Acts 11;1-18
Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began and explained it to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 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?” 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.”
Misunderstandings are a common part of our relationships with one another and the ministries in which we seek to participate. When these inevitable conflicts happen, we can either make them more complicated or resolve them carefully and peaceably. This moment of history is a time of transition. Change is difficult for all of us, and it is especially for us to become disoriented, extra sensitive, and defensive in uncertain times. Unfortunately, just the opposite is what is needed. Today’s text is a fantastic example of what could have been a disaster turning into a time of sweet fellowship, worship, and renewed commitment to the mission. May the Lord help us learn from this example and put it into practice in our lives.
THE JEWS REPRIMAND PETER: The news of the Gospel being preached, and the subsequent conversion of a Roman soldier and his household spread throughout the region. The Apostles and the church as a whole were aware of what God had done through Peter and his traveling companions. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, a group called the “circumcision party” confronts Peter. It is unclear exactly who this group is. Clearly, they are Jews. What is unclear is if they were Jews who were from the Synagogue or if they were a group of converted Jews that had formed within the church. Since all the early believers were Jews, the early church was only made up of Jews. It seems most likely, especially from the final reaction of the narrative, that this is a group of Jewish believers who formed a group within the church that seems to be holding more tightly to the Jewish laws and traditions than some of their other more “liberal” church members. Remember we are talking about convictions and traditions that had been passed down for multiple generations. They recognized Jesus as Messiah and trusted Him for their salvation, but also held fast to the teachings of the Old Testament. Also remembering that the New Testament had not been written. As the Gospel began to spread to Samaria, and now to Gentiles, they became very uncomfortable and felt their entire way of life was being threatened. For Peter to receive Gentile guests and then go and stay in the home of a Gentile who was a Roman soldier, no less, was inconceivable. It is easy for all of us to cling to tradition.
PETER REVIEWS HIS EXPERIENCE: How we respond to criticism will determine if we will escalate conflict or be used to resolve it. When Peter was criticized for taking the Gospel to Gentiles, he could have easily turned the tables on the circumcision and been critical of them. He could have been sarcastic by saying something like: “I’m pretty sure I heard Jesus tell us to make disciples of all nations. Is Rome not a nation?” He could have accused them of lacking vision, being bigots, or any number of other conflict inducing reactions. Instead, he patiently tells them the context of how God had given him a vision and commanded him to go. He empathized with them by admitting that he too had the same reservations and then explained how God had unmistakably sent him on this mission. Once they had all the information he had, it would be much easier for an agreement to be reached. Had he started by going into “attack mode,” the result would have likely been much different. In the face of unjust criticism, it is important to do all we can to keep the lines of communication open. Anger, defensiveness, hurt, rejection, vengeance, counter attacks, and many other carnal responses will only serve to broaden the gap that caused the conflict in the first place.
ALL REJOICE IN THE GRACE OF GOD: Once the circumcision party understood the context in which Peter acted and had the same information Peter had, they were silenced. It is so important to take time to consider information that becomes available to us. We have a hard time thinking and talking at the same time. Silence can feel rather awkward, so we often end up speaking before thinking which usually complicates our situation even more. The final result of this conflict was rejoicing in what God had done. The grace of God became even more abundant in their thinking and they were all motivated to worship and praise the Lord together. Humility and clear communication by all who were involved was vital to being able to achieve this outcome. It is important for us to remember that God will often move in unexpected ways. His will must always take priority over our expectations.
APPLICATION: Be very careful any time we are criticized. Realize it is a dangerous moment that could lead us into division between brothers and distraction from the mission. Try to put yourself in the place of the person who is criticizing and determine what information they may be lacking that would help them understand more clearly. Determine that your goal is to resolve the conflict in way that will bring both parties to a point of bringing glory to God.
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