Acts 9-10 - Two Changed Men

It happened. I didn't get to my blog yesterday. The busy day and late night got the best of me. So to stay on track, I'm just reading two chapters. I'll still just use the four questions and just consider the two chapters as one (especially since they originally didn't have any chapter verse divisions anyway). These were two interesting chapters to read together too. One is about Saul's 180 degree turnaround from persecutor of the church to prominent preacher of Jesus Christ as Messiah. He was appointed as God's apostle to the Gentiles (everyone in the world who isn't Jewish). In chapter 10, we see a major change in Peter, as God reveals to him how broad his love and acceptance go. God's salvation and Holy Spirit reach beyond Jewish customs and laws, to all who believe in Jesus Christ and honor God with their life. As we'll find out later, this mental shift and attitude change was necessary for Peter to later lead the church in accepting Gentiles as brothers and sisters in Christ. So let's dig in.

Acts 9 & Acts 10

1. What stuck out to me from these chapters?

This summer at our camp, we studied the story of Saul's conversion to talk about how we find significance for our life in fulfilling God's purposes. But the surprising story of Ananias really emphasizes the point. This is really all we hear about him, and he has to really overcome some fears and doubts. But his faith in God helped him step into those fears and play a crucial part in God's plan for Saul. I love that he goes from questioning God about Saul's history in verse 13-14, to addressing Saul as "Brother Saul" in verse 17. That is faith. When Jesus said to love our enemies, he meant it. :)

2. How does this passage relate to any other scripture I know?

An interesting connection came into my mind that I might not have thought of, except that I read these two chapters together. In Galatians 2, Paul writes about an incident where Peter was eating with Gentiles (after having this vision in Acts 10 that God would bless that), but when some highly respected Jewish Christians came around, Peter pulled back and must have tried to put on a show that he was still Jewish enough for them. Paul said in Galatians that he opposed Peter and called him out, because even though he had received the vision and had experienced the freedom to eat "unclean food" he was starting to act differently around the Jewish friends. So even though God uses both of these men to reach Gentiles, Paul still had to remind Peter that we are not saved by the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, whether you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised.

3. What does this mean for my life?

I often wonder what the equivalent of "eating unclean foods" would be for us Christians. I suppose it is something like drinking alcohol or watching movies that are somewhat inappropriate. Can we do these things? Yes. Should we do them a lot? It's not good for us. But even more than whether or not it is good for us, we have to be careful not to let that be  the new "law". It's easy to become self-righteous and think that someone who does "those things" could never be a Christian, or would never be accepted by God. But just like Jesus, who ate with "sinners" and tax-collectors, sometimes being around "those things" is the only way to build bridges with "those people". I use quotes because the language is even silly, and as Paul reminds us in that Galatians passage, I need to remember all the time that, "in seeking to be justified in Christ, we...find ourselves among the sinners." I am a sinner saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and everyone can relate to that.

4. What questions do I have about this passage?

After reading the book of Acts earlier in my life, I had a lot of questions about the relationship between the Holy Spirit, baptism, and salvation. It seemed like most of the time they were all linked (i.e. someone believed and was baptized, then received the Holy Spirit). But a few times, the three come at different times. In Acts 10, the people believe, then God sends the Holy Spirit. As a response, Peter orders that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. So my question is a complex one, but what exactly is the relationship between the Holy Spirit, baptism, and salvation. I guess this leaks into other complex faith conversations about infant baptism, "believers baptism", and being baptized with the Holy Spirit. I don't even know what specific questions would be, just a lot of wondering.

Okay, hopefully I don't miss another day, but life happens. Thanks for anyone reading this to keep me on track. God bless.

In Christ,
Dan