Acts 11:13 I. God's word treats all men as needing to be saved. II. God's word gives us to understand that all men can be saved. III. God's word prescribes the conditions of every man's being saved. IV. God's word settles the conclusion that even good men, unconverted, cannot be saved. C. S. Ro... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:18 I. It was God's will that, by Jew and Gentile, by heretic and orthodox, by men of the East and men of the West, the truth should be tried and sifted, the power of the word brought out, and the might of His Spirit demonstrated. Had Judaism prevailed, the sacred spark of Divine life must h... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:19 The Church at Antioch. I. This church was established by lay agency. II. It was a church established among the Gentiles. The text marks a new epoch in the history of the kingdom of God Jesus Christ had plainly intimated that the Gentiles also were to be admitted into the Christian fold... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:20 I. Notice the spontaneous impulse which these men obeyed. They find themselves rejoicing in a great Saviour-Friend. They see all around them men who need Him, and that is enough. They obey the promptings of the voice within, and lay the foundations of the first Gentile church. (1) Such a... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:23 I. Notice, first, what Barnabas saw. The "grace of God" here was very probably the specific meaning of the miraculous working of the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ at work in men's hearts, making them pure and gentle, simple and unworldly, refining their characters, elevat... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:24 Consistency of Human and Divine Affections. I. There is no hint given that Barnabas acted otherwise than well and wisely in the course he pursued with reference to John Mark. He is declared to have been "a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and of faith," and St. Paul is related to have r... [ Continue Reading ]