Acts 11:1-3, 15-18

Here we see that news had traveled throughout Judea that the Gentiles had received the Word of God. Yet, when Peter arrived in Jerusalem, he was castigated for entering a Gentile’s house. In verses 4–14, Peter recounts how he received a vision from the Lord regarding the sheet and the animals, with God telling him not to call unclean what God has made clean. He then tells them that just after this vision, servants from Cornelius arrived, who also had a vision from God instructing them to send for a man named Peter who would tell them how to be saved. Peter recounted how he went with these men, a day’s journey away, to Cornelius’s house, and that is where we pick up in verse 15.

Peter made his defense before these Jewish believers by explaining that he was simply following God’s directives. The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles just as He had upon them, and Peter exclaimed, “Who was I to get in God’s way?”

With this, they stopped objecting and instead began thanking God for extending the gift of salvation to the Gentiles.

God doesn’t always do things the way we think He should. Often, He uses the least likely people to accomplish His purposes. We can never put God in a box and say He can only do things a certain way. We miss out on much of what He is doing when we have that mindset. His methods often change, but His principles never do.

Much of what Jesus did was misunderstood too. In Matthew 11:18-19, Jesus states:

“For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
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Wisdom is shown to be right by its results—Gentiles got saved!

The Jewish believers were initially hung up on the policies and procedures, and in doing so, they were missing the miracle that had taken place among the Gentiles.

This was not unlike the Pharisees being upset because Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. Rules were “king” in their world, and Jesus was showing them that He was the One who made the rules, and that they did not mean what man had morphed them into.

As the Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 3:6:

“He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”
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The New Covenant is spearheaded by the Holy Spirit, whom God sent to be our Companion and Guide through this world. The Holy Spirit is not limited by our traditions, denominational backgrounds, or preconceived ideas. He moves where hearts are open and receptive to God.

How often do we become so focused on preserving our traditions that we fail to recognize when God is doing something new? The Jewish believers almost missed the beauty of Gentiles receiving salvation because they were more concerned with Peter entering a Gentile’s home than they were with the fact that souls were being saved. Thankfully, they humbled themselves and recognized the hand of God in it all.

We must guard our hearts against becoming so rigid that we cannot rejoice when God moves outside of our expectations. The fruit revealed the truth—lives were transformed, the Holy Spirit was poured out, and God was glorified. Wherever the Spirit brings life, freedom, repentance, salvation, and transformation, we should celebrate the work of God.