Acts 11:1-18
Reflect
Our passage today describes a pivotal moment in the early church. Peter has just returned from sharing the gospel and baptizing the first recorded Gentile believers. He is in the hot seat as fellow Jewish believers criticize him, their leader. Peter has just introduced that century’s controversy in the church: how to engage, share and participate in the gospel as a Jew with people from other cultures. It was a question that the early church wrestled with for years, and in many ways, has continued to wrestle since that time. The questions might vary depending on the context, but the root is still the same.
What is important to note is that Peter had a profound heavenly vision that was then affirmed in experience. He also referenced the words of Christ in recognizing the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He is not simply rationalizing and reasoning his way to a conclusion. Peter is experiencing first-hand the fulfillment of OT prophecy that is later affirmed by the apostle Paul in his defence of sharing the gospel outside the Jewish community (see Romans 9 and Galatians 2 & 3).
Apply
Sometimes the work of God looks different than our cultural (and church life) expectations. When we are tempted to be offended by another believer’s perspective, let’s instead be curious and ask “why?” Are we basing our understanding on a cultural paradigm or on Scripture?
Pastor Melissa
Pray
- Pray through the prayer section in our program.
- Pray for Karen Alksne, our Congregational Life Ministry Associate.
- Pray for our Congregational Life Pastor, Mike Bartusek and his family.
- Pray for our Hospitality Coordinator, Irene Dickau.