(Lesson 371)(08-20-12) Acts 11:18-21, "When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord."
This lesson reaffirms that up until Peter delivered the soul saving gospel of Jesus Christ to Cornelius, the disciples had only been permitted to preach the gospel to the Jews.
Sadly, there are some who will disagree with the premise that Cornelius was the first Gentile to whom the gospel had been preached, but this text clearly bears out the fact that Cornelius was indeed, the firest, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to NONE BUT THE JEWS ONLY."
Some believe the Ethiopian eunuch, to whom Philip preached, was a Gentile and therefore would not have been knowledgeable of, or subjective to, traditional Jewish water baptism. However, according to the above text, no one had yet preached the gospel to any Gentile, therefore, the Ethiopian eunuch must have been a Jew, and indeed subject to Hebrew law and tradition.
Sadly, there are some who will disagree with the premise that Cornelius was the first Gentile to whom the gospel had been preached, but this text clearly bears out the fact that Cornelius was indeed, the firest, "Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to NONE BUT THE JEWS ONLY."
Some believe the Ethiopian eunuch, to whom Philip preached, was a Gentile and therefore would not have been knowledgeable of, or subjective to, traditional Jewish water baptism. However, according to the above text, no one had yet preached the gospel to any Gentile, therefore, the Ethiopian eunuch must have been a Jew, and indeed subject to Hebrew law and tradition.
Whether, or not, the Ethiopian eunuch was a Jew or Gentile is of little consequence, since his baptism was done at his request, and was clearly after he had received, accepted and believed the Gospel of Christ.~
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