Can anyone withhold Baptism from Gentiles?

Acts of the Apostle Peter 11:

link above to NASB, KJ21, Orthodox Jewish Bible, SBL Greek New Testament; MOBILE Friendly LINK to ACTS 11 21st Century King James Version only

Peter has no sooner returned to Jerusalem from his first mission trip to Joppa, Lyda and Caesarea when traditional worshipers of the Lord question what he has done.

This is a VERY BIG DEAL to the Jews!

I remind us here (and now in this 21st century A.D.) that followers of Jesus (by now, hundreds of them) were Jews, a chosen people of the LORD.

Furthermore, due to centuries of division after Israel and Judah fell to foreign empires from both East and West a partially-restored Judea claimed faithfulness to Abrahamic covenants formerly abandoned by most Jews.

Peter is leading a diverse and large group of believers in Christ Jesus. Judea and Jerusalem will soon be crushed by its Roman captors.

And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the Circumcision contended with him, saying, “Thou wentest in to uncircumcised men and didst eat with them.”

Acts of the Apostles 11:2-3 KJ21

• περιτομή – peritomē
  • the circumcision
    • from περιτέμνω peritemnō
    • since by the rite of circumcision a man was separated from the unclean world and dedicated to God, the word is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins

Contending for the faith

Once again, Peter will tell his story and orders from the Holy Spirit not to contend with gentiles who led him to Caesarea.

• Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting G1252 nothing: for I have sent them. – Acts 10:20

These men of Jerusalem who Peter led were Jews from varying religious traditions: Pharisee, Sadducees, Esenes, Hellenists (Greeks), proselytes worshipping as Jews and even men of little consequence unsought by any jewish traditions of worship.

Yes, they contended with the faith while some zealously contended for the faith. BUT which ‘jewish’ faith?

ALL, however, would agree that ‘gentiles’ had NO place among men and women who worshiped the Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ But Peter began and explained at length to them in an orderly sequence, saying, 

• “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.
  • A certain vessel descended as though it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.
  • I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky.
• I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
  • “But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’
  • But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’
  • This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

Is there any contention in your church?

• Who should worship?
• What evidence does the Holy Spirit provide that something new is from the Lord?
  • Or that some tradition we have held near no longer applies?

JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RISEN IS AN ENTIRELY NEW TESTAMENT OF GOD’S WILL FOR WORSHIPERS AND THE WORLD.

Roger@TalkofJESUS.com + on the inclusion of gentiles in the Church

Peter’s summary of events in Caesarea

• Three men (Romans/Gentiles) from Caesarea came up to him at the very moment of his vision. [v.11]
• The Spirit led him to go with these men.
  • Peter saying that the Holy Spirit led him amounts to his reaction to a command of God.
• Seven men including Peter went to the house of Cornelius and witnessed these things. [vs. 12-14]

And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.

ACTS 11:15 of the HOLY SPIRIT

The men and women of the Church in Jerusalem, ORTHODOX in practice or HELLENIST in their return to the faith of Judaism had all experienced the power and signs of the HOLY GHOST!

It is a great mystery of the Lord God the Father and Christ Jesus that is a NEW TESTAMENT of the Gospel of the Resurrection.

So the Apostle Peter (with all these witnesses) continues:

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’

Acts of the Apostles 11:16 KJ21

Quoting The Word

Gospel of Luke 20:

On one of the days while He [Jesus] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,

(Contention, just like Peter faced now.)

“Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

(Their questions about the Holy Spirit coming to the gentiles seem familiar to the Apostle.)

“I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:

“Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”

Gospel of Luke 20:4 the question of Jesus to doubters in His Authority

They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

After this Luke’s Gospel records the parable of the vine-growers, a parable now fulfilled by the gentiles replacing jews in the paradise of the Father.

CLICK to read MORE

Their first century BAPTISM of John for repentance and cleansing and a temporary forgiveness of sins now regenerated since Pentecost becomes something more — something MUCH MORE + the Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT promised by the SON of GOD!

Who am I to contend with the HOLY SPIRIT?

ACTS 11:17 – IF, therefore..

Peter closes his testimony in humble obedience to the Word of God witnessed by the Holy Spirit.

If therefore God gave them the same gift as He did unto us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,

who was I that I could withstand God?”

Acts of the Apostles 11:17 KJ21

• Would you contend with ALMIGHTY GOD?
• Will you deny the AUTHORITY of the ANOINTED SON JESUS?
• Can any deny the witness of THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD?

THIS IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW! AND GOD HAS CONFIRMED IT + GENTILES WELCOME.

18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying,

“Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

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ACTS of the Apostles - to be continued.. 
(with both Jews and gentiles) ...