A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XV - I
"We, Barnabas and I, Paul. are now back in Jerusalem.... Today we attended a very important meeting with the apostles and elders....We discussed with them whether or not Gentile believers should obey the law of Moses in order to be saved.... There was much discussion going on as you can well imagine... One of the men who stood up was Peter.... He reminded everyone that God had selected him to preach to the Gentiles... He, no doubt, referred to the time that the Holy Spirit had led him to go to the home of Cornelius.... Cornelius is a Roman Centurion living in Ceasarea... Peter had travelled there... And he had shared with him, his family and friends the gospel....Peter reminded them that God had accepted these Gentiles...Barnabas and I, Paul, then stood up.... And we began to share with everyone how God had worked among the Gentiles through us....Everyone listened to us as we shared details of the conversion of the pro-consul of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus....They continued to listen to us as we shared with them the healing and conversion of the crippled man in Lystra... And we shared many other stories with them... It was clear that the apostles and elders were taking it all in... And they knew they needed to consider what should be done with what we had shared.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn what Peter as well as Barnabas and Paul shared with the members of the Jerusalem Council...
ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS
PART XV - 1
The Holy Spirit, who was present at the Birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost, as you can read in Acts 2:1-4
When the Day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
was very much in charge of what took place at the meeting of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem that day and led Peter to share his experience in Caesarea as you can know from Acts 15:7
After much discussion Peter gor up and addressed them, "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe."
Peter was here referring to the time that the Holy Spirit had send to him three men from the household of a Gentile Centurion named Cornelius, who lived in Caesarea, because Cornelius had seen an angel in a vision who had told him to invite Peter to come to him to share the gospel. And Peter, in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit, had gone to Caesarea and had preached the message of salvation to Cornelius and all those with him. Consequently, these Gentiles had become believers as you can read in Acts 10:44-48
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, "Surely, no one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
And so Peter reminded these Jewish believers that God had accepted these Gentiles, just as much as He had accepted them who were of Jewish descent, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles in the same way that He had given the Holy Spirit to them, as a sign that both Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ as you can read in Acts 15:8-10 where Peter said,
"God, who knows the hearts, shows that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith."
However, Peter did not stop there but continued by pointing out to these Jewish believers that they were trying to test God by demanding that Gentile believers keep the law of Moses that they themselves had not been able to keep as you can read in Acts 15:10-11
"Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus, that we are saved, just as they are."
Everyone present listened to him as well as to the stories that Barnabas and Paul shared of the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles. No doubt, they would have mentioned the healing of the crippled man in Lystra among others as you can read in Acts 15:12
The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
It was clear from what they had heard, that God had been at work among the Gentiles. They could not deny that. But what would that mean for them? They knew that they needed to make a decision.
Read Part Two HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment