John 21
So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Feed My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Three times after Peter is restored Christ tells him to "Feed His sheep" but who are these sheep?
John 10
4 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
These sheep are both Jews and Gentiles, that are to be gathered together into one flock: Israel
Matthew 15:24
24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
So when Christ is telling Peter to feed His sheep, He's referring to both Jews and Gentiles alike, as 1 flock, one body united under the Sheppard that is Christ Himself.
Now, Where the problem comes in is that Peter began to get carried away with certain Jews and was regarding gentiles as unclean according to Pharisaic law. Christ is uniting the flock together, so man made Pharisaic traditions that regarded men as unclean would be contrary to the charge for Peter to Feed the sheep.
Galatians 2
But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned
12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas (Peter) in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?
Peter was rebuked to his face by Paul for his hypocrisy. Lets look closer at Peters vision in the context of that rebuke with the mindset that he was commanded by God to feed the sheep
Acts 10
On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; 11 and he *saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
Acts chapter 10 begins with a gentile of the Italian cohort being told by God that his generosity is a perpetual memorial and that he is saved. Hold those two thoughts and read Isaiah 56
Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
To minister to Him, and to love the name of the Lord,
To be His servants, every one who keeps from profaning the sabbath
And holds fast My covenant;
7 Even those I will bring to My holy mountain
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar;
For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
8 The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares,
“Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”
9 All you beasts of the field,
All you beasts in the forest,
Come to eat.
Acts 10 starts with a fulfillment of this very passage where God is calling all kinds of "animals" to "come eat" . He's gathering these "wild animals" to "those already gathered". The metaphor of animals being used here is DIRECTLY emphasized in God's vision to Peter on "all kinds of animals" . Peter refusing to "eat" with Gentiles and regarding them as unclean is not only a hindrance to God uniting the flock, but is directly contrary to Christ telling Peter to Feed the sheep.
Peter eventually understands what the vision is about and explains it to others
acts 10
Acts 10:27As he talked with him, he entered and *found many people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful(by pharisaic law not God's law) it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Peter is absolutely clear that the vision wasn't about God altering His word on eating unclean animals- its about Gentiles salvation
Acts 10
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
Acts 11:1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Acts 11
When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
Peters vision isn't about eating swine- that is a Nicholatian doctrine. Its about Gentiles being Israel and God's charge to Peter and reminding Peter of his role as ambassador to the Gentiles. Peter is still professing this very thing in Acts 15
After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon (Peter) has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 ‘After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ 18 Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.
You tied that all together very nicely!
ReplyDeleteThank you Leila
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