What is Christianity? Acts 11:1-18
A lady entered my clinic wearing a beautiful silver cross round her neck. When we had been talking for some time, I asked her if the cross she was wearing meant she was a Christian.
“Yes,” she said hesitantly, but then added, ‘But I am not the practising sort!”
In the New Testament there is no such person as a non-practising Christian. This chapter describes how the early church expanded into Gentile communities but it also gives us the features that mark out a real Christian. It is significant that these four features that were central to the teaching of the early church are seldom the emphasis of some contemporary churches in the west and we should ask why!
1. A Christ-centred message
Luke was a first rate investigative journalist. His first book, the Gospel of Luke, describes the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The second book, the book of Acts, describes the advance of Jesus’ kingly rule throughout the Roman world. At the beginning of the book of Acts Luke writes,
“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Acts 1:1-2
This wording is significant, Jesus began his work when he walked on earth but he then continued his work through his apostles who continued to be taught and guided by the Holy Spirit.
By chapter 11 the scene has moved out from Jerusalem and Judea, through Samaria to reach, for the first time, Gentiles first in Caesarea and then in Antioch. This required a dramatic reversal in the way Jews thought and this needed a supernatural intervention by God. Peter had a dream, repeated three times, that all animals, even “unclean” ones, were now acceptable to God. He realised that this was not just about Jewish dietary laws but that God’s love and concern was for people of all nations. These dreams were reinforced by the arrival of three men from the Gentile centurion Cornelius who had also been told by God to call Peter to come and explain the gospel to them. When Peter and six companions made the forty mile journey from Joppa to Caesarea they were greeted by a houseful of people eagerly waiting to be taught the gospel. Peter does not hesitate to enter the Gentile home, even though Jewish law forbade this, and this is what he taught. He describes the basic Christian message which centres on Jesus and this message is for all time.
“34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 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. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:34-43
In essence Peter taught them that the man Jesus is God’s king of all the earth, who was crucified but rose again on the third day. This is very good news because it is now possible for people of every nation to be forgiven the sin that separates each of us from God.
Peter returned to explain to the other apostles the triple vision he had had of unclean animals coming down from heavenon a sheet, the subsequent visit of the men from Cornelius, how he had visited his home, how Gentiles had then ‘received the word of God’ and how ‘the Holy Spirit had come on them as he had come on us at he beginning’. The church leaders recognised that this new movement was indeed from God.
It is this same message about Jesus that all people in the church were passing on to those they met. The Christians who had to flee from Jerusalem because of the persecution that followed Stephen’s stoning travelled widely, reaching as far as Cyprus and even Antioch, the third city of Rome. Luke records,
“19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21
Here was further evidence that this change in direction of the church into reaching Gentiles was the work of God. These early Christians could not keep the news to themselves. ‘The word’ they spread was ‘the good news about the Lord Jesus’. How we need to rediscover this today. Our message remains, ‘Jesus Christ is Lord of all, reject him at your peril!’
This account of Luke gives us three other clear descriptions of what makes a genuine Christian.
2. They received the Word of God
Luke describes this cataclysmic change with these words,
“The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had received the word of God.” Acts 11:1
The phrase, ‘Word of God’ is found one hundred and twenty nine times in the Bible and fourteen times in Luke’s writings. It is a technical phrase for God’s message to mankind. The apostles recognised that it was their priority to teach people the ‘Word of God’, the message that Jesus had taught them (Acts 6:2) When many Jews became Christians, Luke records this as ‘The Word of God spread’ (Acts 6:7). When many Samaritans became Christians Luke uses a similar phrase, they ‘accepted the Word of God’ (Acts 8:14) In our passage, when Gentiles first became Christians, Luke again describes this as having ‘received the Word of God’ (Acts 11:1).
In the New Testament, to become a Christian is to allow God’s word to be the authority of my life. The essence of the Christian message has always been what Peter passed on to the crowd in Cornelius’ home,
“You know the message that God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:36
Peter went on to describe the facts about the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 10:37-41). Then followed the explanation of these facts that makes Jesus relevant for all people,
“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.”
This is why this ‘Word of God’ which should include the facts about Jesus, the meaning of his life and the implication for us, is highly relevant to all people today.
To become a Christian a person must first accept the body of truth, the ‘Word of God’, that has been revealed by God through his apostles. The word ‘truth’ comes 137 times in the Bible and ‘true’ a further 123 times. It is God’s truth, his Word, that sets us free, as Jesus himself said,
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32
It is therefore a tragedy when Christians think they can pick and choose which parts of God’s word they will accept. In a Radio 2 interview an Anglican said that ‘he liked the fuzziness of Anglicanism’. He was then asked, ‘Where do you go to church?’ ‘I don’t go to church as they still say the creed and parts of that I cannot accept!’
The plumb-line of authentic Christian faith is an acceptance that God’s word is paramount over how I think and behave. To be a Christian is not to be religiously inclined or belong to a church but to embrace and adhere to clear propositional truths that God’s prophets and apostles have passed on to us.
It is a sign of how some churches think when the leaflet welcoming people to a cathedral has much to say about the architecture but not a mention about the Word of Truth. We will all keep discovering new understandings when we keep digging into the Bible and it will keep reminding us when we are going wrong.
Liberal Christianity offers a modern alternative but it is not Christian in that the authority of the Word of God is subjugated to man’s wisdom. Columbia University history professor Gary Dorrien, an expert on the subject, calls liberal Christianity, “a progressive, credible integrative way between orthodox over-belief and secular unbelief.” We should be using modern scientific discoveries to help us understand how to read the text of Scripture, as all truth comes from God, but we cannot change what has been given to us, these are ‘the very words of God’ (Romans 3:2). Once scissors are applied to parts of the Bible, such as is happening about sexuality, there is nowhere to stop. Either the Bible is the Word of God or it is not. Jesus and his apostles had no doubt where God’s people must stand.
The great victorian preacher, C.H.Spurgeon, recognised the problem some have when they vacillate on the authority of Scripture,
“I would recommend you either believe God up to the hilt, or else not to believe at all. Believe this book of God, every letter of it, or else reject it. There is no logical standing place between the two. Be satisfied with nothing less than a faith that swims in the deeps of divine revelation; a faith that paddles about the edge of the water is poor faith at best. It is little better than a dry-land faith, and is not good for much.”
3. They Repented
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Gentiles had become Christians they summarised the change in these words,
“God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” Acts 11:18
True repentance is a necessity for a person to be acceptable to God. When John the Baptist began his ministry,
“He went into the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Luke 3:3
When Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the gospel he said,
“The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news.” Mark 1:15
When accused of befriending sinners, Jesus replied,
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:32
When Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep he says that the shepherd calls his friends and neighbours together and says,‘I have found my lost sheep.’ Jesus then explains,
“I tell you in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7
The Bible is clear that there is nobody who is righteous. What a shame it is that when people are asked “How are you?’ many now reply, ‘I’m good’! Of course they aren’t good, no-one is good or righteous but God alone (Mark 10:18).
Jesus summarised the message of the Jewish Scriptures with these words,
“This is what is written,: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47
When Peter gave his first sermon at Pentecost, his listeners were ‘cut to the heart’ over the way they had treated Jesus and asked, ‘What shall we do?’
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off.” Acts 2:38-39
When the apostles were questioned by the Sanhedrin, the ruling government of the Jews that had arranged for Jesus to be crucified, they were accused of continuing to teach about the death of Jesus. Peter and the other apostles replied,
“We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things., and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Acts 5:29-32
The word ‘repent’ means to ‘rethink the direction of my life’. It is a radical ‘about turn’ in which I stop living for myself but come under the command of my God and Saviour. Naturally we are all on the ‘broad road that leads to destruction’, but we repent when we change direction, go through the narrow gate of repentance and start a new life living with and for the Lord Jesus. It is only when we repent and turn to Christ that our wilful rebellion against God can be forgiven.
God tells us that this is the way to peace, joy and life eternal. Satan will whisper in our ear that such teaching is wrong and that happiness is to be found in living for yourself and leaving God out of the picture. Satan will say, ‘God is a spoil-sport’. He said to Eve, changing the words of God,
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
Eve corrected him by saying that it was only the tree of knowledge of good and evil that was prohibited,
“You must not touch it, or you will die.”
Satan then contradicts the Word of God,
“You will not surely die.” Genesis 3:1-4
Evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, and arrogance all seem to offer so much in the short term, but Jesus warns that these are the route to destruction. We are unclean in God’s eyes when we fall for Satan’s lies and practice these sins (see Mark 7:20-23). These sins are all addictive and very harmful, both in our relationships with others and in our relationship with God.
Repentance will be seen in a new way of living. Paul wrote to the troubled church in Corinth,
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified . . .” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
If a person who claims to be a Christian has not repented of their old godless way of life, the apostles are clear that they are not yet Christians. We all fail but the genuine Christian will want to repent and start again, the non Christian won’t. When we turn to Christ we start a new life which will affect my heart, my behaviour and my wallet.
Paul summarised this change,
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. . . Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Christian speaker, Prof Henry Drummond told the following,
“Here comes a man, and he admits that he gets drunk every week. That man comes to a meeting, and wants to be converted. Shall I say, "Don't you be in a hurry. I believe in doing the work gradually. Don't you get drunk and knock your wife down more than once a month?" Wouldn't it be refreshing to his wife to go a whole month without being knocked down? Once a month, only twelve times in a year! Wouldn't she be glad to have him converted in this new way! Only get drunk after a few years on the anniversary of your wedding, and at Christmas, and then it will be effective because it is gradual!
Oh! I detest all that kind of teaching. Let us go to the Bible and see what that old Book teaches. Let us believe it, and go and act as if we believed it, too. Salvation is instantaneous. I admit that a man may be converted so that he cannot tell when he crossed the line between death and life, but I also believe a man may be a thief one moment and a saint the next. I believe a man may be as vile as hell itself one moment, and be saved the next.
Christian growth is gradual, just as physical growth is; but a man passes from death unto everlasting life quick as an act of the will -- "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."
4. They are given the Holy Spirit
This feature keeps being repeated so is clearly central to what is Christian. As Peter was speaking in Cornelius’ home,
“ . . . the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Acts 10:44
“The circumcised believers who had come with with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” Acts 10:45
Peter then said,
“Can anyone prevent these people being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Acts 10:47
When Peter repeats this story to the apostles and others in Jerusalem he emphasises that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles,
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. . . . So God gave them the same gift as he gave us., who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ . . .” Acts 11:15-17
It is clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit, receiving the Spirit, the Spirit falling on them and being baptised in the Holy Spirit is the same as Christian conversion. They occurred at the same time as the people opened their hearts to Jesus Christ. This is the clear teaching of Scripture. Paul wrote,
“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Galatians 3:2-3
We are given the Holy Spirit when we first believe. There is no suggestion that we can receive a bit of him. Either we have the Holy Spirit in us or we do not. Paul wrote,
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9
Paul again emphasised that we receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved,
“He saved us through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 3:5-6
Shortly after I committed my life to Christ when an undergraduate I opted to be confirmed. The bishop of Ely, in his confirmation sermon, told us that he was about to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit. I very nearly walked out in protest as I knew that God had already given me the gift of the Holy Spirit. I only stayed because I wanted the certificate!
Today there are Christians who teach a two stage Christian experience saying that those who have been baptised in the Spirit are more fitted for service of God. This error is taught in both High Churches where it is said that a person receives the Spirit when they are baptised as an infant and fully receive the Spirit at confirmation. In some charismatic circles it is held that the Spirit comes in a partial way at conversion but fully when they are subsequently baptised in the Spirit which is usually defined as being an emotional experience.
How does a person know if they have the Holy Spirit in their life? His presence will be apparent from the way our life radically changes. These are the sort of changes that will be apparent:
1. A love for Jesus
2. A love for God’s Word
3. A love for God’s people
4. A longing for righteousness
5. A longing to pray
6. A longing to evangelise
7. A longing for heaven
8. A joy and peace in all situations
9. A perseverance in living with and for Christ whatever happens
The proof of the Spirit’s presence is that all these features will be growing within us – we cannot be selective! People may have various gifts that mimic the presence of the Holy Spirit but not even be saved. Jesus warned those church leaders who are relying on their gifts as proof of the presence of God,
“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers!’” Matthew 7:21-23
It is significant that several of these features, such as evangelism, developing the church family and my own satisfaction depend on the ability to develop interpersonal relationships. It is therefore no surprise that part of the fruit of the Spirit in a person will be those characteristics that help in this. Paul wrote,
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
The particular feature that was apparent in these Gentiles was that their experience was identical to that of the Jewish Christians at Pentecost - they ‘spoke in tongues’! It was the same experience that was given to the new Christians in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17) and subsequently in Ephesus. These were the three special occasions when the church broke new ground.
“When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve in all.” Acts 19:6-7
It was vital that the church should hold together and for this reason the apostles were sent to give the new believers the gift of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate they were equal Christians and not second rate ones!
How was the new presence of God’s Spirit manifested? In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit first fell on the Jewish Christians people of every nation were made aware of God’s presence in his people, foreigners present said,
“We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own language.” Acts 2:11
There are two vital features to be recognised in this description. This is the only time where the effect of the receiving the Holy Spirit is fully explained.
1. The first feature was that the new Christians prophesied or told others God’s message in a way others could understand.
2. They did this in real intelligible languages that foreigners understood.
Today there are still some Christians who teach that ‘tongues’ is an unintelligible ‘gobbledegook’. The Alpha course still teaches this. This form of unrecognisable ‘tongues’ is found in other religions. It was a feature of ancient mystical Greek religion and is seen today in some forms of Hinduism and Islam. This is not the gift that the Bible describes.
In the Bible the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the equivalent to saying that people had become real Christians of equal standing with the apostles when they received the Word of God and repented of living lives independent of God. The Bible knows nothing of a two-tier Christian experience.
The great Bible teacher, John Stott has stated,
“Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a universal Christian experience. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is an initial experience.”
What a joy it is to be certain that if I have turned to Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour, then I have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God now calls on us to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’- that is our responsibility.
“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature . . . But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:16-21
The Holy Spirit always points people to Jesus and illuminates him. The Bible scholar, Jim Packer told this story,
“I remember walking to church one winter evening to preach on the words, ‘He will glorify me’ (John 16:14), seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed. When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are placed so that you do not see them; in fact, you are not supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. This perfectly illustrated the Spirit's new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Saviour.
Or think of it this way. It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over our shoulder on to Jesus who stands facing us. The Spirit's message to us is never, ‘Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me’, but always, ‘Look at him, and see his glory; listen to him and hear his word; go to him and have life; get to know him and taste his gift of joy and peace.’ The Spirit, we might say, is the matchmaker, the celestial marriage broker, whose role it is to bring us and Christ together and ensure that we stay together.”
The Holy Spirit helps us to keep living with and for Christ, whatever the circumstances. The Spirit always puts the focus on the Lord Jesus but never on a person.
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic Games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for the Lord Jesus.
Let us work and pray that these four features will remain central in our churches teaching and we will never succumb to just trying to be popular.
BVP
June 2022
