The Apostle Peter has received a shock to his system–a group of Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit, making them eligible for eternal life. Peter, like so many Israelites, had failed to believe what God had written several times in the Old Testament: “Gentiles will come to your light.” Then, as now, people take from the Scriptures what they deem to be “right” and ignore what they deem to be “wrong.” And when someone dares to point out what the Lord says in the Word–what is actually right/truth–the reaction is invariably negative. In the modern, Satanic version of the church, GOD’S TRUTH HAS BECOME HATE SPEECH. The Jews’ reaction to what the Lord had done in the home of Cornelius reveals that the “what we don’t like can’t be right” attitude has historical roots.

Chapter eleven.

Verses one through eighteen: Following the incident with the Roman centurion, Peter returned to Jerusalem and immediately found himself in the midst of a controversy. He had broken a hard and fast rule by entering the home of a Gentile. That he had spoken to a Gentile about spiritual matters was even worse. But to have actually eaten with them broke all protocols. Peter had better have a good explanation. He did. Beginning with verse 4 we find him rehearsing the episode in detail. In verse 18 we find the other disciples and apostles reacting in the way all of God’s true saints react when His Truth is spoken: “When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God, saying, ‘Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.’ Such humility, such obedience to God’s will. Would that such an attitude could be found within professing Christianity today.

Verses nineteen through twenty-six: Following the time described in Acts 8:1,2 when the Jews of Jerusalem were scattered throughout the Middle East, the Word of God spread rapidly. Not knowing that the Lord was opening up salvation to the Gentiles, the scattered saints spoke of the Lord only to Jews, many of whom were won to the Lord. In verse 25 we find Barnabus, the apostle who had first befriended Saul of Tarsus upon his conversion, departing from Jerusalem to Tarsus in search of the famous convert. Having found him, Barnabus took him to Antioch where they ministered in the church for over a year. It was in Antioch that saints were first called “Christians,” meaning “Christlike.”

In today’s so-called Christianity the label “Christian” is used to characterize anyone who has gone through a prescribed ritual and “joined the church.” As the Introduction to this website and the Scripture-based postings that follow prove, there is nothing “Christlike” about the two billion plus people who call themselves “Christians.” God said that His people were “peculiar,” meaning totally different from the world around them, meaning that they believe and obey His Word. One does not find peculiarity in the modern church. To the contrary, one finds the world. The only real differences between the church and the world is 1) where the church spends a couple of hours on Sunday morning–a building with a cross attached, and 2) what they do there–worship Tammuz, the heathen sun god. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 15:9: “In vain do they WORSHIP ME, teaching for (My) doctrines the commandments of men.” Note it: church people do worship Him, but in name only. By not obeying Him they are in fact worshipping a false god. Indeed Revelation 12:9 is true: “Satan has deceived the whole world.” This includes the worldly church–the whole of Catholicism/Protestantism–Satan’s most prized spoil of war.

Verses twenty-seven through thirty: Here we find the people of God once again sharing what they had WITH EACH OTHER, not the population in general. A prophesied famine has come upon the land and the Lord’s people are helping each other as much as possible. Notice in verse 29 that the church sent “relief unto the BRETHREN which dwelt in Judea.” Notice that there is no Scriptural basis for the church’s community-wide provision of food, clothing, etc. for the poor and needy. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN TOLD IT IS. Let us use God’s Word, not man’s intellect, as our guide. See Church Generosity. L.J.