Saul, Saul why do you persecute me??? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting!
Hello??????
Jesus had plans for this man..he was to be the instrument to carry His name before the Gentiles.
After this experience and recovering his sight, Paul began to preach and people were amazed at this "turn around". Those nasty little Jews decided to kill him, too, but Saul escaped. Even the disciples were skeptical of him, but Barnabas stood up for him and his witness. There was a period of peace as the church strengthened.
We focus in on Peter, who heals on his way to stay with Simon the tanner. This is a big deal because tanning involved contact with dead animals, and Jewish law considered it an "unclean" job.
We meet Cornelius...he is a Roman centurion; though he was of the oppressing ruling party, Scripture says he followed God. An angel appears to him and tells him to bring Peter to him...meanwhile Peter has a vision in which God teaches him that things under the Moses law are no longer unclean under the new covenant of Jesus Christ.....Even Peter has to struggle with the change in the traditional law. He is summoned to Cornelius, and normally Jews couldn't even go into a Gentiles home...God is showing Peter that he can't call any man impure or unclean. Peter preaches the Gospel to the Gentiles...this is HUGE......Peter points out that the Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit just as the Jews have....even major followers of Jesus must remain teachable....
Hahaha...now Saul has seen the light...literally! He has been a bad man and Jesus comes to him and gets his attention....I bet he starts feeling bad for all he has done to stop the teaching of Jesus...
ReplyDeleteCool.....the Holy spirit fell upon gentiles...."To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."