ACTS 11 & 12

Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.  2  But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him.  3  “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. 4  Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. Acts 11:1-4 NLT

7  And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’ 8  “‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.’ 9  “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ Acts 11:7 NLT

Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.  2  But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3  “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. Acts 11:1-2 NLT

Criticism: the expression of disapproval of someone or something based on perceived faults or mistakes.

11  But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. Galatians 2:11 NLT 12  When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision (Jewish Laws). 13  As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14  When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 15  “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.  16  Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.

And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:11-16 NLT

… our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—  16  speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 2 Peter 3:15-16 NLT

I thank God, I speak in tongues more than you all. 1 Cor. 14:18 NASB

For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 1 Corinthians 14:2 NASB

3  Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

19  Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.  20  However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus.  21  The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21 NLT

22  When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  23  When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing (Grace), he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Acts 11:22-23 NLT

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:24 NLT

27  During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch.  28  One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)  29  So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 30  This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem. Acts 11:27-30 NLT

12 About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church.  2  He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3  When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.)  4  Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.  5  But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

6  The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7  Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.  8  Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. 9  So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.  10  They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. 11  Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” 12  When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13  He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.  14  When

she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!” Acts 12:6-14 NLT

Bible Trivia: A) Praise God! He is a miracle worker! B) He’s Faithful! C) You’re out of your mind!

15  “You’re out of your mind!” they said… Acts 12:15 NLT

When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.” Acts 12:15 NLT

16  Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.  17  He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place. 18  At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.  19  Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Acts 12:16-19 NLT

…When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.  22  The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” 23  Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. Acts 12:21-23 NLT

24  Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers. Acts 12:24 NLT