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THE KING’S BUSINESS
in the opening o f the door o f the Church to the Gentiles. The seriousness o f the step Peter is to be called upon to take is evident from the rebuke he received for it afterwards from the Church at Jerusa lem (11:1-18). At last, Peter, the head o f the Jewish- Christian Church at Jerusalem, he to whom was committed the “keys o f the kingdom of heaven,” enters into the great plan o f his Master, who had worlds in His brain and empires on His "heart. That Peter never quite forgot the vision (10:1-17) and its lesson is evident (despite Paul’s arraign ment o f Peter for momentary wavering, Galatians 2:11-21) from the fact that at the great convention at Jerusalem he nobly championed the cause o f Paul in defense o f the gospel to the Gentiles (15:6-11). And so Peter, the great apostle to the Jews, becomes the instrument God uses to admit a Gentile, Cornelius the Roman cen turion, into the membership o f the Church (10:19-11:18). (e) New Gentile headquarters for the Church—Antioch, 11:19-30. How grandly God’s plan for the evan gelization o f the Gentiles is being worked ou t! , How, apparently accidentally, He is breaking up the Church monopoly in Jeru salem! How little importance, compara tively, is, from this time forth, attached to what is transpiring in Jerusalem, and what great space is given to the problems of world evangelization! Peter, James, and Jerusalem seem to sink into comparative insignificance, while Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Antioch fill the horizon. The gospel is detaching itself from Jerusalem, and attaching itself to the world. And this is the sublime purpose o f the book o f Acts. Chapters 1-12 have been but preparatory for chapters 13-28. ( f ) The scattering o f the Church at Jeru salem, 12:1-23. The final blow to the seclusiveness o f the Church at Jerusalem came with the persecution o f the Church by Herod, and especially with the martyrdom o f James, its leader (12:1, 2). Only by a miraculous
The Church must be broadened. It must have more men and men o f broader vision. Intimations o f such broadening have already been noted in the Greek names among those chosen to be deacons. W e are to see it further in Philip’s preaching in Samaria, in the conversion o f the Ethiop ian Eunuch (c. 8 ), Saul o f Tarsus (c. 9), and o f Cornelius (cc. 10, 11). Thus does God force His Church to do what by per ception o f His will as revealëd by His Word, it ought to do. (a ) The scattering o f the Church throughout Judea and Samaria, 8:1-4. Note the intimation o f the extension of thé gospel to thè Gentiles as seen in refer ence to Saul (8:1-3). The martyrdom of Stephen undoubtedly sowed the first seeds o f conviction in the heart of Saul. The dying words o f Stephen, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (7:60), so much like the dying words o f Jesus, “ Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23 :34), must have compelled a thoughtful man like Saul to ponder well his conduct. (b ) The diffusion o f the gospel in Samaria by the preaching o f Philip, Peter, and John, 8 :5-39. Here again is an intimation o f the exten sion o f the gospel to the Gentiles, the con version o f the Ethiopian Eunuch (8:26- 39) being a kind o f first fruits. (c ) The Church’s greatest enemy, Saul of Tarsus, captured and converted, 9 :1-31. Yet still another intimation o f the gospel to the Gentiles. Here we have the conver sion o f the chosen vessel to the Gentiles. How wonderfully God works out His pur poses !, (d ) The activities o f Peter at Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea, 9:31-11:18.. At Lydda Peter raises Eneas from a bed o f sickness to which he had been confined for eight years (9:32-35). At Joppa he raises' Tabitha or Dorcas to life (9:36-42). Both miracles resulted in many conver sions (9:35, 42). In connection with Peter’s visit to Joppa we have presented to us an advanced step
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