Acts

In sum, here it is not human planning but what God wills that drives well have had a plan to go to Asia, to take the response. Paul may gospel to the end of the earth. Stott (1990: 261) speaks of the elements that often characterize divine guidance here: God's use of a period of time, the circumstances of open and closed doors, pondering what was t

The meaning may well be that these believers hesitate to join with them in this temple ministry given the hostile view and actions of the Jewish leadership, as well as the fear the apostles' access to judgment generated. Perhaps the view is, why should we place ourselves at unnecessary risk? It is one thing to be an object of persecution and be pre

A final note concerns how one church came to the aid of another here. Today many churches are interested only in their own ministry or in using their facilities and resources only for their own efforts. It is sad to see large-budget churches that give very little to missions or do very little for other believing communities in need in their own are

The remark that God has made these things known from of old is a way to say that these things were revealed and form a part of God's plan. The new way was revealed and is really an old promise. The phrase "known from of old" (yvword dr' ai@voc, gnösta ap'alönos) recalls Isa. 45:21. Bruce (1990: 341) cites the OT texts about Gentile inclus

The two concepts of food and of table fellowship as signs of accepting Gentiles are related, for associating with Gentiles and eating what they may have prepared as hosts would in normal Jewish thinking entail the probable risk of uncleanness. In addition, the two ideas are closely tied together in the law (Lev. 20:24b26).

Peter is led to comment on what should be done next. He calls for immediate baptism, since the Gentiles have received the Spirit just as those present at Pentecost had in Acts 2 (also 11:15, 17; 15:8, 11). Peter understands the significance of the Spirit's distribution. The Spirit is the sign of the eschaton's presence and shows that God is blessin

The expression "Spirit of Jesus" is unusual (Phil. 1:19 has "Spirit of Jesus Christ," which is its only other NT occurrence; but see Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; 1 Pet. 1:11 for variations). Bruce (1988a: 355) suggests that this prophecy may have come through a directly expressed instruction in the name of Jesus, but Witherington (1998:

By making unclean food clean, God is showing how table fellowship and acceptance of Gentiles are more easily accomplished in the new era. The vision symbolizes that what separated Jews from Gentiles is now removed, as Peter will explain in Acts 10:28. It "frees Peter from any scruples about going to a Gentile home and eating whatever might be

The key fact is that as Peter presented the word of the gospel and called Gentiles to faith, the Spirit was given to them just as it had been given to Jewish believers at the beginning, an allusion to Acts 2 (11:17). This gift comes from God, who knows the heart. It was an act by which God bore witness to their genuine response and God's acceptance