Acts 11– 12

Acts 11– 12

Acts 11 continues the account of Peter’s change of heart about preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, but then what was he supposed to do? After all, those who received Christ under Peter’s teaching received the Holy Spirit. Peter could do nothing else except baptize them in the name of Jesus Christ.

When he returns to Jerusalem, he has to explain his going into a Gentile’s home and eating with them. He reminds them of the Lord’s words about John baptizing with water, but that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. “And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

Early on the in ministry of the apostles, John’s brother James is killed with a sword. Chapter 12 relates one of the best stories in the entire book of Acts. Peter is imprisoned, but the Lord sends an angel to loose his chains and release him from prison. Meanwhile, the church was praying at the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. When Peter knocks on the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda hears his voice and is so overjoyed that she leaves Peter standing outside the door and runs back inside to tell everyone that Peter is standing outside the door. Too funny!

Peter’s chains falling off always remind me of a verse of the song And Can It Be:

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Tomorrow, we’ll read Acts 13– 14.

I arrived at my brother’s safely about 2 pm -- a beautiful day for a drive.

Until next time.