Acts Chapter 11
CONTENTS
1. 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 to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” (v.1-3)
2. 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. 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. 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.’ 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 shall 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?” (v.4-17)
3. When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.” (v.18)
4. Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord (v.19-21).
5. Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord (v.22-24).
6. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (v.25-26).
7. And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (v.27-30).
COMMENTARY
1. When the apostles and brethren at Jerusalem heard that the Gentiles had received the word and that Peter had gone to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius a Gentile and ate with him, they contented with Peter when he returned to Jerusalem over this matter. Peter explained that he went to Cornelius and preached Jesus Christ to him and household because he was told in a vision as he fasted and prayed at Joppa, to rise and kill and eat the animals, wild beasts, creeping things and birds of the air that were in the great sheet let down from heaven by four-corners. He refused to kill and eat the animals, wild beasts, creeping things and birds of the air, saying that nothing common or unclean had at any time entered his mouth. But the voice of the Lord said, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” That happened three times before all were drawn up again into heaven. Just at that moment, three men from Caesarea stood before the house where he was at Joppa. The Spirit told him to go with them, doubting nothing. Six brethren accompanied him. When they entered the house at Caesarea, Cornelius told them how he had seen an angel standing in his house four days earlier. The angel 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.” Peter then remembered and reflected on the vision he saw at the housetop at Joppa where he prayed. He perceived that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. Peter opened his mouth and preached. When Peter began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon him and the disciples at the beginning. It was then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, “John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Peter told the brethren who contented with him, “If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave to 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.”
That was the turning point in the history of the apostolic church, a milestone in the apostolic church ministry of the gospel of salvation. For it was revealed through what happened at Caesarea that God had also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. What happened included how Cornelius an Italian centurion saw an angel telling him to send men to Joppa to call Peter to them; how Peter had the vision wherein he was told to kill and eat even the unclean animals and beasts and birds; how when he refused, the Lord told him not to call anything common what had been cleansed by God; how he was charged by the Holy Spirit to go with the men sent by Cornelius doubting nothing; and how when Cornelius and household heard Peter speak the word of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured down on them who were uncircumcised (10:44-46). It was a milestone, for from then on, the apostles turned to the Gentiles when the Jews rejected the word of truth, the gospel of salvation which they proclaimed to them (Acts 13:44-48). And Paul and Barnabas were separated by the Lord Jesus to go to the foreign lands and preach the word of truth, the gospel of salvation (13:1-3).
2. The brethren who scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen, travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. At that time, it was primarily the Jewish believers who were persecuted. Consequently, the Jewish Christians were the ones moving out and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in various regions. They shared the gospel with the Jews because they still met in the synagogues and held many of the Jewish traditions.
3. Antioch of Syria was founded by Seleucius I. He named it after his father. The city was cosmopolitan, attracting people of various cultures and ethnic backgrounds-including those from Persia, India and even China. The gospel proclaimed in Antioch would have tremendous potential for reaching other areas of the world. The city being culturally diverse, it was not controlled by one religious’ group, making the people more open to hearing the truth of the gospel message.
4. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord at Antioch. Then news came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. Barnabas was nicknamed ‘Son of encouragement’ by the apostles. He was a Levite of the country of Cyprus. John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (4:36-37; Col.4:10). When Barnabas came and had seen the grace of the God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord (11:24-26).
More believers shall be added to the Lord if the word of truth, the gospel of salvation is proclaimed widely and intensively to the people and in all the nations of the world. If gospel workers and ministers of the word of God are good and sincere, filled with the Holy Spirit and of faith, full of love and spirituality, the unbelievers shall be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Barnabas, when he came to Antioch and saw the grace of God, he encouraged the brethren to continue in the Lord with purpose of heart. A great many people were added to the Lord because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.
5. Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Paul and brought him to Antioch. Paul had since several years earlier returned to Tarsus, being sent back by the disciples in Jerusalem. They brought him down to Caesarea to set him on a voyage by ship, because of the plot of the Jews to kill him in the city (9:28-30). Together, when Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch, they shepherded the church for one whole year. The believers were for the first time called Christians there. The name ‘Christians’ at that time was what the people labelled the followers of Jesus Christ with intent to mock them. Nowadays, the term ‘Christians’ refers to believers of Jesus Christ, who supposedly are morally upright and religiously devout to one true God Jesus, and full of charity and of compassion. When famine struck throughout the Roman world (AD 41-48), the disciples at Antioch, each according to his ability, were determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. Barnabas and Paul travelled to Jerusalem to send it to the elders by their hands.
Barnabas was a faithful servant of God, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. He was magnanimous in heart, one filled with encouragement. His magnanimous virtue resulted in Saul becoming Paul the apostle, and John Mark being groomed to be a useful worker of the Lord (Acts 14:14; II Tim, 1:11-12; 4:11). It was he who brought Saul to the apostles in Jerusalem and declared to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road to Damascus, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly there in the name of Jesus. Before that, the apostles were afraid of Saul and did not believe that he was a believer (9:26-28). When the believers at Antioch increased, Barnabas remembered Saul who was sent back to Tarsus several years earlier from Jerusalem. He went to seek Saul and brought him to Tarsus. Together, Barnabas and Saul assembled with the church for one whole year and taught a great many people (v.24-26).
In the first missionary journey, John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas but departed at Pamphylia. In the second missionary journey to the foreign land, Paul insisted not to have John Mark go with them, who had departed in the first missionary journey and had not gone with them to the work. But Barnabas was determined to take John with them. So, there was a sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas. Later Paul went with Silas on the second missionary journey, while Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus.
TEACHINGS
1. Preach the gospel in season and out of season Heed the guidance of the Holy Spirit and command of the Lord Jesus Christ when performing the ministry of the word of truth, the gospel of salvation in all the world. Obey the church and be faithful to fulfill the commission to preach Jesus Christ and salvation (Acts 1:8, 4:8-12,18-20; 5:17-32, 40-42; Mark 16:15-16; Matt. 24:14; 28:19-20).
2. Should there be oppositions and criticisms from certain quarters of the church, be ready to make a defence for the work of God and the command of the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel of salvation everywhere. Yet, contending for the truth and speaking to defend the work of God, ought to be done in godliness and gentleness with the purpose of making known the divine will clearly to remove any misconception and suspicion (I Pet.3:15-16).
3. Rely on the Holy Spirit and be guided by Him when enlisting workers of the gospel and servants of Jesus Christ for the ministry of the church. Barnabas was led by the Holy Spirit to remember Saul at Tarsus, who for several years was an itinerant evangelist whom the church had yet to appoint as a minister to serve God. Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Saul and brought him to Antioch where they assembled with the church and taught many people.
Both Barnabas and Saul were laid hands upon and sent by the prophets and elders at Antioch to the work which the Lord had prepared for them (13:1-3). Being sent out by the church, they were known as apostles (14:14).
4. Be magnanimous in heart to accept fellow workers in the ministry and to work together to further the work of the gospel to the glory of God and edification of the brethren (I Cor. 3:8-10). Paul circumcised Timothy at Lystra and brought him into the ministry (16:2-4; Phil. 3:19-23). Barnabas who was determined to have Mark go on the second missionary journey, separated from Paul and went with John Mark to Cyprus.
For Paul insisted not to take John in the second missionary journey; reason being John had departed from them at Pamphylia in the first and did not go to work. Instead, Silas went with Paul on the second journey. John Mark who accompanied Barnabas to Cyprus was thus groomed to be a useful worker even to Paul later (Col.4:10).
5. Paul knew that his appointment as a minister of the word was from the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore devoted his life to fulfill the ministry and the course which he had given from Him even unto death. Paul readily came forth from Tarsus when sought by Barnabas to assemble with the church at Antioch and teach the word of God there.
6. Giving to the needy especially those in the household of faith is sowing to the Spirit. In due course we shall reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8-10; Prov. 19:17). So be generous in good deeds ready to give, and willing to share, thus storing up for ourselves a good foundation for the time to come, that we may lay hold of eternal life (I Tim. 6:17-19)
