“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all…He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.’ “ —Acts 10: 34-36; 42-43 (NIV. Read Acts 10).
It was God’s intention all along that His Word and His Way should go out to all people. When he called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees and told him he would be the father of a Chosen Nation, he was to be a blessing to all people. But unfortunately, along the way, prejudice entered in. The Jews became an exclusive race. All others were “Gentiles,” and according to them, outside God’s covenant relationship.
Then Jesus came. His life was an example for all to follow. His death was a sacrifice for sin for all people. But even in the early church in Jerusalem, the deeply-ingrained prejudices surfaced, and there were those who felt that the uncircumcised (non-Jews) did not have an edge at all on the Kingdom of God without first going through the process of circumcision. Exclusivity was rearing its ugly head to prevent the gospel’s advance to all people.
Great persecution came to the church in Jerusalem, instigated at first by the Jews themselves. We are told in Acts 8:1 that all believers except the apostles were scatterd. Wherever they went, they preached the word, but sometimes, as in Peter’s case, they had to learn a lesson about getting rid of prejudice. To Peter, the lesson came in the form of a clear vision when God commanded him to eat of animals considered by Jews to be unclean and unfit. He had to learn that anything created by God was not unclean and deserved as much attention and love as the Jews felt they had in their favored, chosen position. Applied to people who needed the gospel, as in the house of Cornelius the Centurion, this meant that they, too, could partake of the riches of Christ’s glory and provision through repentance, belief and baptism.
Prejudice is often deep-seated and hard to overcome. It is sometimes difficult for us to believe this great truth: “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him, and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27, NKJV). When Christ and His purposes are paramount in our hearts and witness, prejudice flees. This passage says it all: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 4:26-29 NKJV). Praise be to God!
Then Jesus came. His life was an example for all to follow. His death was a sacrifice for sin for all people. But even in the early church in Jerusalem, the deeply-ingrained prejudices surfaced, and there were those who felt that the uncircumcised (non-Jews) did not have an edge at all on the Kingdom of God without first going through the process of circumcision. Exclusivity was rearing its ugly head to prevent the gospel’s advance to all people.
Great persecution came to the church in Jerusalem, instigated at first by the Jews themselves. We are told in Acts 8:1 that all believers except the apostles were scatterd. Wherever they went, they preached the word, but sometimes, as in Peter’s case, they had to learn a lesson about getting rid of prejudice. To Peter, the lesson came in the form of a clear vision when God commanded him to eat of animals considered by Jews to be unclean and unfit. He had to learn that anything created by God was not unclean and deserved as much attention and love as the Jews felt they had in their favored, chosen position. Applied to people who needed the gospel, as in the house of Cornelius the Centurion, this meant that they, too, could partake of the riches of Christ’s glory and provision through repentance, belief and baptism.
Prejudice is often deep-seated and hard to overcome. It is sometimes difficult for us to believe this great truth: “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him, and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27, NKJV). When Christ and His purposes are paramount in our hearts and witness, prejudice flees. This passage says it all: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 4:26-29 NKJV). Praise be to God!
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, April 15, 2010
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