Peter’s Vindication; Acts 11: 1 – 18 – Part 2

Church History: Word soon reached the church in Jerusalem, and surrounding areas; for Cesarea was not far from Jerusalem. Some reports were good, and some negative. So before Peter himself had returned to Jerusalem the apostles and the brethren there and in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God, that is, the gospel of Christ, which is not only a word of God, but the word of God; for it is the summary and center of all divine revelation. Not only the Jews who were dispersed into the Gentile countries, and the Gentiles who were proselyte to the Jewish religion, but also the Gentiles themselves, who until know, it had been thought unlawful to hold common conversation, were taken into church communion. They had received the word of God. That is, the word of God was preached to them, which was a greater honor put upon them than they expected. It was entertained and submitted to by them, which was a better work wrought upon them than they expected. It is likely they had gotten an idea, that if the gospel were preached to the Gentiles, it would have no purpose. The proofs of the gospel were mostly from the Old Testament, which the Gentiles did not receive: They didn’t seem inclined to accept religion, nor likely to understand the impressions of it; and therefore were surprised to hear that they had received the word of the Lord.
When Peter came to Jerusalem, those that were of the circumcision, those Jewish converts that still retained a veneration for circumcision, were contentious with him. They said it was a crime that he went in to men uncircumcised, and ate with them; and thereby they think he has stained, if not forfeited, the honor of his apostleship, and ought to come under the censure of the church: They did not look upon him as infallible, or as the supreme head of the church that they were accountable to, and he to no one.
Peter gave a full and fair account of the matter of fact which was sufficient, without any further argument or apology, both to justify him, and to satisfy them: He rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and laid it before them in order, and then could appeal to themselves whether he had done amiss; for it appeared all along God's own work, and not his. The account which Peter gave of the matter satisfied them, and all was well. Thus, when the two tribes and a half gave an account to Phinehas and the princes of Israel of the true intent and meaning of their building themselves an altar on the banks of Jordan, the controversy was dropped, and it pleased them that it was so.