Daily Reading: (Acts 11:1-3):
“The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Acts 11 has a profound effect on our lives and the purpose is to unite us together in Christ instead of divide us in the world. In Acts 11:1 “The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” So, we are going to do a what do you think happens next segment?
People are believing in Jesus Christ and the circumcised (law living) believers
a) rejoiced and threw a party
b) sent church leaders to help establish a church Caesarea
c) a and then b
d) criticized Peter
“So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Nationality is not what gives you a right standing before God but faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is for all people (Acts 11:9). What a miracle to behold, hostile towards each other- now that wall of separation is broken in Christ and there has been peace brought to us (Acts 11:18, Ephesians 2:14).
As you continue reading Acts 11 there is a statement made, “the hand of the Lord was with them.” The Greek word means that God is present protecting and aiding one (Acts 11:21).
“The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” In a Gentile Greek city, the name of believers in Jesus is born, Christians (Acts 11:26). As they ministered, we learn the hand of the Lord was with them in the present (Acts 11:21), but we also find God goes into the future and makes their path straight by warning of a coming famine (Acts 11:28).