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📚And the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 📚And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those believers who were circumcised opposed him,11:2 Circumcised believers were Jews who had become Christians.⚜
3 📚saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them”.
11:3 See Acts 10:23, 28. Instead of rejoicing in the coming of Gentiles to Christ, these men criticized God’s instrument in the Gentiles’ conversion. Complaining about God’s servants instead of rejoicing in their ministry is too often the way of many Christians. Compare Paul’s attitude in Phil 1:15-18.⚜
4 📚But Peter started from the beginning and explained the matter to them in an orderly way, saying, 5 📚“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. A certain object like a large sheet descended, let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me. 6 📚As I looked intently into it, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 📚“But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 📚“But the voice from heaven responded to me again, ‘What God has cleansed, do not call unholy.’ 10 📚And this was done three times, and everything was taken up again to heaven.
Peter tells other believers what happened in Cornelius’ house
11 📚“And see, at that moment three men arrived at the house where I was, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 📚And the Spirit told me to go with them, without doubting at all. Also these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 📚And he told us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is called Peter. 14 📚He will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 📚“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had on us at the beginning. 16 📚Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 📚Since, then, God gave them the same gift as he did to us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
18 📚When they heard these things, they fell silent, and then glorified God, saying “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life 📖”.
11:18 Understanding the reasons for the behavior of others of God’s servants sometimes brings the proper attitude of mind and heart. It did in this case.⚜
Christ’s Church in Antioch
19 📚Now those who were scattered by the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one except the Jews.
11:19 See Acts 8:1, 4. Phoenicia was the land north of Israel along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea containing the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean northwest of Tyre and Sidon. Antioch was a large city in Syria nearly 25 kilometers from the coast (actually it was the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria). It became a very important center of Christianity in the first century. The reason these believers told the message only to Jews is because they did not yet understand that God had opened the door of salvation to other people also.⚜
20 📚And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
11:20 It does not say when this happened or why these men decided to preach to the Greeks. It seems very likely that it was after they heard of the events of chapter 10.⚜
21 📚And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.
11:21 This is what preachers need – the hand of the Lord with them, working in their behalf.⚜
22 📚Then news of these things came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. And they sent out Barnabas 📖 to go as far as Antioch. 23 📚When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should stay close to the Lord.
11:23 What does it mean “saw the grace of God”? He saw what the grace of God had produced, spiritual fruit. See John 15:1-6. Barnabas had the gift of being able to encourage others (compare Rom 12:6-8). See what Barnabas encouraged them to do. If we are not close to the Lord in our hearts we are not close to Him at all.⚜
24 📚For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
11:24 Here is a description of what every preacher and teacher of God’s Word (and every believer) should be. Barnabas is one of only two men the New Testament calls “good” (the other is in Luke 23:50). This does not mean that no one else was good. See Matt 5:45; 7:17-18; 12:35; Luke 8:15; Rom 15:14; 1 Pet 2:18. The goodness of God’s people is not theirs by nature (see Matt 7:11; Rom 7:18). God alone is innately good (Matt 19:17), and He alone can make them good (Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9). On the fullness of God’s Spirit see Acts 1:5; 2:4; Eph 5:18. The fullness of God’s Spirit will lead to fullness of faith, and the results of that will be spiritual success and victory in God’s work.⚜
25 📚Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek for Saul. 26 📚And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for a whole year they met together with the church, and taught many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
11:26 Notes on the “Church” at Acts 5:11; Matt 16:18. It was outsiders who first called the followers of Christ “Christians”. It was natural for them to do so. They thought “Christ” was a proper name (instead of the title it is – see Matt 1:1), and added the Latin suffix to it making it “Christianous”, meaning those who were connected in some way to Christ. In Acts Christ’s people are called “disciples” (Acts 6:1), or “saints” (note at 9:13), or “brothers” (Acts 9:30), or “believers” (Acts 10:45). In fact, in the whole Bible except for this one place, only Agrippa (Acts 26:28) and Peter use the word “Christian” (1 Pet 4:16. Perhaps Peter used the word because others called them that and not because it was his custom).⚜
27 📚And in those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.
11:27 Notes and references on prophets at Gen 20:7.⚜
28 📚And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout the whole world. This came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
11:28 God’s Spirit revealed the future to Agabus. See also Acts 21:10-11. Claudius was the Roman emperor 41-54 AD.⚜
29 📚Then the disciples, each one according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea.
11:29 It is a great thing when Christians are “disciples” and not Christians in name only. Compare their good work with 2 Cor 8:1-5.⚜
30 📚This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
11:30 They did more than pass a resolution. They acted on it. Compare 2 Cor 8:10-11; Jam 2:15; 1 John 3:17-18; Matt 25:34-46.⚜