Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. [2] And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, [3] saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!” [4] But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: [5] “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. [6] When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. [7] And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' [8] But I said, 'Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.' [9] But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God has cleansed you must not call common.' [10] Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. [11] At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. [12] Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. [13] 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, [14] 'who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' [15] And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. [16] 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.' [17] 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?” [18] When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”4
Endnotes:
1. | Ref-1307, 342-345 |
2. | Ref-1307, 342-345 |
3. | Ref-1307, 342-345 |
4. | NKJV, Acts 11:1-18 |
5. | Ref-0081, 225 |
6. | Ref-0200, Volume 149, Vol. 149, (1992): 261 |
7. | “This word [ecclesia] translated church or assembly is found in at least four important meanings in the New Testament. It is used (1) to mean an assembly of people. In this sense it has no special theological meaning. It can refer to Israel as a gathered people in the wilderness (Acts 7:38) or a regular assembly of citizens (Acts 19:39) or a group of people gather for a religious worship (Heb. 2:12). (2) The same word is used for an assembly of Christians in a local church (Acts 8:1,3; Acts 11:22,26) and in the plural for a group of such churches (1Cor. 16:19; Gal. 1:2). Each assembly or church has a local gathering composed of professed Christians. That all in the assembly are not necessarily true believers is clear from the messages to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2-3). (3) Ecclesia is also used of the total of professing Christians without reference to locality and is practically parallel in this sense to Christendom (Acts 12:1; Rom. 16:16; 1Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Rev. 2, Rev. 2:3:Rev. 2:1-22; etc.). The same word is used (4) of the body of Christ, composed of those baptized by the Holy Spirit into the church (1Cor. 12:13). Ecclesia used in this connection becomes a technical word referring to the saints of this age.”5 “The term [ecclesia] is also used to describe non-believers (ἐκκλησια is used in Acts 19:32,38,41 to describe the Diana-worshiping mob of Ephesians).”6 |
8. | Ref-0056, 134 |
Sources:
NKJV | Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture references are from the New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
Ref-0056 | Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995). |
Ref-0081 | John Walvoord, The Millennial Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959). |
Ref-0200 | Roy B. Zuck, ed., Bibliotheca Sacra (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, n.d.). [www.dts.edu]. |
Ref-1307 | Andrew E. Steinmann, From Abraham to Paul (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing, 2011). ISBN:978-0-7586-2799-5d. |