Acts 11:1-30

The First Gentile Church

1-18. The baptism of Cornelius discussed and approved at Jerusalem. Those Christians who maintained the need of observing the Ceremonial Law did not attack the baptism itself because, although they disliked it, our Lord’s command to baptise all nations was too definite to be questioned. They attacked, therefore, St. Peter’s undoubted breach of Jewish law and custom: ’Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them’ (Acts 11:3). What they apparently desired was, that if Gentiles were baptised at all, they should be regarded as an inferior class, and not allowed to eat at the same table with their Jewish superiors: cp. Galatians 2:12. Peter did not discuss the general principle, but defended himself on the ground that he had received a special revelation authorising, and indeed commanding, him to act as he did in this particular case.

2. They that were of the circumcision] This may either mean the whole Church of Jerusalem in contrast with Cornelius and his friends, or the Judaising party in that Church which, perhaps, already existed, as it certainly did some years later (Acts 15:1, Acts 15:5).

18. The Church of Jerusalem unanimously endorsed Peter’s action, doubtless because the case was an exceptional one, and was not likely to become a precedent. When St. Paul made a practice of doing what St. Peter had only done as a rare exception, the controversy was revived (Acts 15).