Grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and the criticism and scrutiny of the Jewish culture.

Acts 11:1-18

• Jewish people contend with Peter in Jerusalem for associating with Gentiles.
• Peter explains the vision to call no person unclean whom God has cleansed.

Jewish people contend with Peter in Jerusalem for associating with Gentiles.
“Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” Acts 11:1-3

The grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ was clearly with Peter and the Apostles but not so much with those upholding the laws of Judaism. Grace and mercy were ruined by those who said Gentiles had no right to associate and eat with the Jewish people. Those following Judaism instead of Jesus were very unmerciful and disrespectful to men who didn’t have their foreskin cut off. Needless to say, “those of the circumcision” were stumbling blocks, barriers, and hinderers of the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, with the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ living through Peter and the Apostles, the testimony of Jesus reached into the Jewish population, to the Gentile regions all around, and eventually to all seven continents around the world. The message of Jesus Christ that the Apostles taught was a simple one, serving God came by faith in Jesus Christ, nothing else, and not through the laws of Judaism.

Our sanctification is a process of removing the attitudes that prevent the mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus from being available to others. Holiness enables us to put aside ungracious and unmerciful behaviors and words. Then we are able to present Jesus to others. How can the Gospel of Christ be given to others when we are throwing stones of criticism, scrutiny, despise, and self-righteousness at others?

We live in a world where love has gone cold and the mercy and grace of Jesus is next to non-existent. Hostile attitudes of non-acceptance abound in today’s culture because they use social disapproval within a process of behavioral modification to change what people speak and do. They use social approval, esteem, dignity, and respect for those who speak and do according to the will of the community culture. Behavioral modification is used to conform people to welcome the beast that gives what to speak, do, think, and feel. Grace and mercy

Peter explains the vision to call no person unclean whom God has cleansed.
“But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me.” Acts 11:4-5

Peter found it necessary to explain why he entered the house of non-Jewish Gentiles and remained with them for a few days and eating their non-kosher Gentile food. His explanation was directed towards the Jewish people who embraced the laws of Judaism. In today’s world, kindness and goodwill are evaporating like water in a summer heat wave. When we are generous and accepting of those whom today’s culture rejects, we are scrutinized and detested. Today’s culture lives by the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel which isolates those who are not part of their culture. To preach the Good News to the whosoever is a breach of trust and loyalty to the community network. Needless to say, there is the intent to drive the Gospel of Jesus Christ into extinction.

Revelations of the Bible scriptures come to us when we are growing, learning, and struggling to grasp new truths about the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. We struggle to keep our faith in Jesus Christ when thoughts and feelings make war with our views of what a Christian should be. That is when new insights come as to what it means to be saved by grace, to receive Salvation as a gift, being sinners saved only by grace. Our Salvation is summed up like this, “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Remember, Peter had healed a paralyzed man, raised Tabitha from the dead, and brought multitudes to Jesus Christ before seeing the vision. In other words, the Spirit of God was working through an imperfect person, still growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. No matter how imperfect that we know we are, God’s Salvation is for whoever believes in His Son Jesus.

“When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.” Acts 11:6-10

The whole purpose of the vision that Peter saw is to teach him that it was OK to enter into the home of non-Jewish Gentiles, to eat their non-kosher foods, and to befriend them as an actual brother and sister in Jesus Christ. As odd as it seems, as tolerant as what Peter was in bringing the testimony of Jesus to the Gentiles, he was not able to associate with them as family members, to stay with them for days in their home, nor to eat whatever food they gave him to eat. This is seen when Peter said, “‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’” Peter said this in response to the Lord telling him to eat food that was unlawful to eat by Jewish laws.

The purpose of Peter’s vision is summed up in this way, “‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.” The Lord was growing Peter in His grace and mercy to see all people as being important to God through Jesus Christ. All of the people whom Peter healed and brought to Jesus Christ were to be thought of as family members, people to fellowship and eat with inside their homes. No more is the family of God the exclusive rights of the Jewish culture, but anyone who lives for God through Jesus Christ are considered family.

Part of our sanctification is to remove hostile or belittling attitudes towards others, that is Holiness being worked within us.

“At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’” Acts 11:11-14

“At that very moment” is what many refer to as being a “coincidence”. Many “coincidences” happen in today’s culture, which is global. The beast that has power over physiology influences what people speak and do to make people say, “What a coincidence!” However, those coincidences do nothing to foster belief in God the Creator, nor to glorify the name of Jesus, nor do they bond people in the Holy Spirit.

The “coincidence” that happened to Peter led to fostering belief in God, glorifying the name of Jesus, and bringing the infilling of the Holy Spirit. At the very moment the Lord was teaching Peter, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” three “unclean” non-Jewish Gentiles came knocking on his door. When we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus, it brings down barriers and long-held views to open the door for the gospel of Jesus Christ to being shared. Our born-again testimony is the Gospel of Christ written in our heart.

Peter and his six companions broke the Jewish law by entering the home of the “unclean” Roman Centurion, eating their non-kosher food, and staying with them for a few days. That is what the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ is all about, which is summed up in this way, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…” Romans 5:8 The “unclean” person that Peter stayed with was obedient to the word of God, had a heart willing to please God, ready to receive Jesus Christ, and prepared to receive the Holy Spirit. Peter went into the home of the “unclean” person and spoke words through which the Centurion and his entire household would be saved.

“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” Acts 11:15-18

The born-again Jewish leaders listening to Peter said, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” What a day of rejoicing when someone comes to Jesus and begins living in the presence of the Holy Spirit. In today’s culture, the opposite happens as Christian births and the Holy Spirit is met with hostility, “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:6-8 The “he” in that verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

It’s pretty easy to rephrase scriptures, for example, “And as Peter began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon the Apostles at the beginning. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If therefore God gave the non-Jewish the same gift as He gave to the Apostles when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was Peter that he could withstand God?” When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to everyone repentance to life.”

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11