The big news of this chapter...God's gift of grace that leads to life is not just for a small group of people, but to everyone who believes and turns to the Lord. This is a big deal. In the Bible, the language of "Jew and Gentile" or "Jew and Greek" is used a lot to describe those who are "in" and those who are "out" of God's covenant promise. So the fact that these disciples recognize that God's gift is given "even to Gentiles" is HUGE. I know I am thankful for this promise, because I'm not Jewish. That means that even I can be included in God's plan for salvation. We have known this for for 2,000 years now, but reading this chapter brought a new level of gratitude for God's provision.
Acts 11
1. What stuck out to me from this chapter?
Two things, one small thing, and one small thing with huge implications. First, this time through the chapter, I caught the part where the "disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." That's cool. The believers were also referred to as disciples, or followers of The Way. Second, the phrase in Acts 11:21 really stood out to me: "...a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord." The descriptive, visual language of turning to the Lord is very powerful to me. "Believing" implies a heart change, but can often be reduced to a head knowledge or acknowledgement of what is true. However the language of "turning to the Lord" implies a life change, a new direction, a departure from the old way of living and embracing of the new life in Christ. For most people, "believing" something new might not be visible to others, but "turning to the Lord" would mean that things look different. It means that your walk lines up with your talk. It means that the Holy Spirit living in you should produce new (and improved) fruit. That phrase really came at me with a lot of meaning as I read it today.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
About 10 years ago is when my journey with reading the Bible began seriously. I dove in to a couple books initially, and one was Isaiah. Ever since then I remember a very powerful verse from Isaiah 49, in verse 6, which says, "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth." I LOVE THAT! It is TOO SMALL A THING for the Messiah to only redeem Israel. That seems like a big thing to me, but God's vision is bigger than mine (go figure) and thankfully includes the whole world. Acts 9-11 is largely the fulfillment of this prophecy from Isaiah, or at least the beginning of it.
3. What does this mean for me?
This was the first question I wanted to answer. In verse 17, Peter says, "...who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?" That phrase cut straight to my heart. I wonder how many times I have "stood in God's way" of sharing the gospel message with someone. Maybe I prejudged them. Maybe I was "too busy." Maybe it was inconvenient. Maybe I just didn't want my life to get more complicated at that moment. Ughh. Lord please help me to be more sensitive to your Spirit's leading and let you speak through me despite my feelings.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
In verse 27, there is a reference to "some prophets" who came from Jerusalem. I know there were prophets in the old testament, and a lot more than just the ones who have Bible books named after them. :) But how long had these prophets been prophets? Since Pentecost? Or had there been a group of prophets all the way from Malachi to Jesus' birth? If so, didn't they have some word from God? That would be interesting to find out.
I'm really enjoying these blog entries. I can already tell the Spirit is using it to renew my mind in God's Word. I hope that whether you read a chapter here or there, or join me for the daily chapter, that you feel the same way.
In Christ,
Dan
No comments:
Post a Comment