The First Gentile Church
Notes
Transcript
The First Gentile Church
The First Gentile Church
The book of Acts is a series of turning points in the life of the early church.
Acts 10 and 11shows how the apostles understood the mission of the early church.
This mission included Gentiles, after all, the church is largely a gentile movement.
What do you think the mission of the church is?
What do you think the mission of the church is?
1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Immediately we see that the gospel is spreading like wildfire.
Any time we see a mass movement of the gospel, it is not something to take for granted. Luke was purposeful in placing this in the text. Remember, for years this faith was thought to be only a path of freedom for God’s people, but the recent events in Acts shows very much the opposite.
2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Some of the church leaders were not responding correctly to Peter’s report...
They were upset about the fact that Peter was sitting with a gentile (Cornelius) who had yet to be circumcised, instead of celebrating Cornelius’ salvation!
What is the “circumcised party” and why is it a big deal that Cornelius and his family were uncircumcised.
In order to understand exactly why circumcision was central to their understanding of the covenant with God, salvation, and the relationship between the OT and the NT, we need to go back to Genesis where the first covenant was established...
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
God was clear in the covenant sign that men would partake in. Circumcision would be a sign, or a mark, that a man was a part of God’s covenant.
The opposite is true as well.
We see this language all over scripture. It points to their identification.
18 And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?”
6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”
Circumcision was more than a physical act, but a moral act.
Israel was called to live a lifestyle of holiness and purity… The nations around them were filled with debauchery and sexual immorality.
Circumcision set the nation of Israel a part as it was a sign of their commitment to totally reject anything regarding sexual immorality and their commit to pursuing holiness.
Back to the circumcision party...
They believed in Jesus as the Messiah. They understood that He came to fulfill all of the prophecies and set people free, declaring a coming kingdom free from sin...
They also understood that He was Lord, and the Son of God.
What they did not understand was that this salvation was not just for the Jews, but also for the gentiles… or the uncircumcised.
This presents a problem...
At surface level, we would assume this as a problem of prejudice perspective.
Prejudice: a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
Definitely not just a racial issue...
The is a great, deep, and moral issue. Even though they are wrong for this… it wasn’t wrongly motivated.
With this problem in place, we head to Peter’s defense.
4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
Before Peter goes on explaining himself, he has two charges to answer to “the circumcised party.”
What was he doing in a gentile home?
Why had he acted as he had when the gentiles believed the gospel? (Remember, Peter was celebrating and now begin to understand the inclusive nature of the gospel to ALL people.)
To answer question one is extremely simple- he was responding to a vision from God.
The Lord led and he followed.
The second question is more theologically intwined.
Peter validates their salvation, not because they were circumcised (they obviously weren’t) but by what....? The falling of the Holy Spirit.
He brings his defense to a close by stating the words of Jesus… something the Holy Spirit does within us when we are sharing of the good news and the truth of the gospel!
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
This is Jesus’ own words!
The Holy Spirit’s role is being exemplified here…
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
He will bring truth to our minds when we are in need of it.
I love how he ends the conversation...
17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
At the end of the day, this is a pretty amazing story.
God had to turn upside down centuries of Judaic tradition so that the sin-infested, stiff-necked, pagan-worshipping, idol-worshipping, rebellious people of the gentiles would be able to receive life.
This is us. Notice what the passage says here...
18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
God granted them this gift. This was God’s doing. Peter’s obedience allowed him to be used a vessel- he was a distributer of this gift. It was ultimately from God.
This is the same for us today!
So what about circumcision? Is it necessary for today?
Paul helps us understand this in Colossians 2:8-14.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
This is about the heart.
This is about what God can do.