Acts 11 what's Happening.

 

Acts 11 – What’s Happening?

 

Some people make things happen. Peter was available to the Lord, and God used him to officially bring gentile believers into the church. The wall between Jews and Gentiles had been broken down (Eph. 2:11ff)! The news was astounding to the Jewish believers, for they thought the Gentiles must first become Jewish proselytes before they could become Christians. Thank God that Peter was the kind of person who makes things happen!

Some people hear that things happen. This includes most of us, but how do you respond when you hear that God has done something new? Do you sincerely try to get the facts, or do you depend on hearsay? We are to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:22).

Some people oppose things happening. The legalistic members of the Jerusalem assembly attacked Peter for eating with the Gentiles, so he explained how God had led. He proved from scripture that what happened was the will of God, and his explanation silenced his critics for the time. However, the legalistic element in the church would rise again and seek to limit the freedom of the gospel.

Some people help other people make things happen. Barnabas enlisted Saul and put him to work in the Antioch church, which led to their going together to the Gentiles with the message of salvation. Barnabas lived up to his name of “son of encouragement”.

Antioch was the third largest city below Rome and Alexandria. It had a population of 5 to 800 thousand people. The morality of this city was not good but there were many Gentiles who had converted to Christianity during Paul and Barnabas stay. It was during the coming famine that the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch pulled together and helped each other through the hard times. This is a great example of taking what knowledge we have in Christ and sharing it with those who have not heard it and then helping each other through the bad times.

 

 

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J. Vernon McGee Commentary and Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah.