CHAPTER 11

(A.D. 41)

THE GENTILE QUESTION

¹And the Apostles and brethren who were in Judaea (refers to the Eleven other than Peter, as well as others) heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God (this type of news travels fast).

²And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem (presents a time of great significance), they who were of the Circumcision (Jewish Believers) contended with him (it means, at least at the outset, that they were not accepting Peters explanation, feeling he had made himself unclean by associating with Gentiles),

³Saying, you went in to men uncircumcised (Gentiles), and did eat with them (there is nothing in the Law of Moses which forbids eating with Gentiles; this was an addition made by men, not God).

PETERS DEFENSE

⁴But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning (proclaims the Apostle being very patient, and for cause; if it is to be remembered, the Lord had been patient with him), and ex pounded it by order unto them, saying (portrays him taking the entire episode step-by-step),

⁵I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a Vision, A certain vessel descending, as it had been a great sheet, let down from Heaven by four corners; and it came even to me (proclaims what he saw, and that he knew it was meant for him):

⁶Upon the which when I had fastened my eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

⁷And I heard a Voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; kill and eat (this was not a suggestion, but rather a Command; therefore, intended to be obeyed).

⁸But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth.

⁹But the Voice answered me again from Heaven (he didnt see a form, but only heard a Voice), What God has cleansed, that call not thou common.

¹⁰And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into Heaven.

GENTILES AND THE GOSPEL

¹¹And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

¹²And the Spirit (Holy Spirit) bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me (he now tells how many went with him), and we entered into the mans house (the house of Cornelius):

¹³And he showed us how he had seen an Angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter (all of this proclaims that God works through men);

¹⁴Who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved (proclaims unequivocally that they were not saved before Peter came and preached the Gospel, even though Cornelius had done many good things).

¹⁵And as I began to speak (had gotten a little way into the Message), the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning (speaks of Cornelius and his household being Baptized with the Spirit, exactly as the Apostles and others had been on the Day of Pentecost).

¹⁶Then remembered I the Word of the Lord, how that He said (pertains to something that Peter had not mentioned in the actual happening), John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be Baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5; Mat. 3:11).

¹⁷Forasmuch then as God gave them (the Gentiles) the like Gift (Salvation and the Holy Spirit Baptism) as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (the requirement); what was I, that I could withstand God? (To not go would be to disobey God.)

¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God (they not only stifled their own thoughts of opposition, but glorified God as well for what had been done), saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life (proclaims in no uncertain terms that they were given such Life strictly on Faith, which included none of the rituals and Ceremonies of Judaism).

ANTIOCH

¹⁹Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen (concerns that which happened in Acts, Chpt. 8, about six or seven years before) travelled as far as Phenice (Lebanon), and Cyprus, and Antioch (a city of Syria), preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only (pertained basically to proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and the Saviour of the world, and that He had risen from the dead).

²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene (implies that they were latecomers to Antioch), which, when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Grecians (pertains to Gentiles, not Greek-speaking Jews as some claim), preaching the Lord Jesus (indicates that Jews who preached to them were not demanding that they also keep the Law of Moses).

²¹And the Hand of the Lord was with them (signifies that God was pleased with the Gospel being preached to these Gentiles): and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord (they gave their hearts and lives to the Lord Jesus Christ).

²²Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the Church which was in Jerusalem (which was then the headquarters Church; these tidings spoke of good news): and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch (Barnabas was the right man!; therefore, they were led by the Spirit in sending him).

²³Who, when he came, and had seen the Grace of God (refers to the fact that Barnabas saw the changed lives of these Gentiles), was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord (be led by the Holy Spirit).

²⁴For he was a good man (this is what the Holy Spirit said), and full of the Holy Spirit and of Faith (describes Barnabas in the same manner as Stephen [Acts 6:5]): and much peo ple was added unto the Lord (many Jews and Gentiles were coming to Christ).

²⁵Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul (this is one of the single most important Verses in the entirety of the Word of God; the Holy Spirit led him to do this; as well, the Text implies that he had some difficulty in finding Paul; this was around the year A.D. 43, about ten years after the Crucifixion):

²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people (could well signal the beginning of teaching of the New Covenant as it had been given to Paul by Christ). And the Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (they received the name of Christians, as followers of Christ, from the outside world and accepted it [Acts 26:28; I Pet. 4:16]).

²⁷And in these days came Prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch (probably refers to near the conclusion of the year spent by Paul and Barnabas in Antioch at that time).

²⁸And there stood up one of them named Agabus (proclaims Agabus giving forth a Prophetic Utterance, as he did in Acts 21:10 as well), and signified by the Spirit that there should be great drought throughout all the world (the known world of that day): which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar (the Holy Spirit informed them of this for a reason, as we shall see).

²⁹Then the Disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the Brethren which dwelt in Judaea (there was already great hardship in Jerusalem due to multiple thousands of Believers being excommunicated from the Synagogue, and now this drought added extra strain, as would be obvious):

³⁰Which also they did, and sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (they took the offering to Jerusalem).