Restraint

Acts 11

We’ve been studying the Book of Acts, and today we are going to look at the short chapter eleven. To grasp the importance of what happens in this chapter we need to briefly review some of the earlier chapters. Have you ever watched a TV show, like “Lost” and at the beginning of an episode they will say, “Previously on ‘Lost’...” and then show short clips from earlier episodes? You always know what this episode will be about based on the clips shown in the intro, because they only show pertinent information instead of reviewing the entire show.

That is what we need to do today. We don’t need to sum up the first ten chapters, but we need to zoom in on the theme of today’s episode! All the way back in episode one, Luke did what we are doing and reviewed his earlier writing. “Previously on ‘The Gospel of Luke’...” After the review he spoke of Jesus appearing to the apostles and teaching them. He quoted Jesus saying…

Acts 1:5–8 NIV

5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” … 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Cut to episode two and there is a sound like an explosion and people are on fire! These people begin speaking in other languages and each person witnessing this could hear their native language being spoken as the apostles speak about salvation through Jesus. They had been waiting for God to give them the gift of the Holy Spirit, and now it is here.

Cut to episode three and we see a crippled man sitting at the temple gate begging for money, unable to enter because he was unclean according to Jewish law. When he asked Peter for money, Peter responded by saying, “I can’t give you money, but I can give you something much better… Access to the Father.” He told the man to get up and walk and immediately the man goes into the temple with the apostles in tow.

The next scene comes from episode five. The apostles are in the temple courts teaching and healing in the same places that Jesus did during His ministry. People are coming from all over Jerusalem as well as towns around Jerusalem and the Christian movement is growing. There are also people who are afraid to go near them. People who watch in horror as they believe the apostles are defiling the temple.

In a scene from episode six we meet a new face, Stephen. He is part of a group of believers that are Greek-Jews. The movement is spreading beyond Hebraic Jews. Suddenly he is on trial for teaching about Jesus and then sentenced to death. That’s when we meet a new person. Paul. Paul is watching Stephen being killed and approving of the act. His duty is to hunt down and kill these Jesus freaks.

Next we see people who are even further from pure Jewish decent join this movement. In episode 8 the Samaritans, who were only half Jews, begin to follow “the Way” and when Peter and John lay hands on them they received the Holy Spirit.

In the next episode we see Paul again. As he is on the hunt for Christians, he encounters God in a big way. Not only will Paul join the movement, but he will spearhead the spread of the Gospel to the non-Jewish community.

Finally, from episode ten, God gives Peter an experience intended to teach him not to call anything impure that God has made clean. Then while Peter is teaching Gentiles, people who are seen as unclean by the Jews, he witnesses the Holy Spirit fall on them just as it did the apostles at Pentecost.

Only, there was one perplexing difference. The apostles, who are Jewish, waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans, who are half-Jews, waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit and it was only given after Peter and John were there to lay on hands. Now, the Gentiles receive it the moment they believed Jesus is Lord. They didn’t have to wait for a thirty-day background check, or for the apostles to lay on hands. This was a major major moment of progression for the Gospel that will continue to cause disputes within the Church in the Book of Acts and even to this day.

So, what does this all mean? What is the next move for the church? What does all of this mean for us today? Let’s pray and then we will dive in to these questions…

Pray

Chapter eleven begins with Peter returning to Jerusalem and explaining what happened. In true gossip fashion, news of this insanity made it back to Jerusalem faster than Peter. In fact, Luke says that this news spread throughout all of Judea!

Acts 11:1–3 NIV

1 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Not only do the Gentiles not worship the God of the Israelites, but they actively worship many false Gods and idols! Their complaint makes sense. On many levels, this doesn’t pass a basic sniff test. However, it’s not as if Gentiles being welcomed into God’s promises should be that surprising either. It’s not as if God hasn’t been doing this same kind of thing and teaching this same principle throughout Old Testament scripture.

The first thing that pops into my head is the story of Jonah. He was to spread God’s word to a evil nation, just like these Jewish men are called to do through Jesus. How did Jonah respond? He fought and clawed to keep from doing it. He tried so hard to avoid it that he almost became whale poop. When he finally shared God’s message with Nineveh, he didn’t even put forth any effort. He was acting like the child whose parent told them to go apologize. “God’s gonna kill you.” Then he stormed off and went to a place where he could watch them be destroyed.

He waited and waited, but their destruction never came. Why? What was their reaction to his lousy presentation of God’s awesome message? They repented! This is exactly what is happening in the Book of Acts. The Jewish believers who are ultra concerned with the law are throwing a fit. The Jewish religious leaders who don’t believe the Gospel are trying to destroy those who are, at least in their minds, evil heretics infiltrating their faith.

So Peter tells the Jewish believers who are ultra concerned with the law the whole story about what happened with the Gentiles. He told them the vision that God gave him. How he was praying when God gave him the vision. How God repeated the vision three times. How he refused to eat the unclean animals. These are all elements that the lawful Jewish believers would recognize as the manner in which God would communicate such a message, which would be evidence of the undeniability of this being God’s work.

Peter’s testimony about what God did for the Gentiles is monumental. Peter also wasn’t the only witness to this event. Remember that he brought other Jewish believers with him to Cornelius’ house. In fact, he had three times as many as was necessary for something to be made official within the Jewish community. That is another detail that points to the gravity of what has happened. After describing what happened, Peter shared his thoughts…

Acts 11:15–16 NIV

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

Here in this passage, he was remembering what Jesus told them before Pentecost. We recalled it earlier from chapter one. “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” I like the way my Study Bible summarizes Peter’s remark…

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 11

The fact that the Spirit came to Cornelius and other Gentiles without them having done anything in relationship to the Law is God’s answer to the debate and settled matters as far as Peter was concerned.

Then Peter makes a final declaration that ends the whole debate, for now at least…

Acts 11:17 NIV

17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

Just to dig a little deeper here for a moment… The Greek word he used to say, “who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” is the same word that he used when he was with the Gentiles and said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.” It is also the same word used to describe the Ethiopian eunuch at the time of his conversion when he said the same thing, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” Peter knew he could not refuse to allow these new believers to be a part of or to give outward evidence through baptism that they were now full members of the Church!

Other than this statement, Peter doesn’t give a lot of commentary to his testimony about the Holy Spirit being given to the Gentiles, however almost a decade later, after he has had time to process everything, he will expound on it further to the Jerusalem Council when he says…

Acts 15:7–11 NIV

7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

In other words, the Gentiles don’t have to perform the rites and rituals of the Jewish faith before qualifying to be a part of the Christian faith. God didn’t give this opportunity to only one group, but made the Good News of salvation through Christ available to all who call on His name. He purifies the hearts of everyone who calls on His name by faith. Not works. Not rituals. Not memberships. Faith in Christ alone.

Back in chapter eleven, the Jewish Christians were stunned! We take it for granted today that “Gentiles” can become Christians, but in the early days of the Church it was unimaginable! “You’ve got to be kidding. God made His promise available to those people too! The people who don’t even worship Him first!”

Acts 11:18 NIV

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Greek word that is used to say “they had no further objections” is also translated, “remained silent, or quieted down.” It shut ‘em up! Shocked into silence! Here is how the Expositor’s Bible Commentary describes this moment…

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) Overview

The conversion of Cornelius was a landmark in the history of the gospel’s advance from its strictly Jewish beginnings to its penetration of the Roman Empire. True, it did not settle any of the issues relating to Jewish-Gentile relations within the church. Nor did Jewish believers take it as a precedent for a direct outreach to Gentiles. But it did show that the sovereign God was not confined to the traditional forms of Judaism and that he could bring a Gentile directly into relationship with himself through Jesus Christ apart from any prior commitment to distinctive Jewish beliefs or lifestyle.

After this, Luke moves into the second half of chapter eleven. For the rest of the chapter he describes the outward momentum of the church…

Acts 11:19–21 NIV

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

Next the church sends Barnabas to join the new believers in Antioch in their outreach mission. A “great number” of people were brought to the Lord, and Barnabas needed help! The movement was taking off like a wildfire! So he traveled to Tarsus to get Paul. Together, he and Paul teach and grow the Church in Antioch. We also learn that Antioch is the first place that the followers of Christ are called “Christians.”

Antioch is a very important place for the early church. If you want a simple analogy to be able to draw a picture of Antioch, you could think of Las Vegas. It was a melting pot of Western and Eastern cultures. It is described as being “a city where Greek and Roman traditions mingled with Semitic, Arab, and Persian influences.” It was known for its sophistication, and culture, as well as immorality. Much like “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” the expression “Daphnici mores” became a proverb for depraved living.

In Christian history no other city of the Roman Empire, apart from Jerusalem, played as large a part in the early life of the church. Here is what the Expositor’s Bible Commentary says about Antioch…

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 10: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition) Overview

It was the birthplace of foreign missions (13:2) and the home base for Paul’s outreach to the eastern half of the empire. It was the place where those of “the Way” (9:2) were first called “Christians” (11:26) and where the question as to the necessity for Gentile converts to submit to the rite of circumcision first arose (15:1–2; cf.

One more interesting note and then we will sum up what we have studied today. The new name that Christ followers were given in Antioch also posed some new problems for these Christians. First of all, Judaism was officially recognized within the Roman empire as a “legal religion.” In the infancy of the church, the Christians, or followers of the Way, were viewed by Roman authorities as only a sect within Judaism. Now, with Christianity potentially being viewed as a separate religion they risked losing the protection that Rome gave to a “legal religion.”

Secondly, as the Christian mission moves into Gentile areas, the Christians are now faced with how to manage relations with the Jewish nation. This includes the difficulties of understanding their place within Jewish Scriptures of God’s promises to, and the hope of, Israel.

So, we’ve been trying to understand what is happening in this scripture and what is happening to God’s Church, but what does it mean for us today?

With all of the tension that the believers faced in the first few years of the church and all of the conflict and hatred that chased them for simply trying to do good and tell people of the hope we have in Christ, I couldn’t help but think about these last couple of weeks that we have witnessed. Really, the last few years. I know that nobody wants to come to church and hear about politics, but at this point in our study it is inescapable.

Religious politics are what carried our Savior to the cross and viciously hunted His followers. Throughout history, and during the events of the Book of Acts, governmental politics created countless martyrs. Public political opinions have stirred up contention and division to this day. When we studied Stephen we talked about how he defended his faith with truth, evidence, and love. However, he was met with violence. When the religious leaders couldn’t counter his argument, they decided to kill him. In their minds, if you can’t win an argument, kill the opposition.

It is uncanny how alive and well that mindset is today. Charlie Kirk was killed in almost the exact same manner. He was asking people to prove him wrong, and when they couldn’t they decided to kill him. What is more shocking is the amount of people who believe this was the right move! Was it any different in the early days of the church. No! How many people would have tweeted in celebration of Stephen’s death?

Why is that? How could someone reach a point in their life where they would celebrate or support cold blooded murder based on opinion. How could someone allow themselves to believe they could be physically harmed by another persons opinions and debates? How can Acts chapter eleven help me answer these questions?

First of all, there is something that one hundred percent of humans do that can easily take us down wrong paths. Maybe you will never be okay with murder, but have you ever been okay with hurting someone? Stealing from someone? Cheating on a test? Lying about something? Breaking a promise? Breaking a law, like speeding? Have you ever cussed someone out? Or mumbled curses under your breath?

Michael and Darla’s grandson, Maverick, quoted this scripture the other day… “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) We’ve all done something that misses God’s mark of perfection. Part of why we do is because of a cognitive bias. What is a cognitive bias?

A cognitive bias is a systematic error in thinking that affects how individuals process information, make decisions, and form judgments, often leading to irrational or inaccurate conclusions.

In other words, it’s our brains way of short-cutting decisions. This is why Jesus wants to change the way we think. He wants to transform our minds so that our decision making process leads to more good decisions. It works like this..

I like ice cream and I have a difficult time losing weight and having self control. So when someone says, “There is a sale on ice cream!” My brain automatically says, “I have to buy it then. It won’t matter for my weight loss, because I struggle anyway. Water makes me gain weight. Also, the more I say ‘no,’ the harder it will be to say ‘no.’ Ice cream is more fun, so why fight it.” I may not have actually thought all of those things, but my brain is wired to make those decisions for me because that is the biased decisions that I have trained it to make.

In Acts we see people making the same decisions, even to the point of irrational outcomes like murder. The Jewish religious leaders made decisions based on training they grew up with their entire lives. The Jewish believers were the same. Jesus came from and for Israel, how could outsiders be allowed if they don’t first come into the fold of Judaism? Even the Gentiles acted on their own biases. So how did God reach the ones who surrendered.

Well, that’s exactly it. They surrendered…

The judgment that disciples of Jesus are called to make demands completely trusting the Father first.

To me that means that we must actively avoid running on autopilot. We cannot allow our decision making process happen without us stepping in and asking if the decision is what God is calling us to do? I know it’s a little silly, but when I was a kid people wore “WWJD” bracelets. It was a reminder for them to ask “What would Jesus do?”

I love the moment this happens with Peter and the Jewish believers. With every decision they made, they had to learn to silence their bias and not get in the way of what God was doing. Let’s look at verse 17 one more time, then we will close…

Acts 11:17–18 NIV

17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

If God is in this, who am I to get in the way? Who am I to get in the way of what God is doing simply because my brain is on autopilot and following what I have always been taught? When the believers heard Peter say this they shut up! They silenced their bias. They stayed quiet and praised God, even as unbelievable and shocking as it was for them. Completely trusting in God first! So the same question falls on me… It comes down to restraint. Am I going to stand in God’s way or using Peter’s example, instead of restraining God, will I restrain myself? Instead of trying to silence God, silence myself!

Pray