Peter Preaches to Gentiles

October 18, 2015 Background Scripture: Acts 10:1 – 44 Lesson Passage: Acts 10:24 – 38 As incredible as it may seem, sometimes we dare to set personal standards that exceed the standards of God. This is especially true when it comes to how we believe God sees us and how we dare to view others. We can all be thankful that when it comes to personal scrutiny, God’s standards supersede all others. However, we sometimes forget and assume the role of determining the standards of righteousness for others. Today’s lesson is a reminder that we are not alone in this wayward thinking and neither is this way of thinking a new reality. From the very first family who lived in this world, we note how one brother judged, condemned, and destroyed another. That attitude has persisted in this world since the beginning of time with the first family. It was still alive two thousand years ago and it is still alive today. Perhaps the only thing that is surprising is that it involves not some lowlife creatures who are disappointed with their own lives but this attitude is present even in some of God’s finest. Peter is listed in the gospel accounts as one of the first disciples selected by Jesus who would later become apostles. Among the group of twelve handpicked disciples of Jesus, Peter was included in the “inner circle” with John and James. The inner circle of disciples was singled out on several occasions to accompany Jesus into some settings the other disciples were not privy to. They were witnesses to some divine acts that the other disciples were not. Eleven of the twelve disciples were tasked with laying the foundation of the church of Jesus Christ after Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. During the time of ministry after the ascension of Jesus, Peter was given the command by the Lord to do what was unthinkable for Peter. Peter was commanded to go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. This did not go well with Peter’s Jewish upbringing that taught him to steer clear of Gentiles because of their uncleanness. God revealed to Peter that whatever was viewed as unclean could be made clean by Him. Once cleaned by God, Peter did not have the privilege as a servant of Christ to continue to declare a thing or person to be unclean. This was all demonstrated to Peter in a vision where he was told by God to eat various creatures that were by Jewish dietary standards defined by the Law considered to be unclean. In the vision, Peter protested the request and stated his conviction that he would not eat anything considered ritually unclean. God rebuked Peter and told him that he was to accept what He had cleaned as such. Peter was told that a group was seeking him and he awoke from the vision. The group summoned Peter to the home of a Gentile named Cornelius. Peter declared the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles there. For Peter to go into the home of a Gentile was for him an unclean act. To offer the Gentiles the message of salvation that was heretofore reserved for the Jews, must have felt akin to treason to Peter. But the nagging message of the vision reminded Peter that God can clean the unclean and he must accept God’s work as sufficient. Peter declared the gospel message in Cornelius’ house and the whole household believed the preaching and was saved. Peter preached the initial sermon on the day of Pentecost to the Jews at Jerusalem and he preached to the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius. Those two sermons delivered the message of hope to all—both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus promised Peter that he would give him the keys and Peter had now used them to open the gospel message to whosoever would receive it. We can celebrate today because Peter preached to Gentiles. Robert C. Hudson October 5, 2015

Saul Begins to Preach

October 11, 2015 Background Scripture: Acts 9:19b – 31 Lesson Passage: Acts 9:19b – 31 Nothing propels a person forward like a personal testimony. Indeed, sometimes it seems as though that’s all we have to motivate us. That appears to be the case with Saul in our lesson today. Saul had gained notoriety as a religious leader of the Jews who did not mind vigorously persecuting anyone who dared claim to be a follower of Jesus or “The Way” as it was called then. Saul had the support of the Jewish leadership who were in cahoots with the local Roman civil authority. In other words, Saul was given the authority to do or encourage whatever he chose to do in order to destroy what was believed to be a religious sect that threatened Judaism. As Saul traveled from Jerusalem to Damascus, his reputation preceded him for the Christians of Damascus knew who he was and what authority he had been granted to pursue Christians. But a funny thing happened to Saul on his way to Damascus, i.e., funny as in ironic. Saul had an encountered with Jesus—the risen Lord! Perhaps Saul had considered the gospel message of resurrection to just be a rumor but now he knew the realness of it. Certainly Saul knew the realness of the crucifixion and death of Jesus because it was orchestrated by his fellow Jewish leaders. But just maybe he did not accept the eye witnesses’ accounts of Jesus’ resurrection as a reality until he found himself on the ground having a one-on-one conversation with Jesus. Saul was between Jerusalem and Damascus on the ground and physically blind while engaged in a conversation with Jesus. Jesus was clear that he was taking it personal that Saul was persecuting the church which he had purchased with his own blood. Jesus’ question to Saul was: Why are you persecuting me? Jesus identified one hundred percent with the pain of the church. Jesus suffered when the church suffered but Saul was engaged in a losing battle to destroy the church. In a note of divine irony, it would be Saul the persecutor who would become the most recognized individual in ensuring the growth and stability of the church. Yes, the persecutor of the church would become the preacher of the gospel. I am really convinced that God has a wonderful sense of humor. Saul’s life gained new meaning on the Damascus road. That encounter with Jesus established Saul’s purpose for being born into this world. Saul’s life purpose was not what he might have supposed and that is to become a great religious leader of the Jews and to defend Judaism against all threats and perceived threats. Saul would become an important part of the foundation of the Christian faith. It would be Saul the Pharisee and not the fishermen or the tax collector who would deliver the biblical defense of the Christian faith. With all of his training and instruction in the Old Testament scriptures, Saul would write half of the New Testament scriptures to provide instructions and clarity to the church of Jesus Christ throughout the Church Age. Although the Christians who knew him as Saul the persecutor would be slow to accept his genuineness, they would come to appreciate the power of Christ to transform wayward people as they witnessed the transformation of Saul when he began to preach. Robert C. Hudson September 30, 2015