Acts Chapter 11 1~~And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2-3~~ And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision {saved, yet legalistic Jews} kept on contending face to face with him, 3~~saying, "You went in to men uncircumcised {went into their house}, and did eat with them." {Note: The Church in Jerusalem had a group of very legalistic Jews who, though saved, still felt the Mosaic Law and all the Jewish taboo's of the day should be followed - as Peter himself had until his trance and thinking about what it meant.} 4-5~~But Peter began to retell the matter from the beginning, and began to expound by order unto them, saying, 5~~"I was in the city of Joppa praying and in a trance I saw a vision . . . a certain food locker descended, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me." {Note: 1) Divine Guidance ALWAYS begins with prayer!} 6~~"Upon the which, when I had stared 'bug-eyed', I kept on thinking, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air." {Note: 2) Divine Guidance -through THINKING!} {Note: 3) And verses 7-10 Divine Guidance through the WORD.} 7~~"And I heard a voice saying unto me,'Arise, Peter. Slay and eat.' " 8~~"But I said, 'NO, Lord. For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth." 9~~"But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed, do NOT call common!' " 10~~ "And this was done three times. And all were drawn up again into heaven." 11~~"And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me." {Note: Divine Guidance by the Holy Spirit} 12~~"And the spirit bid me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house." {Note: Divine Guidance by the Comparison} 13~~"And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.' " 14~~"Who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved." 15~~"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us in the beginning." {Note: Divine Guidance by remembering scripture} 16~~"Then I remembered the Word of the Lord {Acts 1:5}, how that He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' " {PETER ORIENTED TO GRACE!} 17~~"Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ . . . what was I, that I could withstand God? " 18~~When they heard these things, they held their peace {temporary defeat of legalism in Jerusalem}, and glorified God, saying, "Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." {Note: Salvation - did not say 'we are ALL ONE!' Paul clarifies this point.} 19~~Now they who were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose from Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch . . . preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. {Note: The point here is the Legalistic Jews of the Church at Jerusalem understood that Gentiles could be saved, but would not accept that there is no more Jew or Gentile in the Church. They evangelized Jews only.} 20~~ And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Grecians {Greek speaking Jews} . . . preaching {witnessing} the Lord Jesus. {Note: Antioch is the third largest city in population and becomes the great center of the early Church after the Church at Jerusalem is overtaken by legalism.} 21~~ And the hand of the Lord was with them {blessed}. And a great number believed, and turned upon the Lord. {Note: 'Turned upon the Lord' is often used in Gentiles accepting Christ}. 22~~ Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. 23-24~~Who {Barnabas}, when he came {to Antioch from the immediate source of Jerusalem}, and had seen the grace of God, kept on receiving inner happiness {rejoiced}, and kept on encouraging {exhorted} them all, that with doctrine {purpose} in their frontal lobe {heart} they would keep on abiding face to face with {cleave to} the Lord 24~~for he kept on being a good {good of intrinsic value - divine good} noble man EVEN full of the Holy Spirit and of faith . . . and many people were added unto the Lord. {Note: Barnabas was a great grace believer and it takes one to know one (he recognized the grace operation going on in Antioch.) His great mission was to go bring an even stronger Grace Teacher to Antioch - Saul - the Apostle Paul.} 25~~ Then {when the Church was large) departed with a purpose Barnabas to Tarsus, to search up and down for Saul. 26~~And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that for a whole year {44AD} they assembled themselves with the church, and taught many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. {Note: They were called 'Christians' in Antioch because it was a Gentile word of derision. But it actually is interesting in that it is a Hebrew concept, A Greek word (Christos - the anointed) with a Roman suffix (ian) meaning 'belonging to'. The unbelieving Jews would not have called them this because they have great respect for the Greek word. The Jews called Christians . . . Galileens or Nazarenes. The Church called themselves disciples, brethren, saints, 'Walking in the Way', etc. Interesting that 'Christian' is the main word that survives to today.} {Note: In 44 AD, the Church at Jerusalem starts to go down hill. It is also the year Herod Agrippa, the great persecutor of the Church, dies. His son takes the throne and causes the trouble with Rome where Jerusalem will go down in 70AD under the Fifth cycle of discipline.} 27~~And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28~~And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit {means prophesy about the future} that there should be great famine throughout all the {Roman} world . . . which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. {Two years later} {Note: Agabus was a grace man who warned Paul it was NOT God's will for Paul to return to Jerusalem. Paul violated this and spent 4 years in prison.} 29~~Then the disciples, every man . . . as every man kept on having the ability, determined {set aside} to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea. {Note: This is not socialism. This is a different believer giving based on how the Lord has blessed him with prosperity. Antioch was a prosperous church and much money was raised for the relief of the believers in Jerusalem.} 30~~Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. ************************************************** Joshua_Sozo™ and Syndein ™ are the Trademarks of Syndein a California DBA of Kenneth Sidley & Associates, Inc., a California Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright© Syndein 1982-2010. All rights reserved. This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. 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