Another of the Herod’s sends his henchmen to murder; to arrest the righteous and kill them. This Herod is the grandson of the Herod who slaughtered the innocent boys in Bethlehem. This Herod is also the nephew of the Herod who had John the Baptist beheaded. This Herod now orders the beheading of the apostle James, it was a prophetic death for Jesus prophesied that James would drink from such a cup. Then Peter was arrested with intention of beheading him too, so the church, rattled by James’ death, rallied in prayer.
Antioch!
The ancient city of Antioch, then in Syria, but today belongs to Turkey, was the epicenter for Jews evangelizing Gentiles without Judaism. It was here that the term Christian originated. Though given by the unsaved souls of the world, it was and is a very suitable term. All of this in Antioch was began by the Holy Spirit through Cyrenian and Cypriot Jews, the developed by Barnabas getting Saul from Cilicia and the two teaching the in the church at Antioch.
Resisting the Holy Spirit
After Peter was sent by God to bring salvation to Gentiles, he returned to Jerusalem. Waiting for him there were Jews who received Jesus as Messiah but only as Savior to those who first came under the laws of Moses, such as circumcision, diet and Sabbath. This is not Christianity and God declared this by saving those outside of Moses law by the Law of Grace in Christ. They resisted but Peter helped them understand.
When God Interrupts
As Peter was speaking, and at the moment he preached belief in Jesus for the pardon of sins, the Holy Spirit of God interrupted the message by filling the assembled audience of listeners with the presence of God in them! Peter and the Jewish believers who accompanied him recognized immediately that even Gentiles who had not converted to Judaism, could be full disciples of Christ by receiving Jesus as the Christ.
Learning to Unlearn
The apostle Peter arrives at the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. Rabbinical Jewish teachings had made it unlawful for a Jew to make a social visit to a Gentile at their home. But Peter informed Cornelius that God made it clear that he was not to follow this restriction, and entering the house he found many Gentiles willing and waiting for him to preach and so he did. Peter preached Christ of the Scriptures and remission of sins.
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