Acts 11-12

Peter Criticized

Last chapter, we looked at how God allowed the Gentiles to be grafted into the church. Unfortunately this would cause problems for Peter. Word would spread around Judea about this happening and as Peter is getting to Jerusalem, he would find some opposition. Acts 11:1-3

Acts 11:1–3 ESV

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

The things these disciples say sound very familiar to what Jesus was told in Matthew 9:11, “Why does your teacher eat with sinners?” Who did that come from? It came from the Pharisees. In Jesus’ own words He says that those that are well have no need of a physician, but those that are sick. Remember last week we discussed how Peter had his own biases against the Gentiles and how these would go throughout much of the early church? This wasn’t exclusive to Peter. The other disciples still had the mindset of a Jewish group. There much thought on Gentiles being unclean and ultimately all the blessings of God belonged exclusively to the Jews. Do you think similar biases happen in the church today? Absolutely. Not to air out dirty laundry, but I want to share two stories that I’ve heard first hand from the individuals that it happened to. One is a minister and he is an African-American man. He is out of town with his family, it is a Sunday night and they find a church they can visit and worship with. They walk in and it doesn’t take long for someone to come up and say, “Perhaps you would prefer the church up the road,” talking about a predominantly black congregation. Another story comes from someone that hiked the Appalachian trail. This person put a post on Facebook talking about his experience with attending church while hiking the trail. One experience he shared, the church housed him, washed his clothes, fed him, drove him to and from the trail, they showed much love to this man. Another experience he shares involves calling for a ride from the trail and they say, “Oh we don’t really do that.” So he walks the several miles into town to the church to be welcomed by side eyes, people avoiding him, and even people actively moving away from him and where he sat. If this person was weak in his faith, that might have turned him away from the church for good. Unfortunately there are many that are weak in their faith that have been turned away by very similar situations. They don’t look like us, dress like us, talk like us, then they must not be of us. This is a struggle that we can face today and it was something they faced in the first century.

Peter tells these disciples about the vision he recieved from God and made the connection between disciples of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He then says these words Acts 11:15-17

Acts 11:15–17 ESV

15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

I mentioned the Pharisees earlier, How would they have reacted to Peter saying these words. They would have been upset, livid, saying “How dare you try to abolish the Law of Moses.” The same thing they were doing to Jesus his entire ministry. But what did the disciples do? Acts 11:18 “18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”” Why did they fall silent? Confused, convicted, who knows? What happens next is what’s important. They rejoiced! They glorified God for this amazing thing. It was no longer just the Jews, but Jew and Gentile together in Christ.

The Church in Antioch

After Stephen’s death in chapter 7, the church began spreading all over the Greek speaking world. Again, it was still exclusively Jewish. Verse 19 tells us they were only speaking to the Jews, so word had not yet been recieved that the Gentiles were allowed in. So how does this get fixed? Barnabas goes and tells them the truth and gets Saul. Acts 11:20-26

Acts 11:20–26 ESV

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

This is a big win for Christianity. Antioch was a fairly large Greek city in Turkey that was a capital city at one point. It’s a large trade hub for land and sea which would allow for many to be reached by the Gospel. This is also the first place that people are called Christians. Up until this point, the disciples were call disciples, followers of Jesus, or followers of the Way. Now there was an actual name.

The last part of this chapter discusses a prophecy that is told to the church in Antioch. A famine was coming and preparations needed to be made. Acts 11:27-30

Acts 11:27–30 ESV

27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

While we get a glimpse of what is happening concerning the giving we can get a better picture of what “according to their means” means in 1 and 2 Corinthians towards the end of each book. They were willing to sacrifice their livelihood to help people they never met several hundred miles away. What an example to us.

James and Peter

Unfortunately, celebration is short lived for the church because persecution was on the rise. This time, King Herod was involved. Acts 12:1-5

Acts 12:1–5 ESV

1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Now we have the first death of an apostle, one of the sons of thunder. Unfortunately, Herod liked the attention it gave him that he decided to have Peter arrested and was planning to do the same thing to him. But God had other plans. What we read in verse 5 is one of the best examples of prayer being used and answered by God. We don’t know what was being prayed for, but possibly his release, safety, for Herod to change his mind, for the people to change their minds, who knows? What we do know is the Lord answered the prayers of the church. Acts 12:6-11

Acts 12:6–11 ESV

6 Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. 11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

I always get a chuckle reading verse 7. It doesn’t say that the angel just woke him up, it says the angel struck Peter to wake him up. Imagine laying in bed and all of a sudden somebody kicks you to wake you up, how are you going to react? But this angel was in a hurry because Herod was prepared to bring Peter out right then. The angle leads him out, and Peter thought the whole thing was a dream. Probably because he was expecting to meet the same fate as James.

Now Peter heads to the house of John Mark’s mother where a good number of the church is sitting and praying. Acts 12:12-14

Acts 12:12–14 ESV

12 When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate.

Now if I was Peter, I’d be saying hurry up open the door, but this servant was too excited over the good news. She tells the other disciples what has happened and they don’t believe her. They call her crazy and say that it’s his angel. They don’t believe that God has answered their prayers. How often do we doubt that God will answer our prayers? How often do we show a lack of faith that God will take care of us? Acts 12:15-19

Acts 12:15–19 ESV

15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place. 18 Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

Herod Struck Down

The last part of this chapter tells us of an event where a man puts himself in the place of God. Herod liked attention. He was a politician by trade, anything to whip up a crowd he would do. One thing he does is sends support to different areas, specifically Tyre and Sidon named here. But what happens is he gives this lofty speech, the people begin praising him, and God strikes him down. Acts 12:20-23

Acts 12:20–23 ESV

20 Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21 On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. 22 And the people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

It’s a bit gory to say the least, but this is what happens when pride gets the best of you. Never has elevating yourself to the place of God ended well. Consider Nebuchadnezzar and his son. Nebuchadnezzar ended up losing his mind and his son lost the Babylonian kingdom the very night he threw a party with God’s holy artifacts from the temple. But there is good news in all of this. Acts 12:24-25

Acts 12:24–25 ESV

24 But the word of God increased and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.

The church thrives. It thrives under pressure, it thrives under persecution, why? Because their strength comes from God.