Acts Chapter 11
The first part of Chapter 11 is a repeat of chapter 10 because Peter had to explain almost word for word to his Jewish brothers in the Lord, what happened between him a Jew and his interaction with the Gentiles.
Peter’s vision... was God signifying, that salvation is not only for the Jews but the Gentiles as well.
A new day was dawning in evangelism for the early church.
☆ Acts 11:1...
"And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God."
News came to the apostles and believers in Judaea, that the Gentiles had also accepted the Word of God.
Hearing that somebody got saved is fantastic news. Even the angels in heaven rejoice when someone gets saved.
☆ Luke 15:10...
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents."
☆ Acts 11:2-3...
"And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
Saying, you went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them."
When Peter arrived in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers argued with him, accusing him of fellowshipping and eating with Gentiles.
The term, "they that were of the circumcision" refers to the Jews.
"Men uncircumcised," refers to the Gentiles.
Remember Jews and Gentiles had nothing to do with each other especially from the Jew's point of view... which was a religious one.
But praise God that is about to change... thanks to Jesus's finished work on the Cross and His shed blood. ☆ Read Ephesians 2:11-19...
☆ Acts 11:4...
"But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying..."
Peter however explained the whole situation from start to finish (step by step) to allay their fears... saying...
☆ Acts 11:5...
"I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me..."
"I was in the city of Joppa praying, when I fell into a deep trance and had a vision. In this vision, I saw a large sheet come down from heaven held by its four corners, and it came specifically to me."
I reckon this special vision and it's implications was given to Peter because he was one of the chief apostles and a more vocal one at that. Even then Peter was challenged by the others as to its authenticity. Which makes good sense.
☆ Acts 11:6...
"Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air."
"When I looked carefully at the contents of the sheet, I saw fourfooted animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping creatures like snakes and all sorts of flying birds."
There was a mixture of clean and unclean creatures on that sheet. The unclean were not allowed to be eaten by the Jews... according to the dietary laws in the books of Moses.
☆ Leviticus 11 and ☆ Deuteronomy 17
☆ Acts 11:7-8...
"And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth."
Next Peter says he heard a voice say, "Peter, get up, kill and eat."
But he replied, "No way Lord, never. I have never eaten anything common or unclean in my life."
☆ Acts 11:9...
"But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed, that call not you common.'"
The voice from heaven said, "What God has sanctified, cleansed, don't call unfit to be eaten."
☆ 1 Peter 4:4-5...
"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
For it is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer."
It is a good thing to pray over our meal before eating it.
☆ Acts 11:10...
"And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven."
"This happened three times... and then the sheet was raised back into heaven."
If a vision repeats itself 3 times, then it is safe to assume that that vision is spot on and worth accepting.
This sheet came from and went back to heaven... indicating that this message was from God Himself.
I don't think Peter fully realised at this stage that the message from God was about a Jewish-Gentile breakthrough... ready to take place.
☆ Acts 11:11...
"And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me."
"Just then, three men who had come to take me with them to Caesarea, arrived at the house where I was staying!"
Note God's impeccable timing.
Peter's vision finishes just as the three men from Caesarea came looking for him.
God is able to do this because He operates outside time and space.
Be assured, God is intensely interested in the affairs of man.
Even though I find a lot of this difficult to grasp, what is taking place does shows me that God is in control... and that He is the God of the impossible.
I know that I have personally had many specific dreams that the Lord has had me pray into and I've seen God move and do miraculous things in answer to those prayers.
☆ Acts 11:12...
"And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house..."
"The Holy Spirit told me (Peter) not to worry about them being Gentiles, but to go with them. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon arrived at the home of the man (Cornelius) who had sent the messengers."
You can see the Holy Spirit at work here... telling Peter to go... and encouraging Peter not to worry...
☆ Acts 11:13-14...
"And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
Who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved.'"
"He (Cornelius) explained to us how an angel had appeared to him and told him to send messengers to Joppa to find me, Simon Peter... who shall share the Word... telling you and your household how you can be saved."
This is the gist of it all folks... the Jews are now to preach the Word to the Gentiles... telling them how they too can be saved.
☆ Acts 11:15...
"And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning."
"And as I began to share the Word, the Holy Ghost fell upon them just as He did on us at the very beginning."
This is the physical proof that God wanted to show that He had broken down the wall of partition between the Jews and Gentiles.
Peter preaches... well he actually just started to preach, when the Holy Ghost fell upon the Gentiles.
The apostle Paul some time later teaches us about the miraculous divine healing that has taken place between Jew and Gentile... all because of the Cross.
☆ Ephesians 2:13-18...
"But now in Christ Jesus you (Gentiles) who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
For He (Jesus) is our peace, Who has made both (Jew and Gentile) one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us (Jew and Gentile);
Having abolished in His (Jesus) flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of two one new man, so making peace;
And that He (Jesus) might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
And came and preached peace to you (Gentile) which were afar off, and to them (Jews) that were nigh.
For through Him (Jesus) we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father."
☆ Acts 11:16...
"Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said, 'John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.'" ☆ Acts 1:5....
"It was then that I remembered what our Lord said to us, 'John indeed baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'"
☆ Acts 11:17...
"Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?"
"And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift as He gave us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue."
If "God gave these Gentiles"... then that's the end of the argument!!
☆ Acts 11:18...
"When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."
After Peter shared these things with them, and all their objections were answered, they began to praise God, saying, "God has given to the Gentiles, too, the privilege of turning to Him and receiving eternal life!"
It is quite obvious that Peter presented a water tight case to his Jewish brothers... that Jews and Gentiles alike can have access to God... can partake of His salvation... and enter into eternal life.
And the Jewish brethren were thrilled with what took place... in deep gratitude they praised and thanked God.
Mind you, when the Lord (the Holy Spirit) orchestrates something He leaves no stone unturned. He makes things crystal clear.
Certainly... with man things might be impossible... but God deals with the impossibilities and makes them possibilities.
☆ Acts 11:19...
"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only."
Meanwhile, the believers who fled from Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen’s death... travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Good News... but it was still only to Jews.
The news about the Gentiles mustn't have reached them yet.
But praise God, they still... preached the Good News.
Notice the progression of the preaching of the Gospel?
It started in Jerusalem... next throughout Judaea... then Samaria... and finally unto the outermost parts of the world... just as Jesus said in... ☆ Acts 1:8.
☆ Acts 11:20-21...
"And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord."
However, some of the believers who came to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene also gave their message about the Lord Jesus to some Greeks.
The hand of the Lord was with them in a mighty way... and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to God.
As mentioned before, a new day has dawned in evangelism... that being, the Gospel is to be preached to the Gentiles as well.
And here we see large numbers of Greeks believing and turning to the Lord.
When you think about it, what Jesus said in ☆ Acts1:8 to His disciples, He was in a way intimating that the Gospel was to go to the Gentiles as well. Even His great commission did... "Go you into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
☆ Acts 11:22...
"Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch."
When the church at Jerusalem heard what awesome things had taken place, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to help the new converts.
Help the new converts?
What would that entail?
I believe they saw the need to to "disciple" the new converts. To encourage, to edify and to teach them in the things of the Lord... so that they would be established in "the faith."
☆ 1 Peter 2:2...
"As newborn babes, [they need] the sincere milk of the word, that [they] may grow thereby..."
It is futile to get someone saved and then to let them flounder without grounding them in their new walk with the Lord.
In 1966 when the Lord found me and I turned my life over to Him, a church member gave me a work package explaining everything about my new life as a Christian.
It asked questions on salvation, faith, God's grace, justification, sanctification, eternal life, forgiveness, repentance... and I had to find the answers in the Bible... and write them down.
There were different work sections to do.
The answers were checked, marked and I had the opportunity to discuss the questions and answers with my "tutor."
I also was given important key verses from the Bible to memorise... to learn off by heart.
All was done to give me a solid, basic grounding in the basics of "the faith."
Sadly today that doesn't really happen... and really should.
☆ Acts 11:23...
"Who, when Barnabas came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord."
When Barnabas arrived, he could see that the grace of God had accomplished wonderful things, and was filled with excitement and joy. He encouraged (exhorted them all) the believers, to hold fast (cleave) onto the Lord whatever the cost (purpose of heart).
☆ Acts 11:24...
"For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord."
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and full of faith. While he was there many people were saved and added to the Lord.
Barnabas was an excellent preacher.
I like how Luke put that the new Christians were... "added to the Lord" rather than, added to the church. This has a more personal and intimate touch.
We want people to have a living relationship with the Lord Jesus, not a church.
Have a careful think about that one.
☆ Acts 11:25...
"Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul..."
Eventually Barnabas left to go to Tarsus, to seek out and find Saul.
I wonder what Barnabas had in mind here.
What was he thinking?
Saul and Barnabas were to become good friends and a great evangelistic team.
☆ Acts 11:26...
"And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
When he found Saul, Barnabas brought him back to Antioch where they stayed with the people for a whole year teaching the new converts.
It was here at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Wow! Can you imagine sitting under the tutelage of Saul (and Barnabas) for a whole year?
Antioch was also called Caesarea. I wonder if Cornelius was one of Saul's students?
And so the term Christian was coined first in Antioch.
By the way Christian in the Greek is 'Christianos'... meaning, a follower of Christ.
☆ Acts 11:27-28...
"And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar."
During this time some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem.
One of them, named Agabus (his name means locust), prophesied by the Spirit of God that there was going to come a great famine throughout all the world.
This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius Caesar.
A famine would mean that people would be struggling without food.... and there would be much hunger.
☆ Acts 11:29...
"Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea..."
So the believers decided to send relief to the Christians in Judaea, each person giving as much as they were able.
Again we see the compassion, generosity and the commitment of the believers towards their fellow believers, giving, sharing and selflessly ministering to their needs.
If you see your neighbour hungry, you feed him. If he's thirsty... give him to drink. If he's naked... you clothe him.
Christianity is a practical "religion."
You put your money where your mouth is.
☆ 2 Corinthians 9:7...
"Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity (or because he feels he has to): for God loves a cheerful giver."
And remember... "Freely, freely we have received... freely, freely give!"
We might not all be evangelists, or teachers of the Word, or preachers... but we all can minister to the needs of a person by giving, visiting, word of encouragement, helping, making a friendly phone call, praying for them...
You can always ask the Holy Spirit what He wants you to do.
☆ Acts 11:30...
"Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul."
And that is exactly what the Christians did, sending it to the elders via the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Selah!