Act 11:14 | KingComments | STEP | Peter responds calmly to the accusations. After all, a gentle answer turns away wrath ( ). The remarks of the brethren from the circumcision gives Peter the opportunity to tell what special things God has done in the house of this Gentile. His orderly explanation shows that he is calm and does not come to an incoherent story under the pressure of reproaches. Because Luke presents Peter’s account again after the account he already gave under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in Acts 10, what happened in the house of Cornelius gets a special characteristic. It is in fact an event that ushers in a new era and for which the spiritual eyes of the heart of the Jews must now be opened, or rather, the blindness of which must be removed. Peter wants to make it clear through his account that it is a work of God and that he should not have opposed it, nor should they. The result of this account is that the apostles and the believers glorify God ( ). Peter can do his report without being interrupted. He tells in detail what it took to get him to this point. They shouldn’t think that he just went in with those Gentiles. It has cost the Lord a lot of trouble to get him to do so. He starts to tell where he was and what he saw when he was in a trance. Where he was and what he saw is known to us from the previous chapter. Here he adds that the object “came right down to me”, which means that he experienced the vision as a vision specially meant for him. He also says “I had fixed my gaze on it”. He took in everything well, so that he can now tell it as something engraved in his memory. It has not been a momentary sight. The words which have been spoken to him from heaven, he can also repeat literally. In the repetition of his answer he goes a bit further than with the event. Then he said that he had never eaten anything unholy or impure; here he says that nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered his mouth. By mentioning that it happened up to three times, he underlines once more the certainty of the event. Any doubt as to its authenticity is unfounded. Peter then recounts how immediately following the vision the three men sent by Cornelius appeared at him. Without saying anything further about the conversation with the men, he says that the Spirit told him to go with them without misgivings. Three events in a row convinced Peter that God wanted to use him to go to a Gentile: the vision, the three men who came to get him and the Spirit Who told him to go with them. These testimonies must also appeal to his audience. Then he includes in his account the six brothers who went with him to Cornelius and entered there. He speaks of them as “these six brethren”, whereby he can point to them. So they also went with him to Jerusalem to confirm his testimony of the events with Cornelius. The apostles and the brethren in Jerusalem see a total of seven witnesses standing in front of them. Peter goes on to recount how Cornelius reported on what he had seen, the assignment he had been given to send to Joppa and to invite Peter. From him he would hear words through which he would be saved. We did not find these words in Acts 10. However, they are of great significance. It means that Cornelius was not yet saved, although he had already been converted. Salvation comes through faith in the Savior’s accomplished work. We also see this with the prodigal son who was converted at the time he stood up and went to his father. But it was only when he felt the father’s arms around his neck that he knew he was saved and had the forgiveness of his sins and was accepted ( ). All that awaited him, but he did not yet possess it when he stood up. God completes His work that He started in a soul. When Cornelius and his own heard and believed the gospel of their salvation, the Holy Spirit came upon them. Peter mentions it emphatically: “Just as [He did] upon us at the beginning.” He makes it clear to his listeners that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not limited to the circumcised believers, but that God gave that gift in the same way to the believers of the nations. In his account, Peter makes no mention of speaking in languages. He mentions the giving of the Spirit as an event over which he had no control at all, but as something that happened suddenly as an act of God. To underline, he tells that he remembered the word of the Lord ( ). In his judgment of what happened, Peter has the word of the Lord as his guide and touchstone. At this point in his account he asks them a question to which they could only give one answer: If God works, could he repel it? Peter speaks of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as something that only began on the day of Pentecost. They had believed in Him for a long time, but since Pentecost there had been an aspect added to that, that of His glorification. On this basis they received from God the gift of the Spirit. Who could exclude others who are involved by God in that gift? Peter’s account has convinced them. They no longer talk back, on the contrary, they glorify God. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the affirmation by God Himself of what has happened ( ). By this they are convinced and glorify God. Their conclusion is clear and beautiful. They also acknowledge and agree that God is no longer limited to them, but that the nations have also been given part in the life that is given to them through repentance. With this, the imminent danger of a separation of spirits in the young church has been averted.

‏ Acts 11:14

Peter Responds

Peter responds calmly to the accusations. After all, a gentle answer turns away wrath (Pro 15:1a). The remarks of the brethren from the circumcision gives Peter the opportunity to tell what special things God has done in the house of this Gentile. His orderly explanation shows that he is calm and does not come to an incoherent story under the pressure of reproaches.

Because Luke presents Peter’s account again after the account he already gave under the guidance of the Holy Spirit in Acts 10, what happened in the house of Cornelius gets a special characteristic. It is in fact an event that ushers in a new era and for which the spiritual eyes of the heart of the Jews must now be opened, or rather, the blindness of which must be removed.

Peter wants to make it clear through his account that it is a work of God and that he should not have opposed it, nor should they. The result of this account is that the apostles and the believers glorify God (Acts 11:18). Peter can do his report without being interrupted. He tells in detail what it took to get him to this point. They shouldn’t think that he just went in with those Gentiles. It has cost the Lord a lot of trouble to get him to do so.

He starts to tell where he was and what he saw when he was in a trance. Where he was and what he saw is known to us from the previous chapter. Here he adds that the object “came right down to me”, which means that he experienced the vision as a vision specially meant for him. He also says “I had fixed my gaze on it”. He took in everything well, so that he can now tell it as something engraved in his memory. It has not been a momentary sight.

The words which have been spoken to him from heaven, he can also repeat literally. In the repetition of his answer he goes a bit further than with the event. Then he said that he had never eaten anything unholy or impure; here he says that nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered his mouth. By mentioning that it happened up to three times, he underlines once more the certainty of the event. Any doubt as to its authenticity is unfounded.

Peter then recounts how immediately following the vision the three men sent by Cornelius appeared at him. Without saying anything further about the conversation with the men, he says that the Spirit told him to go with them without misgivings. Three events in a row convinced Peter that God wanted to use him to go to a Gentile: the vision, the three men who came to get him and the Spirit Who told him to go with them. These testimonies must also appeal to his audience.

Then he includes in his account the six brothers who went with him to Cornelius and entered there. He speaks of them as “these six brethren”, whereby he can point to them. So they also went with him to Jerusalem to confirm his testimony of the events with Cornelius. The apostles and the brethren in Jerusalem see a total of seven witnesses standing in front of them.

Peter goes on to recount how Cornelius reported on what he had seen, the assignment he had been given to send to Joppa and to invite Peter. From him he would hear words through which he would be saved. We did not find these words in Acts 10. However, they are of great significance. It means that Cornelius was not yet saved, although he had already been converted.

Salvation comes through faith in the Savior’s accomplished work. We also see this with the prodigal son who was converted at the time he stood up and went to his father. But it was only when he felt the father’s arms around his neck that he knew he was saved and had the forgiveness of his sins and was accepted (Lk 15:17-20). All that awaited him, but he did not yet possess it when he stood up. God completes His work that He started in a soul.

When Cornelius and his own heard and believed the gospel of their salvation, the Holy Spirit came upon them. Peter mentions it emphatically: “Just as [He did] upon us at the beginning.” He makes it clear to his listeners that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not limited to the circumcised believers, but that God gave that gift in the same way to the believers of the nations.

In his account, Peter makes no mention of speaking in languages. He mentions the giving of the Spirit as an event over which he had no control at all, but as something that happened suddenly as an act of God. To underline, he tells that he remembered the word of the Lord (Acts 1:5). In his judgment of what happened, Peter has the word of the Lord as his guide and touchstone.

At this point in his account he asks them a question to which they could only give one answer: If God works, could he repel it? Peter speaks of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as something that only began on the day of Pentecost. They had believed in Him for a long time, but since Pentecost there had been an aspect added to that, that of His glorification. On this basis they received from God the gift of the Spirit. Who could exclude others who are involved by God in that gift?

Peter’s account has convinced them. They no longer talk back, on the contrary, they glorify God. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the affirmation by God Himself of what has happened (Acts 11:17). By this they are convinced and glorify God. Their conclusion is clear and beautiful. They also acknowledge and agree that God is no longer limited to them, but that the nations have also been given part in the life that is given to them through repentance. With this, the imminent danger of a separation of spirits in the young church has been averted.