Acts 11:1

There is a close relationship in Acts 9,10,11. In Acts 9, the "name bearer," Saul of Tarsus, was chosen of God to bear the new name before Gentiles, kings and children of Israel; in Acts 10, the acceptance of Gentiles into the church of Christ was adopted as mandatory by the apostle Peter; and in this chapter, such acceptance of Gentiles was recognized as the official policy of the whole church, and the development of the first great Gentile congregation was recorded, this having taken place at Antioch. The prior conditions for the giving of the new name having been fulfilled by these developments, the new name was given at Antioch (Acts 11:26).

First, there is the record of Peter's defense of his conduct in the matter of association with Gentiles, resulting in full approval by the entire church (Acts 11:1-18).

The third great section of Acts begins with Acts 11:19. Here begins the record of the movement of the church toward "the uttermost parts of the earth." Luke began this section with a retrogression to the situation as he had explained it in Acts 8:1, that is, to the conditions prevailing immediately after the martyrdom of Stephen. Even from that early time, there had existed progressive efforts on the part of some to enlist Gentiles, especially at Antioch.

Then came the mission of Barnabas from Jerusalem (Acts 11:22), his bringing of Saul to Tarsus (Acts 11:25), and the giving of the new name by "the mouth of the Lord" (Acts 11:26).

Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. (Acts 11:1)

PETER ON THE DEFENSIVE

The implication at the close of the preceding chapter that perhaps Peter remained a while at Caesarea leads to the supposition that the startling news of what had occurred in the house of Cornelius had outrun Peter, arriving in Jerusalem before he did. Boles thought that "The news came to Jerusalem before Peter left Caesarea."[1] In any case, an event of such vast implications was certainly one of supreme interest.