Bobservations Column
Titled - "Contentions and Visions"Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Peter’s vision of the sheet comes back into play this week. It had profoundly changed his mind about the dietary laws, and inter-personal relationships, and about the Levitical Law as a whole. The visions from the Lord act in several ways; they serve to give us direction and purpose. And if such visions seem to not apply, then we should write them down and keep them in the back of our minds, for some future application. God’s Word will not come back void, but His words received in a vision will also have a reason behind them.
As believers, we take comfort in God’s Word. We need not fret when the world throws us an unexpected set of circumstances. The clearest example in the Bible is when God asked Abraham to offer his only son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. Abraham could well have been confused by the supposed contradiction, after God had told him that that he was to be the father of “a great nation.” His name would be great, and all families of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12:1-3)
The Genesis 12 words are surely what gave Abraham to courage to take Isaac to the alter of sacrifice, and come away with not only Isaac, but also with a clearer understanding of God’s faithfulness. When Isaiah 55:11 says that God’s word will not come back void, it is a declaration too the world that God’s Vision for the World will indeed come to pass. Our God is faithful; He has a good track record. He can be trusted.
The Great Commission to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth? Will He not therefore enable us to do exactly that?
“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” - Philippians 1:6
Bobservations' Column: Audio Version
Sunday Morning Message:
Acts 11:1-18 - "Contentions and Visions"
Summary/Additional Commentary & Definitions:
For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about the interaction between Peter and Cornelius. If you missed it, you’re in luck, because Luke, the author of Acts, spends a lot of time on this. The studies in Chapter 10 (first part here and second part here) tells in detail how God brought about this meeting and then what happened at the meeting itself.
In chapter 11, which we’re in today, Peter recounts everything that happened in chapter 10. In other words, I don’t need to give you much of the context, I don’t have to summarize everything, because Peter’s going to do it for us.
After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household, Peter travels to Jerusalem. Word of what had happened at Cornelius’ house spread rapidly and arrived in Jerusalem before Peter did. Among the members of the Jerusalem church was an especially zealous group of Jewish believers who demanded strict observance to the Law of Moses. When this "circumcision party" saw Peter, they immediately accused Peter saying that he had come into a Gentile house with uncircumcised men and ate with them. To them, this was an outrage, and their stance threatened the unity of the church.
Throughout our study in the book of Acts, the unity of the church was threatened by two things. One was external persecution and the threats of persecution. First Peter, John, and a formerly lame man had been arrested. This did not shake the church. In fact, it had unified the brethren. The same happened when the Apostles were arrested and beaten in chapter 5. But these, upon threat and release came back to the church rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. The same happened to Stephen, arrested, and then stoned to death, yet the church united, continued to grow and share the gospel.
The greater threat to unity came from within the church itself. We saw the deception of Ananias and Sapphira in their fraudulent claim to have donated everything while they kept back part for themselves. Obviously, there are those who probably knew the sales price of the land as well as the amount they gave. The sinfulness of lying, deception and hypocrisy has no place in the believer, let alone the church and the Lord quickly dealt with this with a swift punishment. The threat to the moral purity and cohesiveness of the church was adverted. Another threat was the dispute over the distribution of charity for the widows of the church which had favored the Aramaic speaking Jews at the expense of the Greek-speaking ones. The church appointed seven deacons, all of whom had Greek names to bring oversight and equity. The unity of the church was thus preserved.
As we reach chapter 10, the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles we see the threat of disunity once again. The church had managed to unite the differences between the Aramaic speakers and the Greek speakers. But these were both Jews. They bridged the gap with the Samaritans, Peter himself observing the revival. As these were half Jews, they did find acceptance, even though at one time Samaritans were hated. God had worked through the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans which no one could deny. We then saw the God-fearing Ethiopian eunuch who because he was a eunuch could not be circumcised. But he returned to Ethiopia, and little was heard of this in Jerusalem as Philip was sent to Azotus and did not return to Jerusalem.
But the acceptance of Gentiles seemed a bridge too far for the circumcision party. This party would trouble the church throughout the book of Acts. Even the Jerusalem council which was convened to address the status of Gentiles in the church did not fully heal this rift as we saw later when Paul came to Jerusalem immediately prior to his arrest. He was told that there were Jewish believers who were zealous for the law and needed to be calmed. They suggested Paul pay for men taking Jewish vows to show that Paul was an observant Jew. This, of course, did not work. It also seems ironic that the church at Jerusalem seems to have done little or nothing to stand up for their brother Paul after his arrest.
How did Peter answer the circumcision party? All knew that Peter had been an observant Jew as well as a Christian. Peter was not the type to act our of character. He related how he had had the vision and that the Lord had sent Peter to Cornelius. It had taken a lot of convincing. The Jews and proselytes had experienced what had happened on the Day of Pentecost. They know the undeniably reality of the baptism of the Spirit. they saw the signs and wonders which had been performed. Then Peter told them that the Holy Spirit had fallen upon these Gentiles the same way it had on them. Peter could not deny that they had truly experienced the Baptism of the Spirit with signs following.
Peter goes back and repeats what Jesus had himself said at the beginning of Acts that John the Baptist had baptized with water and that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit in a few days. We should notice that the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit before they were baptized in water. We should also notice that instead of asking for knives to circumcise the Gentiles who had received the Spirit but rather water for baptism. Water baptism should be understood as an outward sign of inward Christian transformation. Baptism does not save but rather testifies that one has been saved.
The church heard Peter’s testimony as well as the six other witnesses which had gone with Peter and had to conclude that this was indeed the Lord’s work, that the Lord had granted Gentiles repentance unto life also. Even the circumcision party had to admit this. But there is often a rift between accepting something mentally and acceptance of the heart. In their hearts they could not fully accept the irrefutable evidence of the event any more than some the Jews at the beginning of Acts having been presented with many infallible proofs of the resurrection failed to accept Jesus, although many did. They had to accept the Gentiles being in the church to some extent, but they were also seeking limitations. Some thought they would also have to undergo circumcision and keep the law of Moses to be saved. Others would accept some sort of Gibeonite status for these Gentiles. the Jews would rule the kingdom but would need someone to rule over. they would need choppers of wood and haulers of water. But unless they went all the way and submit to circumcision and the Law, they would always be of inferior status. Both of these ideas would pop up and need to be addressed.
Sunday Morning Audio Message: Coming Soon!
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Gentiles (11:1) - The clear and obvious meaning is that these were uncircumcised, non-proselyte Gentiles. They had never observed a day of the Mosaic Law in their lives, their stomachs were filled with the morning’s bacon, they had not received any ceremonial purifications, and so on. They were, to the Jews, essentially unclean dogs. The thought of what occurred may have been repugnant to them and yet it occurred. Therefore, it was not – nor could it be considered – repugnant to God. While this message is being conveyed, it is to be remembered that Peter remained in Caesarea, living for a span among these Gentiles.
Received the Word of God (11:1) - What does this mean? The books of Moses? No, of course not. Does it mean that they were instructed in the law, the history of Israel, and the prophets? Nothing specific is said of that in Luke’s analysis of what Peter said. Go back and read Acts 10:34-43. Other than the last sentence which merely confirms that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophets, the words are about Jesus and His ministry. The implication of the vision given to Cornelius, as well as the trance in which Peter was in, is that Jesus’ ministry is the fulfillment of those prophets and what He has done is now also offered to the Gentiles. It is a new direction, a New Covenant, and it is based on the word of God which is the testimony of Jesus. As Paul says in Romans 10:17, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
They that were of the Circumcision Contended (11:2) - These are circumcised Jewish believers. A distinction is being made by separating Peter and those with him from a group that is adamant about adherence to the law by calling them “the circumcision.” The "circumcision party" (Jewish Christians) questioned whether Gentiles could receive full fellowship in the church or if they needed to adopt Jewish law and customs to be accepted by God.
Uncircumcised (11:3) - The word, akrobustia, is first seen here. It signifies the foreskin. It is used at times by Jews when referring to Gentiles. Figuratively, it signifies a person being outside of God’s covenant. This is because of the mandates given to Abraham all the way back in Genesis 17. This was later brought into the Mosaic law, as well as is seen in Leviticus 12:3, saying, “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.” After this, the word will be used nineteen more times, all by Paul in his epistles. His uses of it will mostly contrast those who are circumcised and those who are not (cf. Romans 4:9-12). The blessing of God in Christ came upon the uncircumcised just as the declaration of righteousness bestowed upon Abraham came upon him while he was still uncircumcised. Not considering this, those of the circumcision were highly upset at Peter, noting that he had gone in to be with these men “and ate with them!”
Did Eat With Them (11:3) - The "circumcised party" understood that uncircumcised men eat food that was not considered clean according to the laws and customs of the Jews. He might as well have brought a pound of bacon home with him and started eating it right in front of them. They were aghast at his complete shunning of what it meant to be a Jew. They have yet to understand that God is no respecter of persons.
Peter Rehearsed the Matter from the Beginning (11:4-14) - Peter is giving a detailed chronology of events. This is what happened. By doing this, he would be able to convince them of the appropriateness of his actions more precisely. This is because they will be able to see it in the same manner as God ordered the things to occur. Peter had his own doubts, but they were dispelled by how things transpired. By the time he arrived at Cornelius’ house, he felt reassured that his entry into it was exactly the right thing to do. By speaking out the matter just as it had been presented to him, they could logically follow along as if they were there, right next to him, watching how God orchestrated everything. As such, even a hardened Jew, if he accepted Peter’s story as true, would be fully convinced that Peter’s actions were wholly acceptable.
All Thy House (11:14) - All who were under Cornelius's authority and care, who could comprehend the gospel and believe (cf. 16:15, 31).
At the Beginning (11:15) - The reference is to the event of Acts 2:3. The believers were gathered together, and the Spirit sat upon each of them. With that, it then said, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” In Acts 10:46, it said, “For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.” The same gift came upon the Gentiles as had come upon the Jews at Pentecost. The event occurred apart from any law observance or rite of the Jews such as circumcision, and apart from the act of baptism. It simply happened when they heard the gospel and believed. God had shown no favoritism of Jews over Gentiles. He graciously accepted these people apart from any work of any kind.
Baptized with the Holy Spirit (11:16) - Peter remembering something that Jesus said, and he then processed the Lord’s words in a fuller and more complete way, which is, “John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Pentecost did not just apply to Jews then. Rather, its significance continued on with the acceptance of Gentiles as well.
As God gave them the Gift (11:17) - In other words, Peter acknowledges that the Spirit is a gift given by God. It is not something earned, nor is it something bestowed by the apostles. Those gathered in Acts 2 had received the gift apart from any merit. Those in the house of Cornelius had likewise only heard the gospel and they had obviously believed what was said. In their belief, the gift was given to them as well. Peter confirms this to those with him, saying, “as He gave us when we believed.” Belief is the only condition set forth for the reception of the Spirit. It was true for the disciples, and it was true for the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. Whatever they thought about the Gentiles in the past is now wholly irrelevant in Christ.
They Held Their Peace (11:18) - In other words, they held their tongues in accusation against Peter. They had accused him of wrongdoing in verse 11:3, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” That is what they now are silent over. Because of how Peter described the events, and especially with the note concerning the coming of the Spirit upon the Gentiles, there could no longer be any accusation against Peter. He stood innocent of any transgression. As such, and in this state of understanding, it next says, “and they glorified God.” Once they ceased their accusation, they next broke forth in acknowledgment of the works of God. What else could they do? The Gentiles had received the Spirit in the middle of Peter’s words, cutting off the need for anything else to be said. The simplicity of the gospel had been conveyed, the Gentiles believed what they heard, and the Spirit came upon them. The work of Jesus Christ was proven to be all-sufficient for the conversion of a person who had never spent a moment of his existence living out the Law of Moses. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 49:6 had come to pass.
God Also Granted to the Gentiles Repentance to Life (11:18) - "Repentance" means to "change the mind." As such, the words "repentance to life" means a changing of the mind leading to salvation (eternal life as noted in John 3:16). The speaking forth of the gospel, when accepted, leads to a changing of the mind about God. The word “repentance” here does not mean “stopping sinning and making oneself right.” It means “to change the mind” and nothing more. Until these now-saved people are instructed on what it means to be pleasing to God, they cannot change in the right direction. One must first come to believe in the finished work of Jesus and be saved. He is what we change our minds to accept. He is God’s provision for restoration. This is what Peter conveyed to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10:43, saying, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
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