Looking back at the last two blog posts I wrote (“Plain Speech” and “No Contradiction”), I’d have to say I’m creating a series. Today’s post combines aspects of the main issue discussed in the first two: direct and deep communication. I found additional verses in the book of Acts which on the surface contain inconsistencies.
But they don’t. It’s only an impression.
Luke has a way of layering spiritual and historical matters and if we meditate on these elements, we can grow in our understanding of the mind of Christ.
We’ll look at one verse this week and cover the second one next week. Here’s the first verse: “When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life’” – (Acts 11:18 [NKJV]).
Let’s begin with the background.
Acts 10 relates the account of Peter’s call to preach the gospel to a Gentile named Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion who had no ethnic connection to Israel, but he admired the Jewish faith and practiced it to an impressive degree. God noticed his dedication, and sent an angel to tell the officer to send soldiers to ask Peter to come to his house and teach him and his household.
Cornelius obeyed, and Peter accepted the invitation, but only after some reflection. The apostle was still accustomed to the principle that Jews would defile themselves by entering into the homes of Gentiles and eating with them. So God showed Peter a vision of a large sheet on which were all different kinds of animals. Since it was noon and Peter was hungry, the Lord told Peter to pick one and prepare it. He objected because these animals were unclean; to eat one would be to disobey the Mosaic law. But God told him He was declaring these animals clean.
This vision occurred three times in succession; the Lord must have wanted to drive home the point! While Peter was trying to figure out what he’d witnessed, the soldiers showed up at the house and invited him to visit Cornelius.
By the time Peter arrived, he knew what the Lord was teaching him. It wasn’t about animals, but people. The Gentiles were welcome into the family of God, too. All that mattered was faith in Jesus Christ; one’s ethnicity made no difference.
While Peter preached, the Holy Spirit fell on the audience, thereby proving that God accepted them. So Peter baptized the new converts. If God welcomed them, he would do so, too!
But Peter got into trouble for his efforts. Acts 11:1-18 describes how Jewish Christians objected to Peter sharing meals with Gentiles. Not good; you have to keep your distance!
But the apostle rehearsed his vision and his experience. It was clear to him that God was bringing Gentiles into the church like He had been leading Jews to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.
All this is the background of Acts 11:18. When the Jewish believers finished listening to Peter, they ran out of arguments. Having nothing to add, they fell silent.
But they also spoke up.
These Jewish Christians reached the same conclusion that Peter had arrived at: Gentiles can now become members of God’s family like the Jews.
A superficial reading of the verse presents a contradiction: a silent group speaking. People can’t do both at the same time!
But Luke wasn’t being silly; he was stressing how Christ was opening up the people of God. Through Him, all could have access to the Father. And the seal of the Spirit reinforced that this was indeed God’s will and plan.
The verse has no discrepancy; Luke’s reporting is accurate. The first Christians abandoned their objections to the universality of the gospel.
These believers serve as a good example for us. How do we react to a verse or passage in the Bible that rubs us the wrong way? What do we say when God seems to be doing something we hadn’t anticipated?
It’s natural to argue. Peter didn’t condemn his challengers, and Jesus won’t reproach us. But He will inform and correct us. The Lord wants us to know His heart and if we humble ourselves to listen, we will. And when we learn the truth, we need to drop our opposition. It’s time to adjust!
Again, Jesus isn’t mad at us for having opinions. He’s aware of what’s in our hearts; He understands how we see things. But by His Word and His Spirit, God is always working to bring us into alignment with Himself. He won’t quit on us.
So let’s be honest enough to bring our ideas and perspectives to the Lord. But let’s also pay attention to what He communicates to us. When we learn what’s on God’s heart, we grow silent. Not because we’re afraid to talk, but because we’ve discovered another dimension of His amazing truth. He’s sharing His knowledge with us, and that’s an amazing blessing. The best response?
Praise and thanksgiving!
“How great are Your works, LORD, how profound Your thoughts!” – Psalm 92:5
Silent speech–it’s a skill worth developing!
