compassionate people person who saw that God wanted to save the Gentiles and not just the Jews. He is the first one to open his heart to the Apostle Paul when the others held back in fear of this man, not trusting him because of his past. The prophet Jonah had trouble with this same issue. Some today fear bringing to the gospel to some groups of people who have a tendency toward terrorism. We become torn between wanting to protect our families and knowing that we have a commandment to spread the gospel also. Perhaps that is why we need to learn how to be led by the Holy Spirit and at times by the cousel of godly brothers and sisters in the Lord.

• Acts 11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 
• 24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. 
• 25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 

Looks like Saul (Paul) still needed fellowship and strength from the brethren in Christ. 

• Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. 

This was a place where they fed upon the word and grew in the word of the Lord. We are not to just save the lost and then forsake them. They are to learn and be given the word to build them up in the faith. If we fail to do this, we will open the door to false doctrine and weird teaching. False teaching by those called Gnostics started to creep in after the death of the apostles. I sometimes marvel how the Roman church got from the simple gospel of Jesus Christ into using icons, mass and the worship of Mary. It amazes me how we get from what the apostles preached to what is practiced in some churches today. There is no resemblance to the word of God in some church organizations. What happened? 

Sometimes it is following men instead of the Lord, sometimes it getting off the foundation of Christ and having another teaching as the main emphasis, sometimes we either add to the commandments or take from the word in some way. Making the way of salvation something other than faith in Jesus is the first step away from the truth. 

Salvation is not in joining an organized church. Not all organized churches are bad but if they have moved the plan of salvation away from the simplicity of faith in Jesus to being involved in the church or looking to the church for salvation, they have started down the path to apostasy. 

Salvation is not in being baptized as an infant. That infant has no idea why he or she is being baptized. 

True conversion is being born again by the spirit of God. It is something only God can do but He willingly gives the new birth to anyone who truly receives His Son, Jesus Christ and turns from sin. Yes, part of salvation is rejecting sin. Sin is what is destroying our souls. Sin separates us from God. Jesus came to save us from sin. We are forgetting to teach that when we preach Jesus. He came to save us from sin. 

The gospel is telling people that they are lost. Their sins is separating them from God and is going to send them to hell. God doesn't send us to hell, sin does. Jesus came to pay the price for our sins and make a perfect way for us to be forgiven and to overcome sin. We do not have to sin after coming to Jesus for salvation. The Holy Spirit is imparted to us so that we can overcome sin. This teaching that we sin a little bit every day is not correct. 

• Hebrews 12:13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 
• 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 
• 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 
• 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 
• 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

God's plan for us is holiness. Not a manmade holiness that concentrates on outward religion or rituals, appearance or other things but a holiness that is by the spirit of God where the commandments of God are placed within our hearts. If we do sin, the sin should grieve us and the spirit of God would bring us immediately to repentance so that we can be cleansed from that sin and renewed to God. 

• Acts 11:27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 
• 28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 

We see here one of the works of the Holy Spirit. By the spirit this man sent a warning to the believers. Sometimes the spirit will comfort us, exhort us, correct us from error and many other things but in this case it was a warning of a famine that was coming similar to the dream Pharaoh had in Egypt in which Joseph by God's spirit interpreted the dream of the coming famine. 

• Acts 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea: 
• 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. 

Storing up food and preparing ahead of time is not wrong in itself. We must do this if the spirit of God leads us, otherwise we are not to worry about material things in this life but wholly trust the Lord. Notice also that the disciples according to their ability didn't seem to worry about themselves here but sent relief to others worrying about their need, not their own. 

If we knew a famine was coming usually the first thing we think of is our own family and how to provide for them and that is not wrong but we also should be concerned about our brethren in the Lord, our pastor's family and perhaps our next door neighbor. It seems they didn't worry about giving 10 percent or who gave what but gave according to their own ability. Being filled with the spirit and then walking in the spirit will lead us into all truth but it is up to us to listen, to yield and then to obey the leading of the Lord in all things. DC

Acts 12