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The Ambassador Group

Biblical Missionaries

0. Biblical Missionaries: The Great Commission

01. Biblical Missionaries: The Missionary Nature of God

02. Biblical Missionaries: Abraham- the First Missionary

03. Biblical Missionaries: The Unlikely Missionary

04. Biblical Missionaries: The Jonah Saga

05. Biblical Missionaries: Exiles as Missionaries

06. Biblical Missionaries:  Mordecai and Esther

07.Biblical Missionaries: Jesus- The Master of Missions

08.Biblical Missionaries: Cross-Cultural Missions

09. Biblical Missionaries: Peter and the Gentiles

10. Biblical Missionaries: Philip as Missionary

11. Biblical Missionaries: Paul- Background and Call

12. Biblical Missionaries: Paul- Mission and Message

13. Biblical Missionaries: Must the Whole World Hear?

Welcome to another in-depth exploration of biblical missionaries written by Borge Shentz edited for audio and produced by the Ambassador Group Exploration 9 Peter and the Gentiles.

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.

Acts 2 verses 38 and 39, The New King James Version.

Peter was the first apostle to proclaim salvation to the Gentiles.

He continued to provide leadership in the Church for a number of years after its foundation, Even after Paul became the missionary to the Gentiles par excellence, Peter together with Paul helped the early church and its leadership, mostly Jews, understand the universality of the Great Commission.

Peter worked to bring about an integrated church, uniting Gentile converts who were unaware of the finer points of Jewish culture, and Jewish converts whose customs tended to take on the character of divine absolutes.

Like all pioneer missionaries, Peter had to discriminate between unchangeable divine absolutes and those practices that are cultural and relative and of no important consequence in the life of the believer, whether Jew or Gentile.

Thus it was Peter who at the Jerusalem Council declared of the Gentiles that God put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Acts 15 9 and who helped work through the issues that threatened the early church's unity.

Jesus' last words before his ascension were of a missionary nature.

You shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1.8 Here again we see the mandate to spread the gospel into all the world.

Only 10 days later this calling started to unfold with Peter playing a key role.

As you listen, compile details to answer this question.

How does this event show God's intent for the gospel to go worldwide and the role that the Jews were to have in that proclamation?

Now there were then residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout and God-fearing men from every country under heaven.

And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and they were astonished and bewildered, because each 1 heard them speaking in his own particular dialect, and they were beside themselves with amazement, saying, Are not all these who are talking Galileans?

Then how is it that we hear each of us in our own particular dialect to which we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and the transient residents from Rome, both Jews and the proselytes, to Judaism from other religions, Cretans and Arabians too, we all hear them speaking in our own native tongues and telling of the mighty works of God.

And all were beside themselves with amazement, and were puzzled and bewildered, saying 1 to another, What can this mean?

But others made a joke of it, and derisively said, They are simply drunk, and full of sweet intoxicating wine.

But Peter, standing with the 11, raised his voice and addressed them, You Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, Let this be explained to you so that you will know and understand.

For these men are not drunk as you imagine, for it is only the third hour, about 09:00 in the morning.

But Instead, this is the beginning of what was spoken through the prophet Joel.

And it shall come to pass in the last days God declares that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all mankind.

And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, telling forth the divine counsels, and your young men shall see visions, divinely granted appearances, and your old men shall dream divinely suggested dreams.

Yes, and on my menservants also, and on my maidservants in those days, I will pour out of my spirit and they shall prophesy, telling forth the divine counsels and predicting future events pertaining especially to God's kingdom.

And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and smoking vapor.

The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the obvious day of the Lord comes, that great and notable and conspicuous and renowned day.

And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, invoking, adoring, and worshipping the Lord Christ, shall be saved.

The Great Commission found its first fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had as its aim the evangelization of the world.

This initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave great results on the day of Pentecost.

This was, however, only a foretaste of much greater results to come in the years that followed.

Peter's sermon contained a few main points that remain relevant even today.

First, Old Testament prophecies and promises are fulfilled in Christ.

We have just heard this, but let's listen again to Acts chapter 2 verses 17 to 21.

This time, listening for the prophecies and promises.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of my spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy telling forth the divine counsels and your young men shall see visions divinely granted appearances and your old men shall dream divinely suggested dreams yes and on my men servants also and on my maid servants in those days, I will pour out of my spirit and they shall prophesy, telling forth the Divine counsels and predicting future events pertaining especially to God's Kingdom.

And here comes the promise in verse 21, And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, invoking, adoring, and worshipping the Lord Christ, shall be saved.

A truth revealed through the powerful works and signs accompanying Jesus' ministry as well as through his death and resurrection, spoken about by Peter and reported in verses 22-24 which say, You men of Israel, listen to what I have to say.

Jesus of Nazareth, a man accredited and pointed out and shown forth and commended and attested to you by God by the mighty works and the power of performing wonders and signs which God worked through him right in your midst, as you yourselves know.

This Jesus, when delivered up according to the definite and fixed purpose and settled plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and put out of the way, killing him by the hands of lawless and wicked men.

But God raised him up, liberating him from the pangs of death, seeing that it was not possible for him to continue to be controlled or retained by it.

Second, Jesus was exalted, placed at God's right hand, and is now Christ the Messiah and Lord of all.

Verses 33 to 36 which say, Being therefore lifted high by and to the right hand of God, and Having received from the Father the promised blessing which is the Holy Spirit, He has made this outpouring which you yourselves both see and hear.

For David did not ascend into the heavens, Yet he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand and share my throne, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

Therefore let the whole house of Israel recognize, beyond all doubt, and acknowledge assuredly, that God has made him both Lord and Christ the Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.

In him all who repent and are baptized will receive forgiveness for sins.

As verses 38 and 39 say, and Peter answered them, repent, change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it, and be baptized, every 1 of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise of the Holy Spirit is to and for you and your children and to and for all that are far away even to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to himself here we see the active and vocal disciple Peter standing up for his belief in Jesus.

He was called by Jesus to be a strong leader in the church's earliest days, although less cosmopolitan, efficient, and adaptable to other cultures and religions than was the Apostle Paul.

In comparison, Galatians 2, verses 11-14 gives us a composite snapshot of the Apostle Paul's capabilities as a leader.

And being a leader often involves confrontation in this passage of scripture we hear of a confrontation with Peter Paul says but when Cephas or Peter came to Antioch I protested and opposed him to his face concerning his conduct there.

For up to the time that certain persons came from James, he ate his meals with the Gentile converts.

But when the men from Jerusalem arrived, he withdrew and held himself aloof from the Gentiles, and ate separately for fear of those of the circumcision party.

And the rest of the Jews along with him also concealed their true convictions and acted insincerely, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy, their example of insincerity and pretense.

And as soon as I saw that they were not straightforward and were not living up to the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas, or Peter, before everybody present, if you, though born a Jew, can live as you have been living like a Gentile and not like a Jew?

How do you dare now to urge and practically force the Gentiles to comply with the ritual of Judaism and live like Jews?

Although less cosmopolitan, efficient, and adaptable to other cultures and religions than was the Apostle Paul, Peter opened the way for the Gospel to go to about 15 nations as he preached to diaspora Jews in Jerusalem.

In this way he used a very important bridge to bring the good news to the Middle Eastern world of his time.

What does the story of Pentecost reveal about your need of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Listening friend, what choices can you make in order to be more attuned to the Holy Spirit's leading?

The Conversion of Cornelius Part 1 Acts 10, verses 1-8 and verses 23-48 tell us the experience of Cornelius.

What does the story of this Gentile becoming a follower of Jesus teach us about salvation and witness?

Now living at Caesarea, there was a man whose name was Cornelius, a centurion, captain of what was known as the Italian Regiment.

A devout man who venerated God and treated him with reverential obedience, as did all his household, and he gave much alms to the people and prayed continually to God.

About the ninth hour, or about 3 p.m., of the day, he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God entering and saying to him, Cornelius.

And he, gazing intently at him, became frightened and said, What is it, Lord?

And the angel said to him, Your prayers and your generous gifts to the poor have come up as a sacrifice to God, and have been remembered by him.

And now send men to Joppa, and have them call for and invite here a certain Simon whose surname is Peter.

He is lodging with Simon a Tanner, whose house is by the seaside.' When the Angel who spoke to him had left.

Cornelius called 2 of his servants and a God-fearing soldier from among his own personal attendants and having rehearsed everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

So Peter invited them in to be his guests for the night.

The next day he arose and went away with them and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

And on the following day they entered Caesarea.

Cornelius was waiting for and expecting them, and he had invited together his relatives and his intimate friends.

As Peter arrived, Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet, he made obeisance and paid worshipful reverence to him.

But Peter raised him up saying, Get up, I myself am also a man.

And as Peter spoke with him he entered the house and found a large group of persons assembled.

And he said to them, You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or even to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or ceremonially unclean.

Therefore when I was sent for, I came without hesitation or objection or misgivings.

So now I ask for what reason you sent for me." And Cornelius said, —This is now the fourth day since about this time I was observing the ninth hour, 03:00 in the afternoon, of prayer in my lodging-place.

Suddenly a man stood before me in dazzling apparel, and he said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and hearkened to, and your donations to the poor have been known and preserved before God, so that he heeds and is about to help you.

Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is surnamed Peter.

He is staying in the house of Simon the tanner by the seaside.

So at once I sent for you, and you being a Jew have done a kind and courteous and handsome thing in coming.

Now then, we are all present in the sight of God to listen to all that you have been instructed by the Lord to say.' And Peter opened his mouth and said, Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons.

But in every nation, he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to him and sure of being received and welcomed by him.

You know the contents of the message which he sent to Israel announcing the good news gospel of peace by Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.

The same message which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee after the baptism preached by John, how God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with strength and ability and power how he went about doing good and in particular curing all who were harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil for God was with him.

And we are eye and ear witnesses of everything that he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem and yet They put him out of the way, murdered him by hanging him on a tree.

But God raised him to life on the third day and caused him to be manifest, to be plainly seen, not by all the people, but to us who were chosen, designated beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

And He charged us to preach to the people and to bear solemn testimony that he is the God-appointed and God-ordained judge of the living and the dead.

To him all the prophets testify or bear witness that everyone who believes in him, who adheres to or trusts in and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him, receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

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Biblical Missionaries

09. Biblical Missionaries: Peter and the Gentiles

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