1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
The news of the Gentiles receiving the word of God got to those in Judea before Peter returned. When he arrived, he was confronted by the circumcision party, a group of Jewish believers who were still zealous for the Law of Moses. They accused Peter of dining with uncircumcised men, the very thing he had believed he should avoid (Acts 10:28).
Peter began at the beginning and explain in order the events that had transpired. He explained the vision of the sheet of animals and how God had told him to kill and eat. He had examined it closely and initially refused to obey because it seemed to be a violation of the Law. But he explained God’s response saying, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Peter highlighted that the interaction had happened three times and when the sheet was drawn up into heaven, at that moment, the three men from Caesarea had arrived at the house. The Holy Spirit confirmed that Peter should go with them. Peter added that he had taken six Jewish believers with him as witnesses of what transpired in Cornelius’s house. Peter gave a brief summary of Cornelius’s vision and his expectation of a message from God that would provide a means of salvation for him and his household. When he began to speak, the Holy Spirit came upon them just as He had at Pentecost, and Peter recalled Jesus’ words, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit” (Matt 3:11). Peter concluded that if God gave the Gentiles the same gift of the Spirit that he gave to the Jews when they believed in Jesus, then how could he stand in God’s way. Peter’s explanation addressed all the concerns raised by those who confronted him and presented the evidence that to go against what was happening to the Gentiles was to go against God himself. Having heard this, they fell silent. Then they glorified God admitting that God had also granted eternal life to the Gentiles.
Have you ever felt like things shouldn’t happen because they aren’t being done the way you expect them to? Our preferences should never get in the way of God working to grow His church. By using Biblical principles as a foundation, we have an objective way to identify if something should or shouldn’t be done. Where do you need to set your preferences aside for the unity of the church?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Joy and Repentance: 2 Corinthians 7-8