Reading
Acts 9:32-12:25
The Context
After describing Saul's astounding conversion, Luke turned again to the ministry of Peter. In the first nine chapters, the convicting and regenerating work of God's Spirit has been mostly confined to the Jews. Beginning in chapter 10, Luke describes the Holy Spirit's sovereign activity in a Gentile army officer stationed on the Mediterranean coast. This is a watershed moment in the history of the church. The one true God - the God of the Hebrews - is about to unveil His eternal plan for the Gentiles.
To confirm the Gentiles' acceptance by God and their full inclusion in His kingdom as heirs of grace, Luke records the new converts' experience of the Holy Spirit. Exactly as happened with the Jewish believers at Pentecost, these new Gentile converts began speaking in unlearned foreign languages. The Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter from Joppa were amazed. To show that Peter's evangelistic encounter with the Gentile Cornelius was not a fluke, Luke mentions the widespread outreach that had begun taking place in Antioch. This effort to preach to non-Jews by believers from Cyprus and Cyrene had both the power and blessing of God on it.
Unable to stop the masses from embracing this new faith, the Jews launched a direct attack upon the leaders of the Christians. No more mere threats and warnings - this time, Herod had James executed and Peter arrested. Though from a human perspective the situation appeared terribly grim, from a heavenly perspective this was just another occasion to display the infinite power of God.
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