After the resurrection of Christ, His apostles and disciples must have been so filled with tremendous anticipation as they waited for the Holy Spirit to come. Christ had told them to do nothing until that day. But as with everything, God does all things in His Perfect Timing. As pointed out in detail in “What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?” God planned the day and sent the Holy Spirit with His Perfect Timing. Jesus died on Passover Day and rose again on the day of the feast of first fruits as outlined in Leviticus. Then, the day of Pentecost was on the 50th day after Passover which is the feast of Harvest. Of note the feast of the Harvest was when the Jewish people had a pilgrimage to Jerusalem from many nations on the 50th day after the Passover.
The impact of His perfect timing was a massive crowd being saved. The church was born in Jerusalem among the Jewish nation. Yet, all these Christians were babes in Christ. They needed to be fed in the word of God. Remember there was no New Testament. None of the gospels had even been written. The church relied on the daily preaching of Peter and the Apostles in the courtyards of the Synagogue. The converts continued to grow; but space became limited. Stephen and most likely others who had grown rapidly in the faith began to spread out to the Hellenistic Synagogues (those built for Jews from other nations to worship in their own language). Of a certainty, Stephen had learned rapidly as he became one of the greatest apologetic preachers ever to preach.
God’s Perfect Timing
Stephen’s expansive knowledge and ability to defend the truth of the gospel led to his being stoned to death. Even then, His sermon and His wondrous display of faith must have touched a nerve in Saul’s heart and mind preparing him for his confrontation with the risen Jesus Christ and his ultimate salvation. Furthermore, Stephen’s death was a catalyst to the new Christians fleeing into other communities, carrying the gospel with them. As that happened, Philip lead a revival in Samaria. When Peter heard, he went. God waited to send the Holy Spirit to the Samaritans until His perfect timing so that the church would be unified as One Church. Remember, the Samaritans were considered half-breeds and social unacceptable to the Orthodox Jew.
Peter most likely recalled the Samaritan Woman that Jesus lead to a saving faith. She led a revival in her hometown while Jesus still lived. Therefore, it was not too hard a stretch for Peter to accept the Samaritans as part of God’s one church. Although, Philip led the Eunuch to a saving faith, we do not see the Gentiles accepted into the church until Cornelius and his family are baptized with the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 10 and 11. This was we know years after the birth of the church in Jerusalem; because, it was after Paul’s conversion, his time in Arabia and departure to Tarsus. The Jewish Christians in Judea were at first irate that Peter had entered the house of a gentile and eaten therein until Peter recounted the entire story including his vision.
He concluded with “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?” (Acts 10:17).
Melting of Hearts
Note the gentleness in God transforming Peter’s heart and He does with ours as well. Prejudices are a natural part of the human heart before God enters in to transform it. Perhaps that is why those screaming loudest about prejudice are themselves so prejudiced against everyone else.
It had been nearly 7 years by the time that a truly large Gentile faction of the church was established. God’s perfect timing. He had been preparing the preachers who would go and preparing hearts to receive.
First Called Christians in Antioch
Antioch was one of the major cities in this time period along with Alexandria and Rome. Roman historians; however, did speak of Antioch corrupting Rome.
John McArthur describes it this way
The people lived for their pleasures. One writer said that life there was a perpetual festival of vice revolving around the baths, brothels, the amphitheater and the circus. And so it was an evil place. There was a goddess by the name Daphne, who was supposed to be the lover of Apollo and they built a garden that was so big it was 10 miles in circumference and it was populated by prostitutes and you went in and indulged yourself in the garden and the prostitute activity and all kinds of sick immoralities. That was worship in the city of Antioch.
When they wanted to extend their religious opportunities, they hired magicians, sorcerers, charlatans, and Babylonian astrologers made a fortune off the people of Antioch. So it was a vile place. But you know God so many times finds that the most lovely rose grows amidst the most ugly weeds, and so he designed to plant the first church in Antioch. He wanted to reach a city with a lot of people and indeed He did.[1]
Concluding Thoughts
Were you or I to plan all of this, we most likely would have rushed in without waiting for God! Why the wait? God knew the perfect timing to accomplish all that He planned. He had been preparing Barnabas and Paul for His mission. We will explore what came next, next time.
But for now, stop and think about that which you are waiting on God for today. His perfect timing always brings about His plan and His plan is always best. He loves you with a perfect love. His desire is that you know Him as your Savior and your Lord. And then,
“we know that ALL things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).
God has said, “11 I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. 12 When you call me and come and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, yes, search for me with all your heart, you will find me. (Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEB)[2]
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD?
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you to go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because, He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
PREVIOUSLY
The Great Pleasure of His Will-a Poem
The Message Expands to the Gentile Nation. How?
Do You Feel the Urgency to Spread the Truth?
One Transformed Life that Changed the World
Will You Do Whatever God Says, No Matter What?
If I in Silence Do Dismiss (A Poem)
Did You Receive the Power of the Holy Spirit?
Is there a Faith that Cannot Save?
But for God, the Sorrows that Abound- a poem
How can Relentless Persecution Really Bring About Good?
One of the Greatest Sermons Ever
7 Characteristics of Stephen Everyone Should Know
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
Credits:
[1] John McArthur, Grace to You, https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/1739/the-first-gentile-church
Accessed 9/10/2019
[2] Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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