Study 24. Acts 10:34 -11:18

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For Thought and Discussion: What would you say to someone who asked why the resurrected Jesus appeared only to certain witnesses, not the crowds (see 10:41)?
God is choosy about who He reveals Himself to, and who is entrusted with the responsibility of witnessing. He reveaols himself to those he can trust.
cf. And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Mt 13:11-12)
 

For Thought and Discussion: Why was it necessary to baptize the Gentiles in water in addition to their experience in 10:44-46?
Water baptism was commanded in Mt 28:19. It remains the initiatory rite that signifies the inner baptism of the Spirit. It was and is the visible sign of full inclusion into the people of God. It was the sign of cleansing from sin, and so of forgiveness (2:38) Since the Gentiles had been baptized with the Holy Spirit, it followed that they were eligible to be baptized with water.

It is possible that the use of the verb forbid (also used in 8:36 with reference to the Ethiopian eunuch) reflects a stereotyped phrase used at baptism.
"the new fellowship in the church between Jews and Gentiles was cemented during a brief stay by Peter with Cornelius. At the same time, this interval allowed news of what had happened to reach Jerusalem before Peter himself arrived back." (Marshall)


7. What unprecedented thing happened in the middle of Peter’s speech (see 10:44-46)? 
'The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word'
'the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out'
'speaking in tongues and extolling God'
“You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit”
 
 God interrupted Peter's message. There was spontaneous, visible manifestation of the Spirit's power. There was no possibility of a man-made event
 
 
8. What did this signify? 
The Gentiles had received the Spirit just as Jews had. God had directly approved of their inclusion into the church.
 
9. Why were Peter’s fellow Jewish believers astonished (see 10:45)?
 Because the Spirit was poured out 'even on the Gentiles'.
"It was one thing to make an attempt to preach to Gentiles; it was quite another to see the sermon interrupted by the clear signs of their conversion and reception of God’s gift" (Marshall)


10. What shocked the Jerusalem church most about the rumors from Caesarea was not that Peter had baptized Gentiles. What shocked them most, and why (see 11:1-3)?
 The Gentiles also 'had received the word of God'
Peter 'went to uncircumsised men and ate with them' 
The circumcision party just could not get over the idea that salvation was open to Gentiles. They were still fixated on the importance of ritual Mosaic law.
 
the Greek phrase simply means ‘those belonging to the circumcision’, i.e. ‘those who were of Jewish birth" (Marshall)

If Jewish Christians felt bound by the Jewish food laws, there could not be fellowship with Gentile Christians (or contact with non-Christian Gentiles) unless the Gentiles were circumcised and observed the Jewish food laws themselves. (Marshall)
 
 
11. Consider Peter’s account of the events (see 11:4-17). What was the significance of this whole episode (see 11:18), and why was it so important? (Optional: See Ephesians 2:11-22.) 
 "And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction"
…he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’
 "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?” 
tell Peter's interpretation of events.
 
"For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,"
 
12. It may be hard to imagine a time when the idea of a Gentile Christian was astonishing. Still, what is the most important insight about God, the gospel, the church, or yourself that you have had from 9:32–11:18?
The gospel is for all. We must not discriminate evangelsim on the basis of race, culture or prior religion


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