ACTS 11 & 12
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the
Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter arrived back in
Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3 “You entered the home of
Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. 4 Then Peter told them exactly what
had happened. Acts 11:1-4 NLT
7 And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’ 8 “‘No, Lord,’ I
replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared
impure or unclean.’ 9 “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call
something unclean if God has made it clean.’ Acts 11:7 NLT
Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the
Gentiles had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter arrived back in
Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3 “You entered the home of
Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. Acts 11:1-2 NLT
Criticism: the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on
perceived faults or mistakes.
11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he
did was very wrong. Galatians 2:11 NLT
12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not
circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t
eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people
who insisted on the necessity of circumcision (Jewish Laws). 13 As a result, other
Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led
astray by their hypocrisy. 14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of
the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew
by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are
you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?
15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a
person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.
And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God
because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one
will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:11-16 NLT
… our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave
him— 16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are
hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his
letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of
Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16 NLT
I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all. 1 Cor. 14:18 NASB
For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no
one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2
NASB
3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to
come. Jeremiah 33:3 NLT
19 Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after
Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They
preached the word of God, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of the believers
who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles
about the Lord Jesus. 21 The power of the Lord was with them, and a large
number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21 NLT
22 When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas
to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing (Grace),
he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the
Lord. Acts 11:22-23 NLT
Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And
many people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:24 NLT
27 During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of
them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit
that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled
during the reign of Claudius.) 29 So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief
to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they
could. 30 This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the
elders of the church in Jerusalem. Acts 11:27-30 NLT
12 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the
church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When
Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter.
(This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him,
placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended
to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in
prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with
two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison
gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord
stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said,
“Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get
dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow
me,” the angel ordered. 9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the
time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually
happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron
gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed
through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left
him. 11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has
sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had
planned to do to me!” 12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the
mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at
the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When
she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the
door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” Acts
12:6-14 NLT
Bible Trivia:
A) Praise God! He is a miracle worker!
B) He’s Faithful!
C) You’re out of your mind!
15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said… Acts 12:15 NLT
When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” Acts 12:15 NLT
16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and
saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them
how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what
happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. 18 At dawn there was a
great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. 19 Herod
Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod
interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Acts 12:16-19 NLT
…When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and
made a speech to them. 22 The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s
the voice of a god, not of a man!” 23 Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod
with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving
the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. Acts 12:21-23
NLT
24 Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new
believers. Acts 12:24 NLT
