INTRODUCTION

As we continue to work our way through the book of Acts, we are not going to spend very much time on the retelling in verses 4-14. But we are not setting this repetition aside as unimportant because Luke obviously intends to emphasize it. He wants us to note it. He tells the story in chapter 10, and then repeats it in detail in chapter 11. Then there is a strong reference to this episode at the Jerusalem Council later (Acts 15:7-11). This incident was a significant event.

We can note a few additional details we learn in this recounting. We learn that six Jews accompanied Peter from Joppa (v. 12). We learn that the angel told Cornelius that the message that Peter would bring would be words of salvation (v. 14). And Peter tells us here that the Spirit fell on them near the beginning of his talk (v. 15). So we will begin our exposition at verse 16.

THE TEXT

“And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying .. .” (Acts 11:1–30).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

So the apostles and brothers of Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the Word of God (v. 1). So when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the circumcision party there challenged him (v. 2). The charge was that Peter had gone in with Gentiles, and had shared table fellowship (v. 3). The eating appears to have been the central problem. So Peter tells the story over again (vv. 7-15), including the fact that “these” six men here saw it all.

Peter remembered the Lord’s statement that John baptized with water, but that His followers would be baptized with the Holy Spirit (v. 16). So if God gave Gentiles the Spirit in the same way that He had done for the Jews on Pentecost, who was Peter to fight God (v. 17)? Now this satisfied them and they glorified God (v. 18), saying that God had granted Gentiles repentance unto life. But this resolution was only temporary.

Those who had scattered because of the persecution after Stephen’s death preached the word to Jews only, but doing so in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Cyrene (v. 19). Phoenicia was along the coast of the eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus was an island about sixty miles out, and Cyrene was in modern day Libya, on the north coast of Africa. Some of these men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to (Syrian) Antioch and began preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks (v. 20). The hand of the Lord was with them, and many believed and turned to the Lord (v. 21). The church at Jerusalem heard about this, and so they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check it out (v. 22). He got there, saw the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them to cling to the Lord with resolute and steadfast hearts (v. 23). He was a good man, full of the Spirit and faith, and many more people were converted (v. 24). So Barnabas went to Tarsus to enlist the help of Saul (v. 25). This was about 80 miles away, as the crow flies. They came back to Antioch and taught a lot of people there for a year (v. 26). The name Christian was first applied to believers there in that city (v. 26).

During that time, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch (v. 27), and one of them named Agabus prophesied that there would be a great famine throughout the empire (oikoumene), which then happened during the reign of Claudius Caesar (v. 28). Claudius reigned from 41 A.D. to 54 A.D. The believers there in Antioch, each according to capacity, decided to send a famine relief gift to Judea (v. 29). They did this, and sent it to the elders there by the hands of Saul and Barnabas (v. 30).

THE FIRST PAULINE EPISTLE

One of the things we should want to do is integrate the timeline of the epistles into the history of Acts. Our first opportunity to do this comes with Galatians, which I take to be Paul’s earliest letter in the canon. But to do this we have to answer the question, “Who were the Galatians exactly?” There was ethnic Galatia up north—think rural Celtic tribes—and there was the Roman province of Galatia down south. Think of the difference between the Dakota Indian tribe, and South Dakota.

If Paul is writing to the Galatians of the Roman province, then this places his book in the chronology of Acts. If he is writing to the ethnic Galatians up north, then we don’t quite know how and when Paul got acquainted with them. This is important for several reasons. One is that the “south Galatian” understanding gives us an early date for Galatians, and a mature statement of justification by faith alone very early on in the history of the church. It was not a late “add on,” not a Pauline afterthought. Second, the details in Galatians blend very nicely with Acts on this view. For example, the “famine relief visit” (Acts 11:28-29) is the visit that was in response to a revelation (Gal. 2:2). And third, it explains why Paul didn’t appeal to the decision of the Jerusalem council in a letter dedicated to the very same controversy. He didn’t appeal to it because it had not yet happened. It also explains the heat of Galatians.

The mission to the province of Galatia happened in the neighborhood of 47-48 A.D. and the Jerusalem Council somewhere near 48-49 A.D. Thus the best date for the writing of Galatians would be right before the Council, probably in 48 A.D., during the reign of Claudius.

THE GOSPEL AT GROUND ZERO

In the book of Galatians, we see a fully-formed and robust articulation of justification by faith alone, apart from works of the law. With an early date for Galatians, we can see just exactly how Paul was instructing the early Christians—what he was teaching them. We also see how this proclaimed gospel was causing an inchoate church to form, making the gospel the seed of the church, and not the other way around. We also see how this plain gospel was senior to the church, and to her officers, and senior to angelic messengers. If we or an angel from heaven, preach a different gospel than the one that was first preached to you, then let that messenger be accursed and damned (Gal. 1:8).

And what is that gospel? That Christ, the eternal Son of God, was made man for our sakes. He lived a perfect, sinless life, was crucified, buried, raised, and ascended, and all of His perfections are imputed, gratis, to anyone who looks to Him in faith. That is the Word that establishes the church, and that is the Word that builds a new world.

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INTRODUCTION

So we need to begin where we left off, which was at the house of Simon the tanner. Simon Peter was somewhat settled there, and it was there that God spoke to him about how he should not consider Gentiles unclean when God had declared them clean. This was hard for Peter because he had never eaten anything common or unclean, and God’s instruction to him about the Gentiles came in the form of telling him to eat unclean food.

But tanning was an unclean occupation. A tanner has to handle the carcasses of dead animals, as that is his profession. Simon the tanner lived by the sea because he required salt water for his work, and because the sea breezes would help with the smell, which was bad. We know that handling dead animals made one unclean from Scripture (Num. 19:9-10), and this was the case even if the animal was a clean animal.

THE TEXT

“Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them . . .” (Acts 10:21–48).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

So Peter went downstairs to the emissaries, identified himself, and asked why they had come (v. 21). They said that Cornelius, a God-fearing and just man, with a high reputation with Jews, was told by a holy angel to send for Peter in order to hear him speak (v. 22). So Peter took them in, Gentiles, and put them up (v. 23). The next day, Peter left with them, along with some Jews from Joppa (v. 24), including some from the circumcision party (v. 45). The day after that they arrived (v. 24). Cornelius was waiting, with quite a gathering of relatives and friends (v. 24). As Peter was coming in, Cornelius fell prostrate to worship (v. 25). Peter lifted him up, and said that he was also just a man (v. 26). So they went in, talking, and found a crowd there (v. 27). Peter began by saying that what he was doing was unlawful, but that God had shown him not to call any man unclean (v. 28). That is why he came without argument—how can I help you? (v. 29). And so Cornelius told the story about the angel in bright clothing (v. 30). The angel said that his prayers and alms were accepted in the sight of God, and that he was to send for Peter, in order to hear whatever he says (vv. 31-32). And so here we all are. Speak to us (v. 33). And so Peter began by acknowledging that a great barrier had fallen—God accepts men from every nation (vv. 34-35).

He then turned to preach the gospel that had come to Israel, the proclamation of peace through Jesus Christ, the Lord of all (v. 36). They already knew how after the baptism of John, the word began in Galilee and spread to Judea (v. 37). God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power. God was with Him, and He went about doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil (v. 38). The apostles were witnesses of all this, not to mention the crucifixion (v. 39), followed by the resurrection and His public appearances (v. 40). He did not appear to absolutely everyone, but rather to those chosen by God, who ate and drank with Him after He rose (v. 41). These witnesses were commanded to preach to the people that Christ was ordained to judge the living and the dead (v. 42). All the prophets spoke of this, and the meaning of it, which was that through the name of Christ sins would be forgiven (v. 43). And while Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit interrupted him by falling on these listeners (v. 44). The members of the circumcision party, who had come from Joppa, were astonished that these Gentiles had been given the Spirit (v. 45). They heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God (v. 46). So Peter drew the obvious conclusion. There was no point in denying them water baptism, right? They have been given the Spirit, just like the Jews had been (v. 47). And so it was that Peter commanded they be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (v. 48), and so he stayed with them for a number of days (v. 48).

THE PLAIN GOSPEL FACTS 

The facts of the gospel are objective and fixed. They would be true and certain had none of us ever been born. They are all true outside of us, independent of us. Jesus is the Lord of all. God anointed Him. He did wonderful things over the course of His ministry. He was crucified and then rose from the dead. After His resurrection, He appeared to multiple witnesses, who ate and drank with Him, and who were commanded to tell everyone that this Jesus had been ordained to judge all men, whether living and dead.

THE PLAIN GOSPEL INTENT 

But what was the point? Why did God orchestrate all of this? The point of the gospel message is this—in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, God saves sinners. “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). All the prophets are bent on telling us this. From Samuel to Isaiah, and from Jeremiah to Malachi. From Moses to Habbakuk, and from Ezekiel to Jonah, the message is clear. God offers to wipe away your sins, and the offer extends to everyone who has faith in Christ. So there is the offer. All your griping, washed away. All your lusts, washed away. All your fears, washed away. All your ambitious striving, washed away. All your crackling envy, washed away. Done. Forgiven. Hear the word that was spoken over all your tangled problems, the word that was spoken from the cross. It is finished.

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