Acts 11:4-18 (NIV)
Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: “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. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
“Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
In the face of attacks against his actions, and even his character, Peter chose the path of rationality. He didn’t lash out, or even get defensive. Instead, he merely recounted the chain of events that had led him to take the actions he had taken.
He began with a simple retelling of the vision of the sheet loaded with unclean animals that had descended from heaven, including his protestations at the very idea of eating anything unclean, as well as the chiding from God’s own lips. He then told about the messengers who arrived at that very moment, calling him to go with them to Caesarea, and the Holy Spirit clearly commanding him to go with them with no hesitation.
Peter took six brothers with him, all of whom were standing there with him. While they couldn’t verify what Peter had testified to so far since it had all happened while Peter was alone and in his heart, not externally where it could be seen by others, they would be able to add their assurance of his accuracy and honesty in all that came next.
Peter’s testimony next emphasized Cornelius’ story of the angel that had appeared to him and commanded him to send for Peter, and the fact that the angel had promised Cornelius that through Peter’s message, Cornelius and his whole household would be saved. This was a clear indication that the plan for bringing salvation to the gentiles had originated with God Himself, and not with Peter.
The key point, however, one which Peter’s six companions easily verified, was the Holy Spirit’s descending on Cornelius and all the others gathered to hear Peter speak. Even the most stringent hard-liners, those who believed that Jesus could save only Jews, was brought up short by this, as it was very well understood that only those who were legitimately saved would be given the Holy Spirit, a fact reemphasized by Peter’s recollection of Jesus’ words in Acts 1:5.
That was all it took, not only to exonerate Peter, but also to persuade the hard-liners that God really was expanding the reach of His kingdom to the gentiles. And, to their credit, they rejoiced over that realization.
Father, it is gratifying to see that even the “hard-liners” had hearts that were open enough that the facts were able to convince them, instead of them simply digging in and resisting what You were doing. Help us all to have the same kind of open hearts that both Peter and his listeners demonstrated as you continue to help us to grow and as You lead us into successive phases of your kingdom work in our own areas. Amen.
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