PETER OPENS A DOOR

Acts 10-11

Pay attention!

We're about to look at a breaking barrier!

Remember the Great Commission: Judea, Samaria, the ends of the Earth. So far the stories have mostly happened in Judea. Philip has preached in Samaria and won the Ethiopian Eunuch. But Luke's tale goes from Jerusalem to Rome, from legalism to a flood of grace. And Peter is just about to discover that.

Luke introduces us to a Centurion in Caesarea. This office commanded 100 men, similar to today's company commanders, perhaps a captain. Centurions are always spoken of respectfully in the New Testament. Romans took their officer corps seriously and put good men there.

This man was also a God-fearer. Such a person was participating in the Jewish faith without actually becoming a Jew. To enter fully into Judaism required circumcision, which many were not willing or ready to do. Still they would attend services, pray, read scripture, observe many of the rules including dietary laws. Luke says he also gave to the needy and prayed regularly.

For whatever reason, the Lord decided to enfold this commander in His plans. He had the first of two dreams or visions in this chapter. The second will be to Peter. At any rate Cornelius saw an angel stand before him and calling him by name. That messenger, like his commanding officer, instructed him to send to Joppa and bring back Simon Peter. He even gave his address! Cornelius immediately sent for two men to go to Joppa and return with the disciple.

Let's keep that in mind as we watch Simon Peter climb the outside staircase to the roof for a nap while lunch was preparing. Asleep or awake, he had a vivid dream or vision in which he saw a huge tablecloth dropping from the sky with all sorts of meat arrayed on it. A voice announced,

“Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!”

“No way, Lord. I've never eaten anything unclean.”

The Voice thundered back:

“DON'T CALL ANYTHING UNCLEAN IF GOD SAYS IT'S CLEAN!”

This vision and exchange happened three times before Simon woke up.

And he woke to knocking at the gate. Led by the Spirit's direction he went downstairs and heard the invitation of Cornelius's men. The timing was fantastic!

In those days many Jews, especially Pharisees would rise every day to a morning prayer of thanksgiving: Lord, I thank Thee that I was not born a woman nor a Gentile. One of the major barriers to the spread of the Gospel was just that prejudice. Throughout the Acts and Paul's letters we see an intense discussion going on with those who insisted one must first become a Jew and only then become a Christian. The dream of clean and unclean animals with God's booming voice cut through this into Peter's mind. Or almost did.

Note in v 22 the men tell Simon that Cornelius wants him to come tell him about Jesus. So Peter makes the journey in two days and found the centurion had gathered a crowd of friends and relatives. The centurion fell at Peter's feet as if bowing to royalty! The big fisherman had the grace to tell him to stand up, “I also am just a man! Bow to God!'

Peter told the group his story of the many animals, and somewhat proudly, I think, said, I came without any problem.” Then he blew it. “Why did you send for me?” Folks, this is Peter who preached to a huge crowd resulting in 3000 becoming disciples! I believe he was still trying to wrap his mind and emotions around God's Great Commission. But the Spirit was getting through!

“I'm beginning to catch on that God is no respecter of persons, and He accepts all who fear Him from every people and nation.” THIS IS A MAJOR STEP FORWARD. It's part of the reason Luke wrote the book. When the Jewish church got past the ethnic barrier, the Gospel took off! This is so important we all need to examine and re-examine ourselves. What kind of prejudice do we have that forms a barrier from our reaching someone?

Peter went on to say they were witnesses of the things he was preaching. He was a man on fire. He had met Jesus and his life was forever different. Do you have that same spirit and radiance about you? A changed life is an unanswerable testimony!

He continued to preach Christ, and as he did, Luke tells us the Holy Spirit came over his listeners in an obvious way. They were given the gift of tongues as part of the evidence. The men with Peter, Jewish Christians, were amazed that God obviously accepted these others that Jews looked down on.Peter looked at his group and pointed out no one could refuse baptism for these, since the Spirit came on them just as He had on the original Pentecost.

Now catch this! The story pivots from Jerusalem to the centurion, from Jews to God-fearers. Now it will pivot again to Gentiles from paganism. We have seen Steven killed and Paul plunging ahead to chase down and punish other believers before the Lord called him to switch sides. That persecution chased a lot of new Christians out of Palestine and all over the then-known world. Some from the island of Cypress in the Mediterranean and Cyrene in North Africa. But it was the age of the Pax Romana, Roman peace, and in their travels some landed in Antioch, the third largest city of the Empire after Rome and Alexandria. These men had a shorter learning curve than Peter and some others, for they began witnessing directly to the Greeks and Romans. The Spirit was with them and many believed.

When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas as an emissary to check it out for them. When he arrived, he saw the Lord at work among them, and so encouraged them, teaching and adding to their message and number. At some point the Spirit sent him to Tarsus to find Saul/Paul and bring him back. Remember Barnabas stood up for Saul in Jerusalem. Now he would bring him in as an apprentice and further his discipleship training. The two of them worked side by side for a whole year in Antioch.