1 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Peter, fresh from his meeting with Cornelius in Caesarea, returns to Jerusalem and is confronted by the “circumcised”. The circumcised are recent Christian converts. These are people who now believe in the risen Christ and are trying to develop an understanding of how to square their former life (Judaism) with their new life (Christianity). It would have been a difficult transformation. Although they may have a new life-saving faith for Jesus, it isn’t easy to shake off the shackles of the law for the freedom that Christ offers.
Judaism is a religion based on duty to following the law. There are 613 levitical and mosaic laws to follow to be in good standing not only with God but with the religious infrastructure of the time. Judaism is also a religion of works. To remain in good standing one has to be adamant about keeping all of the tenants of the law. In Christianity, the ceremonial laws are abolished, but the moral laws remain. So the things that one must do are suddenly reduced to two commandments: Love God with all your heart, mind and body and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37). Those of the “circumcised” nature would have struggled with many of the free concepts Christ offers, including the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s plan.
So the basis of this argument is about the law. Why are the Gentiles now allowed to be in the covenant? The Gentiles receiving the life-changing knowledge of faith in Christ is secondary.
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ 8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. 11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about goingwith them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
Peter recaps the story from verse 4-14. Verse 15 gives us a little more insight into what God was doing. First, the Holy Spirit came on them. The significance of this is striking: the Holy Spirit only comes into those who belong to God. These are the true believers, part of God’s family. The Gentiles at Cornelius’ home truly believed and the Holy Spirit worked in them at that moment. Jesus works through the spirit. Isaiah 49:6 says this:
he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
The spirit given to the Gentiles is the same spirit that was given to the converted Jews. To those who believed in the Lord. And Peter, who initially said no to the vision, comes to a realization: he for a brief moment stood in the way of God. If God wanted the Gentiles to be part of his plan, then it is Peter’s, and our mission, to tend to them. To bring them into an understanding of who God is.
The Church in Antioch 19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Persecution has actually expanded the church since Stephen’s martyrdom. Regular people spread the gospel of Christ through places around Jerusalem. But it is important to note, as verse 19 says, the gospel to this point was only shared among the Jews. So when we get to verse 20, we see some of the believers breaking form and going to Antioch with the message for the Greeks. This is the first instance of regular people spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. And as verse 21 notes, this was very successful. Many turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
We see Barnabas enter again. Who is he?
Acts 4:36-37: Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus. This verse is noteworthy because it precedes the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Barnabas’ just offering of all he had to the apostles is contrasted with Ananias and Saphirra’s unjust offering.
Acts 9:26-28 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
Barnabas was the one who introduced Paul to the apostles. Although Barnabas wasn’t one of the 12, he obviously traveled with them and was highly-regarded by them. He was the bridge that helped Saul give his testimony to the apostles.
Barnabas was sent to Antioch to see what had been done there. But his job wasn’t simply to observe. He also encouraged and help build a true foundation there. When we build a foundation, it is important that the foundation is strong.This is a fundamental of church building. It is also a fundamental of family building. And building ourselves. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 4:11-16:
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Saul was ushered down to Tarsus when another plot to kill him was foiled. Barnabas, we see, is now instrumental to bringing Saul (Paul) to Antioch to assist in the building up of the Christians. Soon Paul and Barnabas will leave together for Paul’s first missionary journey. But for now, the seeds are planted in Antioch. It is the first place the people of The Way are called Christians.
27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
A famine would spread over the Roman world. Their response: believe and prepare. The apostles and people help as they are individually able. Barnabas and Saul are trusted with the resources.