Let us move on. We're right on schedule with lecture 11. I could tell you a long German story, but I won't. But the bottom line is, when I say so, then it is. It's so un-German, so un-typical. It's just surprising that there would be such a persistence. We are looking at the further development of the Book of Acts from chapter 9 onwards, particularly 10. I do give you the development of the thought in little bits and pieces, that is three units. But I think you can see that the development of the thought of the Book of Acts, namely external and internal expansion and external opposition and internal tension is continuing to be addressed in the following chapters. Let me just briefly go back into chapter 9 and then move on through chapter 17. In chapter 9, we see the very significant fact that Paul is chosen as an instrument to carry the name of Christ before Gentiles and their kings, and please don't forget to the people of Israel. Sometimes, even from the title of some books, you may get the impression that Paul is a apostle to the Gentiles, but the Book of Acts teaches us that Paul pursues the basic pattern that even Jesus himself pursued, namely, to the Jewish people first and then also to the Gentiles. In chapter 9 and then moving into chapter 10, we have the expansion, external expansion theme continued, and that is when Peter presents the gospel as the first group of Gentiles when he presents the gospel to the Gentiles to the household of Cornelius. It would be very instructive here to notice how Peter defiles himself for the sake of the gospel. He goes into the house of a Tanner. Now, Tanner's were considered unclean in some ways. There was still part of the people of Israel, but they were considered unclean. They were outside of the city gates, close to the water, which they needed for their tray. And so, already, while, certainly, Peter has fellowship with a Jew, he has fellowship with a marginal Jew. And then he has the vision of eating unclean or having been instructed to eat unclean animals. You see that with every step he is defiling himself. Long before, he puts his foot across the doorstep into Cornelius' house which defiles him even more. And then, to have fellowship, to join in, it would be a complete surrender of the purity understanding of Peter, but you see the theme of this whole section is what God pronounces clean man shall not consider unclean. Yes. The Ethiopian unique in chapter 8 precedes this section. He is a Gentile. That's why I said, but I maybe didn't say it clearly enough. The first group of Gentiles. You're quite right that as Philip presents the gospel, it already is presented to Gentiles before. Here, however, it is a first group representative for the Gentiles. Now, a particular group of Gentiles, we must add, namely, so-called God-fears. They were the Jews, Palestinian Jews, then they were the diaspora Jews, then were the prophylites who had been circumcised and most likely with a baptism of purification brought into the fellowship of the people of Israel. Then were the God-fears who were not circumcised, who were privileged to attend synagogue, but they, while they accepted the worship of God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, prayer, armsgiving, etc., they did not actually convert to Judaism, and then certainly they were the Gentiles who had no association whatsoever with the Jewish faith. So this is not completely out in the Gentile world as Peter goes to the Gentiles. So I appreciate your point. I was not implying that this is the first time that the gospel is presented to a Gentile. Here Peter defiles himself in nearly like a movie with slow motion. The presentation of the narrative slows down for chapter 10 and 11, and gives a form of presentation that I have seen in the Old Testament as well, namely, narrate the story once, and then have the person that is in the story retell the same events to another audience. Exactly what's happening here. Peter tells the other apostles in Jerusalem in chapters 11, what has occurred to him in the experience with Cornelius' household. And because of this slowing down of the movement, I believe there's an emphasis here, and the emphasis is again repeating the theme of expansion. Now a very important barrier is, moved across is cut through, namely, the barrier of reaching into the unclean area, unclean from the perspective of the Jews. Then chapter 11 concludes with the witness of the diaspora, dispersed diaspora Jews, and then we see a last reference to Peter's indirect witness to Herod. Some references on Herod, the first pride in his death, some reference to the fact that God is the God of history. God is not only the God of the church, and I've had to learn that and see that, that while God dwells among his people, the church is a central focus of God's work. He is the Lord of rulers and authorities, and so it's a very instructive reference here that God reaches to those who seem to be outside of the church like King Herod Agrippa. The grandson of Herod the Great, nephew of Herod Antipas, has himself praised as God and Caesarea, and he does not reject that praise and dies. Josephus gives also an account of the same death, and here we see that God is the God of rulers, and the witness that goes out to the rulers is complemented by the authority that God has over rulers. Now, I had no real connection with that particular area of God's sovereignty, personal experience, until communism collapsed, and East Germany became a nation without government. The ruler, Erich Haniker, the communist ruler, had pronounced, had celebrated the 40th anniversary of communist East Germany two months before he was a fugitive in his own nation. He had a vicious wife who was the minister of education, who saw to it systematically eradicate any Christian element whatsoever in her domain on education. If you confess Christ, you were assured not to have higher education. And so it was a suppressive vicious system, and there is this ruler who is just getting ready for another long period of suppressive regimes. And two months later the power structure completely crumbles as if he were dropped like a puppet, and he becomes a fugitive. Nobody wants to take him in. He runs around from one embassy to another until finally he finds, now this is true. I've got this firsthand, nearly not firsthand, but it's absolutely true. He finds a horde with Christians, a Christian family, who works with orphans, takes him and his wife in. For two months this communist ruler and his wife sit at the table with children who could not have brilliant children who could not have higher education because of Mrs. Haniker's communist regime. They pray together that is the family prays together while these people stone faced sit there completely catatonic, because what do you do? Worshipping the god of mercy, the god of great deeds, the god of sovereignty, the ruler overall rulers, they're exposed for two months to the gospel. I do not know what happened. Haniker is dead now, he was put on trial in East Germany, well then unified Germany and they let him go because he was a sick old man, and then he went to South America I think and died there. His wife perhaps is still alive. I do not know what the witness is, but this little reference here to Herod Antipas and his death should not just be looked at as a little marginal point, but it is that the witness of the gospel goes out. Herod knows about the gospel, he rejects it. So the sovereignty of god over rulers is a very important point, and do not put the gospel in the ghetto of the church, do not confine it there. It has its energies, and it even goes through those barriers of high people in high places, they're just the same needy people as you and I. They cook their tea with the same water you and I do, and therefore they need the gospel. We need to pray for them that they come to a point of humbleness. And so it's a wonderful testimony that I have seen that in the history of my nation, how a suppressive ruler is broad to his knees and we need to not lose heart in praying for those rulers and those nations where similar, vicious, suppressive regimes are currently causing havoc in our world. Chapter 13, again external growth, Paul and Parabas spread the gospel, and the witness goes now beyond Antioch, which is the second base besides Jerusalem. You see there's base by base growth. The concentric growth goes from base to base. One important center in Jerusalem, second important center in Antioch. Later important center in Ephesus, further important center in Corinth. You see that there are, that there's general concentric growth that there's all the growth from one city to the next. And from these centers again, expansion of the gospel into the hinterland as they call it. There is external growth in chapter 13, and interesting in chapter 13 and 11 following, you see a little bit of the demonic opposition to that spread. There's not a whole lot of reference in the book of Acts that the spread meets opposition from the invisible demonic world, but there certainly is. And here and elsewhere we should remember that the church, that the proclamation of the gospel, that the people did not seek whether they would be a demon behind the next bush, but you need to be aware that there will be that part of the opposition to the expansion of the gospel as well. We must not overemphasize, nor underemphasize that the spread of the gospel may encounter this form of external opposition, not only the suppressive powers of people. You see the curse pronounced upon Bar Jesus, the Jewish sorcerer, and those themes are sometimes mentioned, Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 we have already spoken of. You see that. Chapter 13, again a section on the external growth, you have here Peter's speech in Pesidian Antioch to Jews and proselytes and a expansion here. Chapter 13 verse 46 following shows you that Paul praises to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. And please don't follow those interpreters of the book of Acts who say at a certain point Paul stops with the Jews and only turns to the Gentiles. I can show you that pattern that Paul goes to the synagogues, goes to the Jews, Acts 13, 14, 17, 18, 19 and following all the way to the end. He does not relieve behind the call to the Jewish people to turn to their Messiah. Chapter 14 verses 1 to 20, again continue the theme of external growth and the fact that God confirms by signs and wonders their message of grace, just a little flashback to the teaching of the apostles. This is the most significant aspect of signs and wonders in Acts to confirm this apostolic teaching and witness and ministry. We see then at the conclusion of chapter 14 a section on internal strengthening, breather, not only this external growth but our strengthening, internal strengthening only to move further. There's a crisis, a crisis that brews for a while and that now arises in Acts 15 very prominently. The crisis is severe, is fundamental and the crisis is invited by the fact that barriers had been broken down. Had they stayed in their ghettos, the crisis would not have arisen. Had they said the gospel is for Jews only will staying among ourselves, the problem had not arisen. So we must be aware that this expansive message will create problems. The reason being that the differences among people become visible as the message goes out and as you are to seek fellowship, coinonia. So the message goes out, the barriers are broken down and suddenly there is a problem. Secondly, the Jewish people are saying if you are not circumcised, you can be saved. It's not just a matter of Jewish people being circumcised, if you are not circumcised, you cannot be saved. And circumcision stands parsed for a total part for the whole poor keeping the law. So it's not just an issue of circumcision, it's basically you must follow the law of Moses to be saved, namely you Gentiles. So there is a magnanimity among some Jews to say, okay, we'll allow the Gentiles in. Under one condition that they keep the entire law such as we do as well. Now, these would be called the Judahizers who are inclined towards the gospel that there is a very serious flaw. And the flaw is, is there salvation by grace alone or do we only find salvation through keeping the law? And I must read to you this wonderful passage when Peter stands up in this first council that is then called to deal with this major internal tension of what should we do with the different groups within our reigns. Peter got up and addressed them in the council in Jerusalem. He says in Acts 15 verse 7, brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. Now comes the fruit of the slow motion presentation in Acts 10 and 11. God who knows the heart showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he did to us. He made no distinction. He made no distinction between us and them for he purified their hearts by faith, faith in Christ. Now then why do you try to test God by putting on the next of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? And we could add with Paul not because the law is bad but because we are sinful. No, we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we Jewish Palestinian Jewish law abiding people are saved just as they are by grace alone. Peter is clearly not a judaizer. Peter is clearly one who joins with Paul and the others in the Jerusalem council to affirm one basic truth from his speech that he had to learn that since given at the end of the Apostolic council are not reversals of this question. By the way if you want to be saved you do have to abstain from sexual immorality and from blood etc. etc. of the four instructions given there at the end of chapter 15 but those are useful and important to keep for fellowship. Do not engage in these things so as to offend your Jewish brethren for them to be turned away from the fellowship with you. So there are some instructions given but they are not reverting the instruction in the beginning namely that there is only salvation by grace alone. So the Apostolic council that deals with an internal tension in such a major way affirms and reestablishes for the church very clearly that there is salvation by grace alone and not by keeping the mosaic law. I don't know if in the practice of your churches you should imitate an Apostolic council. I think that is certainly something reserved for major councils of churches where they debate of that issues of that time. When you have problems in your local church from my experience in Germany at least I would advise that don't have public meetings where big decisions are being made. What we did when there were really sticky issues and we certainly had those believe you me when there are two or three Germans united be they Christians are not there are going to be tensions and difficulties and very strong opinions except for myself I just I just am right. Others have strong opinions I'm just right then what we said is let's come together and discuss these issues without any decision that has to be reached without any pressure of coming to a conclusion in the church so we took debates out of church meetings into times where we could sit together and say okay now just lay it all out and I'm going to lay it all out as well and let's see. And we are not going to move towards a decision in the church before we can really understand each other now that sounds very democratic and obviously there are some issues that basic truth that should not be negotiated that this one was an issue that needed to be discussed in the church in this way and it was wonderful. We had very peaceful basic times of the church where important decisions had to be reached after having had these times where we could really listen to each other and perhaps that is a way of problem solving in marriage and in family disputes and misunderstanding among friends that you really listen to each other without pressure. There is another section on the internal strengthening the end of chapter 15 beginning of chapter 16 the disagreement I would not identify the disagreement at the end of chapter 15 and beginning of 16 as something to be just look down upon. Note the separation between Paul and Barnabas earlier then there's a further expansion chapter 16 again the opposition in chapter 16 22 in chapter 17 moves into further expansion Thessalonica, Berea and then Athens and the interesting thing is there's a pattern here in chapter 17. Town reference to meeting in the synagogue further preaching opposition it's interesting. This brings us to chapter 18 we're going to look at chapter 18 and following in a little while let me just make a few remarks now on one further major speech within this area that we have just looked at. To see what the message how the message is continuing and how it is being presented focusing on Acts chapter 10 the witness among the Gentile God fears. We have a little bit of this context and I'm doing that on purpose to give you these floral thought overviews and then to zero in particular area here chapter 10 verses 34 to 43. I am not going to read this text I'm assuming that you are acquainted with it at least in the sense of knowing that here Peter presents the gospel to Gentiles. You also know the immediate context now of the speech namely the defiling progression of Peter defiling obviously in quotation marks he's actually following God's course but in his mind in his understanding he's defiling himself. The interesting surprise we have as we look at this speech this sermon that Peter preaches to the household of Cornelius is that there is not so much reference to the Old Testament. You see we have moved away from a particularly Jewish context and we're moving into a Gentile context very very roughly you can divide the book of Acts into sermons that address Jews with reference to the Old Testament and Gentiles with reference to nature. That would be Acts 17 now Acts 10 curiously doesn't fit into either of those very clearly what we have in Acts 10 is a very expanded middle section of reference to the person of Jesus Christ. And I wonder why see if you ask the question why you may get an answer now sometimes the question why isn't so good if my child needs to do something there comes the question why but here to ask that question why do we not have a lot of reference to the Old Testament why is there not lot of reference to nature. The answer I would give you is this reference to nature is only necessary where there is no understanding of the God of creation which in Athens it was high time that somebody came and said guess what you guys are creatures by a mighty God created by mighty God. Among the Jews the certainly the reference isn't to creation but also they need to understand how the gospel of Jesus Christ relates to the Old Testament. These God fears worshiped the God of creation they believed Genesis the account references to God's glorious creation they knew Psalm 19 they were not so concerned that Jesus would be the fulfillment of the Old Testament as much as they needed to know Jesus himself. So here we have basically a sermon that preaches who Jesus is in an amazingly detailed way in such detailed way in fact that the structure of this sermon of Peter to the household of Cornelius can be and has been taken to be a rough outline of the gospel of Mark. Now some of you know that I have argued elsewhere for the close connection between Peter and the gospel of Mark. Papias makes clear reference to the fact that Peter gave his gospel to Mark, Mark wrote it down and so we may be here at this very stage the proclamation of the gospel at the beginning of the gospel genre. At the beginning of how did gospel arise how did it arise the form of beginning with John the Baptist explaining the life of Jesus death and resurrection here in the sermon we see a blueprint very very sketchy but still a noticeable blueprint of the gospel that we then find in Mark. Namely chapter 10 37 the anointing of Jesus with the spirit and power his baptism. So 10 37 baptism remember beginning with John the Baptist so this basic content of the speech of Peter begins with this 10 38 itinerant and that doesn't mean that he had an itinerary or a planner that itinerant simply means he moved from one place to the other and he links then the disciples as witnesses 10 38 and 39 disciples at with us so you will have a reference to the discipleship that he called disciples that he is instructed them that they can say I was there I heard I saw. Then 10 39 be the reference to the death of Jesus 10 40 resurrection of Jesus 10 40 resurrection of Jesus 10 41 the appearances. And then 10 42 Jesus as judge so you see that you have a sequence from the baptism of Jesus under John the Baptist his ministry discipleship death resurrection appearances of the resurrected Jesus Jesus as judge of the entire line. Conclusion in this here is the call but there is not very much before the spirit of God descends as I have told you in another context that in some ways Peter's speech is interrupted by the outpouring of the spirit they believe they see that Jesus is the one sent by God they do not have to have creation references. They do not demand Old Testament prophecy and fulfillment. There are some illusions here to the Old Testament that I do not want to refer to at this point but basically they see that what they witness to the resurrected Jesus the vindicated Jesus God involving himself so directly in the history of mankind that they come to faith and they turn the household of Cornelius comes to Christ. And so these God fears this other group besides Jews in Jerusalem diaspora Jews and then later on and we will look at that as a conclusion to this evening the gospel being preached in Athens this is a middle group it's a very interesting middle group of God fears who have already been instructed greatly perhaps you can get a sense. For the inexcusable but understandable sense of jealousy on the part of the Jewish people who had done good work with Cornelius you see in some ways the fact that they were God fears means that they have been reached by Jewish synagogue members who presented them with the truth of God creator with the truth of God's word. They have God's love and call but what they did not have is the conclusion the culmination of seeing the gospel and the fact that this Jesus is the one who is appointed as a judge. We do not have time to look into the details of this wonderful speech of Peter but I want you to remember that here we have in some ways a very interesting structure of gospel presentation. And as the apostolic witness goes out you can somehow get a feel of how things began here this is gospel now as Cornelius believes in his household they sit down for a fellowship meal they have attended to the teaching of the apostles they have a fellowship meal and at this fellowship meal Cornelius will ask most likely tell us more. Tell us more about the one who has indicated who is our judge who has saved us who has brought us into a reconciled relationship with God what else did he teach you. I want to have a little break here because lecture 12 may take a little longer that's also all planned we want to move to Athens. So still within the flow of thought that we have just looked at move to Athens and stay a little bit with Paul move up to the area pagus meeting and to see what occurs there which is so unusual and so far out terms of gospel presentation when you look at it from Jerusalem.