The fundamental emphasis of the Cornelius story is that, since God does not make distinctions in his new society, we have no liberty to make them either.  Yet, tragic as it is, the church has never learned irrevocably the truth of its own unity or of the equality of its members in Christ.  Even Peter himself, despite the fourfold divine witness he had received, later had a bad lapse in Antioch, withdrew from fellowship with believing Gentiles, and had to be publicly opposed by Paul.  Even then the circumcision party continued their propaganda, and the Council of Jerusalem had to be called to settle the issue (Acts 15).  Even after that, the same ugly sin of discrimination has kept appearing in the church, in the form of racism (colour prejudice), nationalism (‘my country, right or wrong’), tribalism in Africa and Casteism in India, social and cultural snobbery, or sexism (discriminating against women).  All such discrimination is inexcusable even in non-Christian society; in the Christian community it is both obscenity (because offensive to human dignity) and blasphemy (because offensive to God who accepts without discrimination all who repent and believe).  Like Peter, we have to learn that ‘God does not show favouritism’ (10:34). (Stott)

Acts 11:1-18

 ¹ The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

 ⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

 ⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

 ⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

 ¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

 ¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with^[a] water, but you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

 ¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Questions

1. How did believers in Jerusalem respond to Peter upon his return?
2. How much of the story did Peter tell the believers in Jerusalem?
3. What barriers of prejudice has God broken through in this passage?
4. Why do Christians of different race often have little to do with each other?
5. Is there anything that you could do to reach out to others from a different culture?  Remember people who listen to country music need Jesus just as much as those who listen to rap 😉