The Word This Week
Acts 11:1…
In case you were wondering if Gentiles being saved was controversial in the first-days Church, Acts 11 answers that question.
It was VERY controversial.
Even for the apostle Peter. You might think with Peter’s stature and reputation among the followers of Jesus in those earliest days, his report of what took place at Cornelius’ house in Caesarea would be well-received.
But it wasn’t.
In fact, Peter faced a rebuke from believers of a Jewish background when they heard what had happened with Cornelius and his family and friends. It was not a gentle rebuke either. The Bible says they, “contended with him.” The Greek word employed means they opposed him.
In other words, Peter’s actions had stirred up a hornet’s nest among the Jewish believers in Judea.
They did not approve of the Gentiles being saved.
It was understandable to Peter they would think this way because a few days prior to all he witnessed at Cornelius’ house he thought the same way. He had also not been easily convinced the Gentiles would be saved as they had been saved, and only what he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears fully convinced him.
So Peter had some explaining to do. Fortunately for Peter, he had taken 6 Jewish believers along with him on the journey from Joppa to Caesarea. (We don’t know if this was for his own security, or if Peter had already sensed what may happen at Cornelius’ house, and he thought it wise to have whatever happened witnessed by other Jewish believers.)
We remember Peter would have never gone with those men sent by Cornelius if the Holy Spirit had not explicitly told him to do so. And then upon entering Cornelius’ house, crowded by Cornelius’ family and friends, Peter made sure they knew he was violating Jewish custom to even set foot in the home of a Gentile.
This was an occasion when tightly-held and strongly-felt prejudices of the Jews toward Gentiles - and especially Roman soldiers - were forced to be overcome by Jesus’ instruction. Peter and those he had taken with him were astonished by all they saw Jesus do in the lives of all the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house that day.
But now Peter was called on the carpet for his actions and compelled to explain why he did what he did – because the potential ramifications were staggering to those Jewish believers listening intently to his defense.
Pastor Bill
In case you were wondering if Gentiles being saved was controversial in the first-days Church, Acts 11 answers that question.
It was VERY controversial.
Even for the apostle Peter. You might think with Peter’s stature and reputation among the followers of Jesus in those earliest days, his report of what took place at Cornelius’ house in Caesarea would be well-received.
But it wasn’t.
In fact, Peter faced a rebuke from believers of a Jewish background when they heard what had happened with Cornelius and his family and friends. It was not a gentle rebuke either. The Bible says they, “contended with him.” The Greek word employed means they opposed him.
In other words, Peter’s actions had stirred up a hornet’s nest among the Jewish believers in Judea.
They did not approve of the Gentiles being saved.
It was understandable to Peter they would think this way because a few days prior to all he witnessed at Cornelius’ house he thought the same way. He had also not been easily convinced the Gentiles would be saved as they had been saved, and only what he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears fully convinced him.
So Peter had some explaining to do. Fortunately for Peter, he had taken 6 Jewish believers along with him on the journey from Joppa to Caesarea. (We don’t know if this was for his own security, or if Peter had already sensed what may happen at Cornelius’ house, and he thought it wise to have whatever happened witnessed by other Jewish believers.)
We remember Peter would have never gone with those men sent by Cornelius if the Holy Spirit had not explicitly told him to do so. And then upon entering Cornelius’ house, crowded by Cornelius’ family and friends, Peter made sure they knew he was violating Jewish custom to even set foot in the home of a Gentile.
This was an occasion when tightly-held and strongly-felt prejudices of the Jews toward Gentiles - and especially Roman soldiers - were forced to be overcome by Jesus’ instruction. Peter and those he had taken with him were astonished by all they saw Jesus do in the lives of all the Gentiles at Cornelius’ house that day.
But now Peter was called on the carpet for his actions and compelled to explain why he did what he did – because the potential ramifications were staggering to those Jewish believers listening intently to his defense.
Pastor Bill