Acts: Part 4 - Ch. 11-14
Peter The Rock
As we move onto the next four chapters in the book of Acts, we conclude the interaction between Peter and Cornelius and come to a great report from Peter in Jerusalem. The more we read the book of Acts, the more we will see why Peter is the one chosen by Jesus to be the rock that the Church of Christ will be built upon. Paul’s conversion and works for the Lord are focused on for a vast majority of the book of Acts and certainly for the rest of the New Testament, but we can’t allow this to take away our focus from the life of Peter and all the ways that God used him for the building up of His Church. As Ligonier Ministries biblically points out, “Peter’s significance in the history of the church can hardly be overestimated. He was the first of the disciples to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Jewish Messiah, as we read in today’s passage. In response to this confession, Jesus told Peter that Christ would build His church on the “rock” such that it would overcome hell itself.” Anyone who Jesus uses to this extent should definitely be observed and studied as God will continue to use him for His glory as the Church is built according to His design. Peter’s life may not be mentioned and seen as much as Paul’s in the entirety of the New Testament, however, we must be careful to not overshadow the job and responsibilities that Peter himself had in starting the true Church. As we go through today’s chapters, I hope you will see just how significant Peter was for the launching of Christ’s Church and how it even impacts us today.
Salvation For All
To begin, we must look at what Peter was being accused of in chapter eleven and how he responded to these confrontations. When Peter arrives in Jerusalem in chapter eleven, he is met with many circumcised believers who are frustrated with him for eating and dwelling with uncircumcised men. Peter goes on to tell them the vision that God gave him before meeting with Cornelius and their response is amazing. Peter states in Acts 11:17-18 “Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” The separation between Jews and Gentiles was a great one before Christ came, so when people heard of communion between the two, it was often met with accusations and frustration. And yet, when these people hear of Peter’s vision and know how God has destined to use Peter, they can’t help but admit that God has clearly extended salvation to all people, and not just those who have followed the Old Testament Law. Chapter eleven ends by telling us that some of the believers who fled after Stehpen’s execution went to Antioch where they continued their duties of the Church with Barnabas and Saul at the helm.
This leads us right to chapter twelve where we see Peter thrown in prison by King Herod, right after this evil king put James, John’s brother to death. Herod and his people were not pleased with this Christian movement spreading so they attempted to put an end to it. Then while Peter was in prison, something amazing occurred. Acts 12:7 tells us “And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near Peter, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.” This is an amazing event that certainly shows how God’s use of Peter is great. To be sentenced to prison by the king, surrounded by guards with no way out, and then suddenly released by an angel can only be a great work of God. Once Peter is released, he goes to the house of Mary the mother of John where many are there praying for him and they are all amazed at his story and the sovereignty of God for saving his life and freeing him from prison. Chapter twelve ends with the death of King Herod in a gruesome manner. After King Herod gave an address to the people of Tyre and Sidon, they began worshiping him as a god. When Herod accepted this worship rather than giving it to God, an angel of the Lord came and struck him and he was eaten by worms and died.
The Journey
This takes us to chapter thirteen where Paul and Barnabus are the spotlight. The Holy Spirit singles out Paul and Barnabus at the beginning of this chapter and requests that they be set apart for the work that He has called them to do. These two went proclaiming the gospel in Cyprus, Antioch, and many other places that were full of frustrated Jews. The Jews still thought that salvation belonged to them alone and didn’t want to hear what Paul and Barnabus had to say about salvation being available to all. Acts: 13:46-48 says “Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I HAVE APPOINTED YOU AS A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.’” When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed.” What an amazing accomplishment of the gospel! Just as we saw in multiple of the gospels themselves, the mission of Christ was not just meant for one particular race but rather for all who respond in repentance and faith to this good news.
From here, chapter fourteen tells us of all the places Paul and Barnabas continue to travel and spread the gospel to. These men go on to evangelize to Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and eventually back to Antioch. These trips were not without their hardships, however. After Paul tells the people of Lystra that he is not a god and that the one and only true God can only be found through Jesus Christ, the people are very upset with him. Acts 14:19-20 “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.” So many people today are nervous about evangelizing because of the judgment that will come their way, not because their own lives are on the line. I hope and pray that God will give me this same level of boldness when witnessing to others. When we stand back and look at these four chapters, it’s clear that Peter and Paul play massive roles in Christ’s Church taking off. Peter is the rock that Christ used to start His Church and Paul along with many others shared the gospel wherever he went in order to bring as many into the faith as possible, despite the suffering that came his way. As we continue our journey through Acts, may the Lord open our eyes to how the Church today should function and how we as believers should live.
Sources
[1] Blue Letter Bible. (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/
[2] The Significance of Peter | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org
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