Acts 11:1-18 Peter’s Report at Jerusalem
“The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance, I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me. I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’
‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.
Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home. He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
“You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Well, Peter has really put his foot in it now! The circumcised Jewish believers are furious. Peter has dared to enter the house of a Roman centurion, has eaten with the household, and has even preached to them. What is Peter thinking? What sacrilege!……or is it?
Now we begin to see that the vision God has sent Peter is also for the rest of the circumcised Jewish believers. Obviously, these men have no idea of what God wants to do but think that Jesus has been sent simply to save Jews. Only as Peter describes his vision and his visit to the home of Cornelius do these men begin to soften. Then Peter continues to describe the scene as the Holy Spirit sovereignly descends, baptizing all of those present at Cornelius’ place. “So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”
Peter’s critics are astounded. “When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Isaiah 55:9 tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” God wants everyone in the entire world to be saved by believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus himself has told Nicodemus that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
These disciples have no idea what God has in store for them. In the next few years, some of these men will find themselves traveling to far parts of the Roman Empire, with Thomas eventually suffering martyrdom in India. Persecution by the Romans will also scatter believers throughout the Roman Empire, and they will spread Christianity as they go. That fiery new convert Saul will rename himself Paul and will wind up arguing with philosophers in Athens, as well as planting churches in Macedonia and other strange places.
There is a saying that if you want to hear God laugh, just tell Him your plans. God is always doing new things, always creating, revising, improving, people and situations. We must remain close to God if we are to see what He wants us to do. And sometimes we falter. Later, we will see that Peter retreats from his bold stance in an effort to placate the circumcised Jews, only for Paul to rebuke him. Peter will ultimately remain true, and will eventually suffer crucifixion in Rome, demanding to be crucified head-down because he feels unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus. But before that happens, Peter will lead the church into exciting new pathways, all because of a vision he has seen while staying with his friend in Joppa.
May God help us, so that we remain flexible and willing to change to fit His plans and not our own.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives, even when You lead us into situations that turn our prejudices on their heads. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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