For God So Loved the World, Part 3: What Proceeded

Introduction

Part 1, Peter’s Preparation (9:32-10:16)

Part 2, Gentile Pentecost (10:17-48)

Part 3, What Proceeded (11:1-30)

Outline of Part 3

Disordered criticism (Acts 11:1-3)

Orderly defense (Acts 11:4-17)

Quiet verdict (Acts 11:18)

Christians (Acts 11:19-30)

Disordered criticism (Acts 11:1-3)

Acts 11:1–3 LSB

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Notice what the text says: they had “heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” And what is their response? It was to accuse Peter of doing something ἀθέμιτος, taboo. Can you see how disordered this is? They were so concerned about the symbol, the dietary/separatist restrictions, which we established last time were supposed to be a reminder for them to study true holiness, that they could not see the wonderful truth that Gentiles were being saved.

And thus begins the arguments concerning circumcision in the early church. Did a Gentile need to become a Jew in order to be added to the new ἐκκλησία, in order to have table fellowship? No, he needed to repent of his sins, confess faith in Jesus, and be baptized. And for them, there is no separate section of the new temple for Gentiles. That’s not how it works. The symbols of the New Covenant are for the whole world.

To whom were the promises made? To Abraham, Moses, and David.

And who are the recipients of those promises, the Jews? Not the Jews only, but everyone who is found in Jesus Christ. He is the Seed to whom the promises were ultimately made. The Jews were entrusted with those promises. But, before them, it was the Patriarchs. Before them, it was the godly line of Seth. All the way back to the original church in the Garden of Eden.

The church of God has been always made up of those who profess the true religion. In the Old Covenant, it was those who worshipped Yahweh, were circumcised, observed the feasts, and obeyed the Law of God. These things were not sufficient for them, they must have also had a broken and contrite spirit, a circumcised heart, which is the true heart of faith. These are the people that represent the cultivated olive branch of Romans 11.

In the New Covenant, the church of God is made up of those who worship Jesus as Yahweh, are baptized, observe the feast (the Lord’s Supper), and obey the Law of Christ. These things are not sufficient for us. We must also have a broken and contrite spirit, a baptized heart, which is the true heart of faith. And these people are grafted into that already cultivated olive branch.

The cultivated olive branch is the Church of the Living God. And it is possible to be a part of this olive branch and be broken off because of a lack of faith. Which is what happened to the first century Jewish leadership.

But, of those who were converted, there was a contingent that clung to the Old Covenant symbols. And this group is here criticizing Peter.

Orderly defense (Acts 11:4-17)

Acts 11:4–17 LSB

But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from heaven, and it came right down to me, and when looking closely at it, I was observing it and saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the sky. “And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise up, Peter; slaughter and eat.’ “But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing defiled or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.’ “And this happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven. “And behold, immediately three men appeared at the house in which we were, having been sent to me from Caesarea. “And the Spirit told me to go with them without taking issue at all. These six brothers also went with me and we entered the man’s house. “And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter; and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could prevent God’s way?”

There is repetition in this section which we ought to note. The incident is recorded at the beginning of Acts 10. Then, when Peter arrives in Caesarea, Cornelius repeats what we, as the reader, already read. Now, once again, Peter is repeating what we have already just read again. So, why is it being repeated?

As I stated last time, I believe that this passage is the climax of the book of Acts, and it may actually be the climax of the entire Bible.

In one sense, the Passion of Christ is the ultimate climax, because He is the greater Adam and purchased peace with God for us. That is really the climax.

But in another sense, the peace which he purchased, the blessing to the world in the seed of Abraham, was practically fulfilled in Acts 10. The Covenant of Redemption was being applied in real time to the world. John 3:16 was coming to pass.

Jesus came to die for the world. And the Spirit is here applying that salvation to the world.

We see the fulfillment of Genesis 3:15 in the passion of Christ. But we see the Redemption of Genesis 1:26-27 (the dominion mandate) in Acts 10.

The seed of the woman crushed the serpent’s head at the passion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

So, everyone who is in Christ, then, is a New Creation. Man’s purpose, our design and mission, is redeemed by means of the body of Christ. We have entered into the New Creation when we were baptized into the church of Jesus Christ.

Notice that Peter is bold in relaying what he did. He unashamedly says that they entered the man’s house. But he grounds that taboo action with two things:

The command of God to not see what has been called defiled as defiled any longer.

That an angel of God was already in the house of the Gentile.

So, if the Gentile’s house is clean enough for God’s presence, is it clean enough for Jews?

Then, to confirm that this action was sound and ordained by God, Peter connects the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that occurred in Acts 2 with what happened to these Gentiles. And he further connects that to a fulfilled promise made by Jesus in Acts 1:5 “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

And he ends with the question, are we holier than God?

Quiet verdict (Acts 11:18)

Acts 11:18 LSB

And when they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

What were they going to say? How could they argue with it? Peter masterfully presented to them how the inclusion of the Gentiles was a work of God’s Spirit. It was not of men. Therefore, to oppose it was to oppose God. The word for “quieted down,” (ἡσυχάζω) according to the Louw-Nida Lexicon, may also describe their attitude: Their spirits, attitudes, quieted down, and they gave ascent to the way that God had established to bring salvation to the world. The promise to Abraham and his seed was being fulfilled.

After this, the text gives a general verse about what was happening in the broader church. It connects what is about to be narrated to what had occurred at the beginning of Acts 8. So, what this tells us is that these things that we are about to read were happening all at the same time as the events we’ve already seen in Acts 8-10. Some of the scattered believers went to Samaria (Acts 8:4-5), some down to Gaza (Acts 8:26), a pharisee was converted (Acts 9), and a Gentile household was converted (Acts 10). And now, during the same time-frame, a Gentile city will be converted (Acts 11).

The Cornelius episode represents the lens through which these events were to be interpreted. Now, instead of looking at the Gentiles as a defiled people who have no right to table fellowship, the Spirit was saying that they are not defiled, but grafted in, and to be considered the people of God.

Christians (Acts 11:19-30)

Acts 11:19–30 LSB

So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. Now the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch, who, when he arrived and saw the grace of God, rejoiced and began to encourage them all with a purposeful heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was brought to the Lord. And he left for Tarsus to search for Saul; and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Now in those days, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And as any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the service of the brothers living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

There were believers that were scattered abroad that ended up in Antioch. And it seems that even after the scattering, the disciples still went to the Jew first. This is what Paul says in Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

However, the life-giving water flowing down from Jerusalem also spills over to the Gentiles. There were some of them who began speaking to the Greeks also. And the text says, “And the hand of the Lord was with them.”

And notice the “considerable crowd being emphasized. It says, “a large number...”, “a considerable crowd”, and again, “a considerable crowd.” The Spirit really brought the increase.

And the same process happens here that also happened in Samaria, when the Apostles got wind of an outbreak of believers, they did not leave them to their own devices, but sent a trust teacher to encourage them. The choice of Barnabas here is heartwarming. He is the “son of encouragement.” That is who they sent to teach and guide the new Gentile converts.

And once again, they come “down” from the holy mountain of God, re-established in Jerusalem.

Then the text points out that they were first called “Christians” in Antioch. Which should highlight a few things for us. They were obviously Christocentric, since that was the label that stuck. And now, they are not Jews, but Jews and Gentiles, a new nation, set apart. So what should they be called? Christians! They are citizens of Christ’s body, or congregation. Christ’s corpus (corpus Christi). This considerable crowd is just as much the sanctuary of Yahweh as the crowd of Jewish believers with the Apostles in Jerusalem.

Barnabas knew he needed help, so he searched for Saul. And they stayed there for a year, teaching these people. The Jerusalem church, where the 12 pillars of the Apostles remained, sent Barnabas for the purpose of building up the church in Antioch. This is the context of the episode with Agabus the prophet. He tells of a coming famine, and in response, this mixed multitude takes up a collection to send to the other believers in Judea. Jerusalem sent them Barnabas, and they respond by sending relief to Jerusalem for the coming famine.

For God So Loved the World

Disordered Criticism

What we focus on and criticize can sometimes be an indication of our spirit. The Jews that criticized Peter had an elevated view of the Law of God as well as the human standards that had developed as applications of the law of God. So, we can understand how some of the first century Jews might have been perturbed by Gentiles being brought to the table. To them, this was compromise. The purity of God’s ordinances was being disregarded.

But, they were so focused on these ordinances and symbols, as we saw last time, that they missed the Spirit working. The Spirit is removing the symbol of separation, the dietary restrictions, and He is moving to bring Gentiles into the church of God. Through the Seed of Abraham, all the nations of the earth are about to be blessed. And instead of seeing this ancient prophecy being fulfilled in real time, these Jews saw God’s ordinances being defiled.

It seems to me that the Holy Spirit works in this way often. Things are designed so that if our spirits are not right with God and with our neighbor, then we will miss what is truly happening. When we see an ecumenical gathering of Christians in the public square, instead of seeing the presence of some salt and light among a bunch of very confused, and sometimes, very compromised Christians, we only see defilement. For example:

There was recent photograph of a group of Christians surrounding Donald Trump and praying. There were some very confused, and we can say, compromised people in that group. They do not honor the Word of God fully or seriously. And yet, there were at least two people present who, although different in some ways, both value the Word of God and would be considered in our camp. The question is, are they compromised by being in that space? Or is the Spirit allowing a godly witness to be in the immediate sphere of our president?

What is your perspective? Is the goal of the Christian life to separate from the ungodly? Or is our goal to be in and among them, and yet not of them? To be in the world, but not of the world.

Would we have been in favor of the Holy Spirit granting Gentiles table fellowship? Or, the opposite, after their rejection of Jesus Christ, would we have been in favor of the Jews being brought back into the vine?

What opportunities are lying before you that you are not stewarding because of a false sense of pietistic separation? Are there Christians that you despise because they believe or do things differently?

Are you looking at people as defiled because of their errors?

This presents itself in so many ways for us: I would rather not invite my homosexual coworker to sit with me and discuss the Gospel. I would rather not be kind to him, build a rapport with him, and attempt to influence him to accept Jesus Christ as He is freely offered to him in the Gospel. It feels like I am compromising and defiling myself by treating this person as an image bearer to whom the Gospel must be proclaimed.

In many ways, it is easier for me to go and hold a sign in protest of the drag queen story hour, than it is for me to send an email to the lady who hosts them in an attempt to persuade her that this is a harmful practice. We might feel pure and good about holding a sign. But, maybe she’d listen if someone attempted to open a dialogue.

So, let’s check our spirits towards those who are outside. And let’s check our spirits towards those who are on the inside. Do good to all people, but especially those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

The New Jerusalem

Ephesians 5 presents the relationship of the husband and wife as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul says that he has betrothed the church to Jesus Christ.

Then in Revelation 21:9, the angel says to John, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And then we get this description:

Revelation 21:10–14 LSB

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like precious stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. It had a great and high wall. It had twelve gates and at those gates, twelve angels; and names have been written on those gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

This is a “great and high mountain...the holy city, Jerusalem...” And remember that in our texts, consistently, when the Apostles leave Jerusalem to go anywhere, they are coming down.

The primacy of Jerusalem is apparent throughout Acts: The original Pentecost occurred there first, then the Spirit fell in Samaria only with the coming of the Apostles from Jerusalem, and now in our text, it wasn’t the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, who witnessed their inclusion in the New Covenant, it was Peter. Peter was the Apostle to the circumcision.

So, my perspective on this is that the old creation is referring to the Judaic age, the new creation is referring to the Christian age. The new creation was inaugurated with the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37 in Acts 1-2. The Son of David ascends to the throne, the 12 tribes are symbolically reunited with the choosing of Matthias, and then God comes to dwell in the sanctuary of His people at Pentecost. This is the Christian age. The Judaic age ultimately ended at AD 70 with the destruction of the Temple, physical city of Jerusalem, was destroyed, because the New Jerusalem is wherever there are gathered Christians worshipping the triune God.

So, we are living in the New Creation. We have come to the Holy Mountain, the New Jerusalem. We are no longer Jew and Gentile, but citizen of the New Jerusalem or not, we are members of Christ, or we are not. We are Christians, or we are unbelievers.

If you have been baptized into Jesus Christ, then you have been brought into the citizenship of the New Jerusalem. And we are gathered here to renew the Covenant of Grace with our Triune God. When we sit at His table, we are demonstrating our acceptance before Him, the peace we have with him, and the communion we have with Him and each other.

So, I’d like to end by encouraging with 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 LSB

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their transgressions against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. So then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What a glorious truth this is: we are the new creation in Christ Jesus. We have been reconciled to God in Him.

Hold onto that Truth. Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ as your savior, and you will be forgiven. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Amen.

Let’s Pray!

The Lord’s Supper

Acts 11:2–3 LSB

And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Matthew 9:10–13 LSB

Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

This table of the Lord is exceedingly meaningful. The Jews knew the implications of sitting around a table and eating. It communicates peace and acceptance. Particularly when that table has elements associated with victory and feasting, like good bread and fine wine.

The implications are that when we sit together we are at peace. We are celebrating victory. We are accepted as sons and daughters.

So, when the invitation goes out to you to sit at this table and sup with the Lord and His people, know that this is really and truly offered to you. You have the opportunity to sit and eat with the Lord.

In the passages I read, we often are the Pharisees: we want to know, how can you be so compromised? You accepted sinners at the table. Don’t you know better? They will defile the table.

But friend, that is the glorious thing about this table. Whomever God calls undefiled, call not defiled. Whomever God calls clean, call not unclean. Do you have faith in Jesus Christ? Are you repentant of the sin in your heart? Then God calls you clean. If you call yourself unclean, then you call God a liar.

When Peter went to Cornelius’ house, the presence of God was already there. God had declared them clean. It was up to Peter to recognize what God had done. And if you are struggling with doubt or a lack of faith, then trust God! What He has declared clean, call not unclean.

If you do not have faith in Jesus, and you are harboring, keeping, sin in your heart, then you first must repent of your sin. Repentance is a requirement for sitting at the table. And it is not a one-time ordeal. The Christian, is called to a spirit of repentance. We are called to always remember the great debt of sin that was forgiven us. We are then to extend that same forgiveness to our brothers and sisters.

When we corporately renew the covenant, we confess our sins together, and the Gospel is declared. This is cleansing: to all who rest upon Jesus Christ alone for their salvation. You are cleansed. You have been brought near. You have peace with God. You have been reconciled. You are clean.

Let’s pray and give thanks for the bread and the cup.

Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Father in heaven, we have today by your mercy, presented our bodies as sacrifices, living, holy, and pleasing to you, which is our spiritual liturgy of worship. We thank you for the cleansing that you have wrought in us through faith in your son. We thank you that we are now clean.

As we sit around your table we give thanks for this bread. We know that when you offer this to us, it is the same as if you are, in fact, offering us yourself. This is your body which is broken for your people. I pray that these things would be received by us with a true heart of faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ our head.

We give thank for the cup of the new covenant in your blood. We know that when you offer this to us, it is the same as if you are, in fact, offering us your cleansing blood. This is your blood which you have poured out for the forgiveness of sins. I pray that it would be recieved by your people with the true heart of faith wrought by your Spirit. We pray that our fellowship with you around your table would be sweet and comforting. That we would have hope. Knowing that by these things you will destroy the very gates of hell.

We pray all this in the powerful name the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!