1 Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers[a] in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers[b] criticized him. 3 “You entered the home of Gentiles[c] and even ate with them!” they said.

4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 5 “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. 6 When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. 7 And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

8 “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.[d]’

9 “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ 10 This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

11 “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. 13 He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with[e] water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

Acts 11:1-18 (NLT) 中文

Bad news

Good news spread about Peter’s ministry to the Gentiles. But certain Jews, those who followed the law, didn’t see it as such. It was actually bad news to them. They were quite angry and criticized Peter. Peter took the time to calmly explain in sequential order all that happened – including the visions, the miraculous timing and the manifestation of the Spirit. It is a condensed version of Acts 10:9-43.

Circle completed

Thankfully these legalistic Jews accepted the account as the work of God. This changed their thinking toward Gentiles. Now, rather than despised pigs shut out from God, they are now welcomed.  God told and proved it to Peter who told it to the rest of the church who now all accept the gentiles. The circle is completed. 

This is a major event in the church and God’s plan of salvation – especially for us gentiles! “This is a powerful passage, demonstrating that the hearts of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem were soft enough to be guided and corrected by God. It is a glorious thing when God’s people will allow their prejudices and traditions to be overcome by God’s Word and God’s work.” (enduringword.com)

RЯeflection

• Have you thanked God for His plan of salvation that includes all people, including you? He could have chosen to limit it to just Jews. But God so loves the world (John 3:16) He opened salvation to all mankind. That includes you. If you have not repented and believed. Click here for more info.
• Are you ready to put aside bias and faulty beliefs to listen to God’s Word and His Spirit?