Not just for Jews any longer

What does a blanket of animals, a Jew and an Italian have in common? 'Give up? They are the main players in what the Lord has for us in today's passage. It is long, but I believe that reading the whole thing is valuable in order to grasp how God was stretching the apostle Peter, and then as a byproduct, the early Church.
Open your Bibles and read Acts 10 - 11.18, or click on: http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/index.php?search=Acts%2010.1-11.18&version=31

Good Day, Friends.

I started studying this passage in earnest a few days ago, and it took a while to digest, understand, and then figure out any contemporary application. What we see here is God blowing the doors of the church wide open. It is somewhat strange for us to understand the paradigm shift that takes place, because I'm not sure we have too much to compare it to, in our day--especially where I find myself seated, in tolerant California. Suffice it to say, that at this point in Acts 10 and 11, the Gospel had gone out, first to Jerusalem, and then Judea and Samaria, and beyond. . . but still, the church consisted solely of Jews. For eight years, it had been an all-Jew crowd. But then God begins to move, and speaks to both Cornelius and Peter, through visions, in order to effect serious change. Cornelius was a good guy--a 'devout man', is how Luke describes the Italian (Gentile) commander. God instructs Cornelius to send someone to Joppa and bring Peter back to Caesarea, where he is; and then, God gives Peter a vision that was intended to show him that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. (Does that seem ironic to you? If it doesn't, then read it again--because it should.) This then prepares him (Peter) for Cornelius. . .

Peter does indeed go to Caesarea, and makes his way to the home of Cornelius, where a gathering awaits him. I see Peter walking in and saying something like, "Wow, I've never been in a Gentile home before; as you know the Jewish law doesn't allow Jews to even associate with you Gentile people, but God has shown me in a vision that I can no longer consider anyone to be 'unclean'. So, I am learning that God doesn't play favorites, and neither should we. It was to the Jews that God sent Jesus. . . but God is now showing me that Jesus Christ is meant to be Lord of all!" And then, Peter begins to tell them how Jesus had called him. . . how he had traveled with Jesus, and watched as He ministered for three-plus years, seeing Jesus cast out demons, heal the sick, teach, and love--then, be crucified. . . and miracle of miracles, Peter was among those who saw Him after Jesus rose from the grave! Never had such a one lived. "You remember the prophets talked about Yeshua. . . that those who believe in Him would have sins forgiven. . ." And, all of a sudden, a racket breaks out in the room. . . what is going on? One of the Gentiles starts speaking in tongues, then another-- why, this was like the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit first came to the Jews! . . . and now the Gentiles. . .? Could such a thing even be? Well, Peter couldn't argue with the Holy Spirit. The paradigm shift is happening--Peter shepherds this shift in extreme thinking.

The Jewish Christians are going to be pulled and stretched to understand that the Gospel was not just for them. Soon, they would have to expand their notion that converts did not first have to become Jews to become Christians--men did not have to be circumcised to accept Jesus. Again, this seems so bizarre to us, but centuries have passed since then, and we have the benefit of being able to observe the development of Christianity down through history.

In just a thumbnail sketch, the Gospel continued to spread through the Mediterranean lands, yea, to the 'ends of the earth'. The New Testament books were finalized, and the Catholic Church took off. . . By 1100 A.D., the Church was a major political and social force. Not only the excessive power, but also the abuse within the papacy, and there was bound to be reform. That, of course, began in 1517, when Luther published his "95 Theses", nailed to the church door decrying the sale of indulgences to people--buying forgiveness for lesser sins, and such. Luther was soon excommunicated, along with other Luther--ans, and later known as protest--ants, "Protestants".

From there, we see other Christian denominations split off and form, largely due to Christians scholars like John Calvin, then John Wesley, (father of the Methodist church). The closest Protestant equivalents to the Catholic church are, of course, the Anglican and Episcopal churches, (the Episcopal church starting when America started, 1789, when members of the Church of England started a new church in America), with the largest variations being that they do not recognize the authority of the pope, or venerate saints as much, and their priests have the ability to marry. There would be other splinters from these several denominations. We talked earlier in our Acts study about the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in the early 1900s, when the Pentecostal movement really took off, and the 'sign gifts' of the Holy Spirit were emphasized--followed by the Charismatic Movement in the 1960s and 70s, which crossed denominational lines. Besides these Christian denominations today, we also see many non-denominational Christian churches, so it can be a bit confusing. But mainly, all of these Christian churches believe that Jesus Christ is central to their faith, and beyond that, it often comes down to preference in worship styles. In other words, the message is the same, but the style and/or expression of worship within the service is different.

Before we move on, though, it is valuable to know a few things. . . when you say you are a Christian. . . what should that mean? What are the essentials or the non-negotiables of the Christian faith? Stay tuned for tomorrow. . .Grace to you, Christine