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03 Acts 10 34-48 THE GENTILES HEAR AND RECEIVE THE WORD 36 Acts 10 47-48 Oneness
📖 Acts 10:34-48
36 – Thu26Sep2024 – *Oneness* - _Acts 10:34-48_ – THE GENTILES HEAR AND RECEIVE THE WORD – _Ephesians 02:11-22_
_Acts 10:47-48 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" (48) And *he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days*._
The middle wall that separated Jew and Gentile was now broken down in Cornelius's home. _Ephesians 2:11-14 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— (12) that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (14) For *He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation*,_
Peter could see this wonderful result taking place before his eyes. God had prepared him for this oneness through the vision in the home of Simon the Tanner. Consider for a moment the plan of God. _Ephesians 2:19-22 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit._
*As Jews and Gentiles, we, together, are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit because of faith in Jesus.* These are the awesome ways of God.
Peter explained this glorious oneness that God brought about, to the church council in Jerusalem. _Acts 15:8-9 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, (9) and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith._
The Gentiles had earlier nothing to do with the covenants of promise that God made with the Fathers, had no hope, and were without God. Now, in Christ Jesus, they, who were afar off were brought near and brought into the family of God. Jesus Christ is our peace, our Shalom.
Through Jesus Christ, the Gentiles, who were aliens have now become the children of Abraham. _Galatians 3:26-29 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise._
At the spiritual level, all of this is indeed glorious. No human intervention could bring about this oneness. This is God. Yet, what is known and understood at the spiritual plane needs to be translated into actual fellowship between Jews and Gentiles. This is the challenge, and we see that Peter was able to have fellowship with the family of Cornelius. This was a miraculous work of God in his life. Knowing Peter, we can imagine that he would have hesitated to be a guest in the home of Cornelius.
God had done a great work, not only for Cornelius and for all the Gentiles, but the Lord had done a great work in the heart of Peter. *Peter, a Jew, had fellowship with Cornelius, a Gentile. This is God.*
This fellowship that Peter had with Cornelius was not appreciated by the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. _Acts 11:2-3 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, (3) saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!"._
It was the work of the Lord in his heart that made Peter explain himself to those who questioned him. _Acts 11:4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:_ and the response was, _Acts 11:18 When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."_
*The Lord worked a miracle of oneness, not only in the heart of Peter but also in the hearts and minds of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem.*
We see repeatedly that when a Gentile turned to Christ and was baptised, it resulted in the bond of fellowship between Jew and Gentile. _Acts 16:14-15 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. (15) And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, *"If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us*._ / _Acts 16:33-34 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately *he and all his family were baptized. (34) Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.*_
```Truly the ways of God are past finding out.```
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