READ | ACTS CHAPTER 11
Peter Explains His Actions
11 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.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
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[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 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.”
The Church in Antioch
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.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
11 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.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
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[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 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.”
The Church in Antioch
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.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
DEVOTIONAL
A common phrase that comes up in movies goes something like this: “I’m going to make a name for myself.” It would usually happen right around the time when a young man or woman begins a fantastical quest or, in a more modern setting, when the star packs up their car to move to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a star. I’m going to make a name for myself is a phrase many people have thought about in one way or another in the real world as well. They’re willing to work hard, do whatever it takes, and dedicate their entire life to the purpose of elevating their name to the point it becomes a household name. There could also be a deep ambition to gain a reputation in a field which garners them respect because of their great accomplishments and accolades. While there is nothing wrong with making a name for yourself or having lofty ambitions, there is a higher calling each of us was created for.
In Acts chapter 11, we read about a city called Antioch which sat about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Anyone during that time, hearing the name Antioch, would have had an immediate response. One might say that Jerusalem was all about religion; Rome was all about power; Alexandria was all about intellect, and Athens was all about philosophy. But when it came to Antioch, the 3rd greatest city in the Roman empire was all about two things: business and immorality. The city’s reputation of a culture of moral laxity was enhanced by the cult of Artemis and Apollo at Daphne, which was centered only five miles outside of town. It was here that the ancient Syrian worship of the god Astarte, complete with ritual prostitution, was carried on in a very public and blatant way. Wealthy people from all over the Roman empire would come to Antioch often for a mixture of business and sinful pleasure. One might even say that pleasure was big business in Antioch. The city had made a name for itself. Given that background, it’s interesting that in A.D.64, twenty years after the events we are looking at today in Acts chapter 11 after Christians were blamed for the burning of Rome, it would be Antioch, and not Jerusalem, which would become the worldwide center for Christianity. When we really think about it, it’s very much like God to position the capital of evangelism to the gentile world in a city known for its immorality and unapologetic view of sin. After all, God did send his one and only Son, perfect and holy, into the middle of a sinful, broken world. If Jesus didn’t shy away from meeting sinners right where they were, why should He expect any different from us?
The story of how Antioch became the center of Christianity is largely due to the events which were set in motion right here in Acts chapter 11. The scattering of persecuted Christ-followers from Jerusalem we read about in Acts 8 didn’t just stop in surrounding areas. Over the years which followed, The Gospel continued to spread outward and had even reached Antioch. By this point, Greeks had heard the gospel and had come to believe and even formed a small community of gentile believers, one of the first of its kind. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard the news about this, they sent Barnabus to Antioch to investigate. When Barnabus arrived and saw the need for strong Christian leadership, he felt a strong desire (from God) that Paul (still known as Saul) should join him there to help teach and disciple this blossoming community of believers. Given his background, Paul was a perfect choice. Barnabus and Paul taught together in Antioch for a whole year. Soon Antioch would become the base of operations and sending point for all of Paul’s future missionary journeys to cities all over the Roman Empire. It was here in Antioch that followers of The Way were first called Christians. They had been called disciples, saints, believers, brothers, witnesses, followers of the Way, Nazarenes, and now they would be called Christians. In Latin, the ending ian meant “the party of.” So, a Christ-ian was “of the party of Jesus.” Saying Christians was sort of like saying, “Jesus-ites,” or “Jesus People,” as a way of describing the people associated with Jesus Christ. The word was originally meant as an insult, like being called a Jesus freak. But it was soon adopted and worn like a badge of honor. While the culture of Rome was all about making a name for yourself, the culture within Christianity was all about making a name for Jesus, and the title of Christian fit perfectly into that.
Today, we too have a high calling not to make our name famous, but to make the name of Jesus famous. We, as Christians, find our identity and purpose in living out our lives for him, not for ourselves. Did you realize that when you gave your life to Christ and became a Christian, you were agreeing to become a representative of Jesus on earth? Whether you realize it or not, you are, and when we live for Jesus, over time, even entire communities and cities known for sin could become known as the capital of God’s grace, mercy, and redemption.
In Acts chapter 11, we read about a city called Antioch which sat about 300 miles north of Jerusalem. Anyone during that time, hearing the name Antioch, would have had an immediate response. One might say that Jerusalem was all about religion; Rome was all about power; Alexandria was all about intellect, and Athens was all about philosophy. But when it came to Antioch, the 3rd greatest city in the Roman empire was all about two things: business and immorality. The city’s reputation of a culture of moral laxity was enhanced by the cult of Artemis and Apollo at Daphne, which was centered only five miles outside of town. It was here that the ancient Syrian worship of the god Astarte, complete with ritual prostitution, was carried on in a very public and blatant way. Wealthy people from all over the Roman empire would come to Antioch often for a mixture of business and sinful pleasure. One might even say that pleasure was big business in Antioch. The city had made a name for itself. Given that background, it’s interesting that in A.D.64, twenty years after the events we are looking at today in Acts chapter 11 after Christians were blamed for the burning of Rome, it would be Antioch, and not Jerusalem, which would become the worldwide center for Christianity. When we really think about it, it’s very much like God to position the capital of evangelism to the gentile world in a city known for its immorality and unapologetic view of sin. After all, God did send his one and only Son, perfect and holy, into the middle of a sinful, broken world. If Jesus didn’t shy away from meeting sinners right where they were, why should He expect any different from us?
The story of how Antioch became the center of Christianity is largely due to the events which were set in motion right here in Acts chapter 11. The scattering of persecuted Christ-followers from Jerusalem we read about in Acts 8 didn’t just stop in surrounding areas. Over the years which followed, The Gospel continued to spread outward and had even reached Antioch. By this point, Greeks had heard the gospel and had come to believe and even formed a small community of gentile believers, one of the first of its kind. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard the news about this, they sent Barnabus to Antioch to investigate. When Barnabus arrived and saw the need for strong Christian leadership, he felt a strong desire (from God) that Paul (still known as Saul) should join him there to help teach and disciple this blossoming community of believers. Given his background, Paul was a perfect choice. Barnabus and Paul taught together in Antioch for a whole year. Soon Antioch would become the base of operations and sending point for all of Paul’s future missionary journeys to cities all over the Roman Empire. It was here in Antioch that followers of The Way were first called Christians. They had been called disciples, saints, believers, brothers, witnesses, followers of the Way, Nazarenes, and now they would be called Christians. In Latin, the ending ian meant “the party of.” So, a Christ-ian was “of the party of Jesus.” Saying Christians was sort of like saying, “Jesus-ites,” or “Jesus People,” as a way of describing the people associated with Jesus Christ. The word was originally meant as an insult, like being called a Jesus freak. But it was soon adopted and worn like a badge of honor. While the culture of Rome was all about making a name for yourself, the culture within Christianity was all about making a name for Jesus, and the title of Christian fit perfectly into that.
Today, we too have a high calling not to make our name famous, but to make the name of Jesus famous. We, as Christians, find our identity and purpose in living out our lives for him, not for ourselves. Did you realize that when you gave your life to Christ and became a Christian, you were agreeing to become a representative of Jesus on earth? Whether you realize it or not, you are, and when we live for Jesus, over time, even entire communities and cities known for sin could become known as the capital of God’s grace, mercy, and redemption.
