“Acts 11: Peter Explains His Actions”

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

As Chapter 11 begins, Jewish brethren are upset with Peter for what has happened. When they hear that the Gentiles have had the gospel preached to them, those of the circumcision contended with him saying, ‘You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!’ (verses 2-3).

It is difficult for those of us who live two thousand years after these events to realize how deeply engrained in the Jewish people was their hatred for Gentiles. They have been persecuted, mistreated, taken into captivity, killed and tortured by Gentiles for centuries. The animosity between Jew and Gentile will not be easily forgiven by either side. The Jews simply could not believe that God would ever accept these uncircumcised heathens.

Faced with this intense opposition, Peter recounts for his fellow Jews the events that had occurred and tells them about the Gentiles’ Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 11:15-17). And what was their response? “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’” (Acts 11:18).

In Acts 8:4, we were told that the church in Jerusalem was scattered due to intense persecution. The text continues with details about four men, Philip, Stephen, Saul and Peter. During this period of time, Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles have had the gospel preached to them.

As Luke continues in Acts 11:19, we are told of disciples who went to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch (in Syria). Antioch will now be a focus of the inspired record.

Men from Cyprus and Cyrene preached the Lord Jesus in Antioch. “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21). When the church in Jerusalem (mostly the apostles, perhaps) hears of these many conversions, they send Barnabas to encourage and strengthen the new followers. Barnabas goes to Tarsus to find Saul and brings him to Antioch where they work together for a full year. “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

A famine arises in Judea and the relatively young church in Antioch sends relief to help these needy saints.

--Roger Hillis

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