Excerpt:
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
- Acts 10:44-48.
In any community, there are likely to be people with a variety of approaches to change.
If God in Christ is the ultimate innovator, I think of Peter as an early adopter, and certainly a risk-taker. Remember his enthusiastic request to jump out of the boat and walk on water with Jesus? Perhaps that’s why he was the first of the early Church leaders to witness this new thing God was doing: including Gentiles in the Church on a completely equal footing with the Jewish Christians. For Peter, the call to action was obvious. God was at work, so the Church needed to catch up!
[More...]
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.
- Acts 10:44-48.
In any community, there are likely to be people with a variety of approaches to change.
If God in Christ is the ultimate innovator, I think of Peter as an early adopter, and certainly a risk-taker. Remember his enthusiastic request to jump out of the boat and walk on water with Jesus? Perhaps that’s why he was the first of the early Church leaders to witness this new thing God was doing: including Gentiles in the Church on a completely equal footing with the Jewish Christians. For Peter, the call to action was obvious. God was at work, so the Church needed to catch up!
[More...]
