After reading Acts 11, you may wonder why Luke would retell the same account of Peter at Cornelius’s house from the previous chapter.
Peter recounted his vision, and later the Gentiles’ conversion and the coming of the Holy Spirit upon them, to the Jews in Jerusalem because they did not expect God to save the Gentiles as they were. In fact, the point Luke highlighted was that the circumcision party objected to Peter even eating with Gentiles. God had prepared Peter for Gentile inclusion into the new covenant people of God; the Jews in Jerusalem had to be prepared as well, so they needed to see how God accomplished this feat in Peter’s heart.
The key to understanding Luke’s repetition here is not in what is the same but in what is different. A new audience got to experience the firsthand account of Peter sharing the good news of the gospel with the Gentiles and them believing in Jesus and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This pivotal moment in salvation history needed more than one telling for the church to grasp God’s will in this matter.
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults
Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students
Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:
- The main point of the session
- Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
- Encouragements for leaders
Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
A Final Reminder
Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.
*This week’s leader devotional is written by Juan Sanchez. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 31, Session 1 from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.