Friday
We have spent this week reflecting on the encounter between Peter and Cornelius, and this is how the story ends…
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.” Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. – Acts 11:18-21
The above passage is the result of Peter’s explanation and defense of his sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his whole family. It is amazing to think that Peter’s visit to Cornelius’ house would be the catalyst for the spread of the gospel message to the rest of the world!
But the word of God continued to increase and spread. – Acts 12:24
The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. – Acts 13:49
In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. – Acts 19:20
A little history here might help give us perspective on how significant this event really was.
Up to this point, the spread of Christianity was almost exclusively among the Jewish people. The first disciples were Jews and so were the first converts to Christianity. The center for the early church was in the Jewish city of Jerusalem and the first church even met in a place called “Solomon’s Colonade” on the back steps of the Jewish Temple (Acts 5:12). Even when the Jewish Christians were scattered because of persecution, they initially only preached the good news to other Greek speaking Jews. We should all be eternally grateful that Peter was willing to go into the house of a Gentile stranger to share the “good news”! If he had not, Christianity might have remained an obscure sect within Judaism and we may never had heard the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
How could Peter and Cornelius possibly have known what was at stake in their little encounter? They couldn’t have imagined what God was going to do in their wildest dreams! Peter was just trying to be obedient even though he didn’t fully understand his vision or why God would send him to a gentile house. Cornelius was only seeking the true God for the sake of his own soul and the souls of his family. But God was orchestrating events for a much wider eternal impact!
Just consider some of the life transforming implications of the meeting between Peter and Cornelius…
1. Peter has his heart enlarged for all people.
2. Cornelius and his household give their lives to Jesus Christ.
3. The Jewish Christians who hear about this decide that the gospel should also be preached to the gentiles.
4. Missionaries are sent out into all parts of the Roman world to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
5. Churches are established in every corner of the Roman Empire.
6. Christianity eventually becomes the dominant religion in Rome and then later in all of Europe!
How amazing it is to think that you and I are the spiritual descendents of this movement!
Every encounter with another person, every time we extend grace to someone, every opportunity to share the love of Christ can have eternal consequences, which reach far beyond our comprehension.
Jeff Frazier
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