4 But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6 When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10 Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12 Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
Beginning in verse 4, Peter gave his defense for eating with Gentiles. His justification pivoted around God’s personal revelation to him and the event of the Holy Spirit’s descent on Gentiles. This section demonstrates how God orchestrated each event from the visions of Cornelius and Peter to the Gentiles’ coming to Christ and their receiving the baptism of the Spirit.
11:4
But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:
Peter here began chronologically to defend his decision to minister to Gentiles. He rehearsed the events of chapter 10 in order.
11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. 6When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 7And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ 9But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 10Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. 12Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.
Peter began his defense by explaining the vision that he received from God in chapter 10. He did not hesitate to go with the Gentile believers to see Cornelius because of direct revelation from God in the vision. One addition to chapter 10 is that the Jewish Christians from Joppa who went with him to Caesarea were six in number. Peter later brought these six men to Jerusalem to witness to the events at Joppa and Caesarea.
PRINCIPLE:
The giving of the gospel to Gentiles ended the inauguration of the institution of the church.
APPLICATION:
The events at Caesarea (Acts 10-11) are in the same category as Acts 2 and 8. Each event was pivotal to the giving of the Holy Spirit; each inaugurated a specific group of people into the body of Christ (Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles). The events of Acts 8 and 10-11 were not new ages or economies but economy-extending; that is, the age of grace was extended to the Samaritans and Gentiles. With the addition of the Gentiles, God completed the age of grace regarding the inclusion of people groups. This event concluded the inaugural period of the church and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit on particular groups.
The bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon Gentiles clarifies the purpose of tongues in the book of Acts. Every instance of manifestation of tongues was a sign, a sign to the Jews that God changed His economy in dealing with His people (Acts 2:4, 10:46; 19:6). The events at Caesarea closed the need for tongues. Peter and his Jewish colleagues were fully convinced that God had inaugurated a new age for the Gentiles. The sign of tongues demonstrated to the Jews that God had moved from the nation Israel to the church. The Jews needed to know that God included Gentiles in His plan for the church.
There was no direct connection between the baptism of the Spirit and tongues. Once God completed the inauguration of the church, there was no further need for tongues. Each occurrence of speaking in tongues related to the church, not the individual. It was never an individual experience, especially an experience subsequent to salvation.
