April 25, 2022 – Monday
Acts 11:18 NIV
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.”
Comment.
This is a chapter whereby God confirms Gentiles are also able to avail themselves of the salvation offered through the Grace of Jesus Christ. It begins with Peter explaining his actions to 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.”
There was great prejudice by many Jews against Gentiles and so great was the prejudice that it was considered sinful for a Jew to enter the house of uncircumcised men and eat with them. It simply was not done. However, Peter shares a vision from God he had received with them. Then how men from Caesarea showed up where he was staying asking him to go with them. The Holy Spirit said to go. That is how he and six companions ended up entering the house of a Gentile. I imagine he was shocked when v13-14 the man of the 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.’
Peter continued with his story of what happened, saying, 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?” And that is when we come to our verse of the day, 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.” There would be future objections as a number of Jews did not want Gentiles to join the faith unless they also to some degree became Jewish, which for the men would have meant circumcision. As we read through the book of Acts and many of Paul’s letters, we will find this was an ongoing battle between those following Christ and those who that were called Judaizers who insisted Gentile Christians live like Jews, observing their customs and rites.
Nonetheless, Peter’s experience went a long way in quieting the jealous prejudices of the Jews, and preserving the peace of the Church. Some still only spread the word among Jews but, 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.
Bottom Line: Repentance is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. Repentance is part of accepting God’s gift of salvation through His Son.
Prayer: Dear Father LORD, Thank You that Jesus dies for the sins of all, Jew and Gentile alike. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek