Acts 11:18 - When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
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What does "Acts 11:18" mean?
Acts 11:18 describes the reaction of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem to Peter's explanation of his encounter with Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Let's break down the verse and its meaning:
"When they heard these things, they held their peace...": This indicates that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had previously been critical of Peter for associating with and eating with Gentiles (Acts 11:2-3). They were initially upset because they believed that only Jews could be saved and that Gentiles needed to become Jews (circumcised and follow Jewish law) before they could be part of God's people. Peter's account of his divinely guided experience with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles convinced them that God had directly intervened and changed the rules, so to speak. The phrase "held their peace" suggests they were convinced by Peter's story and humbled by God's actions. Their initial criticisms ceased.
"...and glorified God...": This signifies that they recognized God's hand in this new development. Instead of remaining resistant, they acknowledged God's sovereign will and praised Him for it. They were acknowledging that God was doing something new and unexpected.
"...saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”": This is the key takeaway. They understood that God was offering Gentiles the opportunity to repent (turn away from their sins and turn to God) and receive eternal life, without first becoming Jews. The phrase "repentance to life" implies that repentance is the doorway to receiving the gift of eternal life. It's important to note that repentance isn't just feeling sorry; it's a change of heart and a change of direction. This was a huge paradigm shift for them. They had always thought salvation was exclusively for Jews, but now they realized God's grace extended to all people.
In essence, the verse means:
The Jewish believers in Jerusalem, upon hearing Peter's explanation of how God had poured out the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, were convinced that God was indeed offering salvation to the Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews. They stopped their criticism and praised God for this new and unexpected development, acknowledging that God was granting Gentiles the opportunity to repent and receive eternal life. This verse marks a crucial turning point in the early Church, signaling the beginning of a more widespread mission to the Gentiles and the breakdown of the exclusivity that had previously characterized the Jewish understanding of salvation. It confirms that God's grace is available to all who believe, regardless of their ethnicity or background.
Acts 11:18 - When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”
What does "Acts 11:18" mean?
Acts 11:18 describes the reaction of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem to Peter's explanation of his encounter with Cornelius, a Roman centurion. Let's break down the verse and its meaning:
"When they heard these things, they held their peace...": This indicates that the Jewish believers in Jerusalem had previously been critical of Peter for associating with and eating with Gentiles (Acts 11:2-3). They were initially upset because they believed that only Jews could be saved and that Gentiles needed to become Jews (circumcised and follow Jewish law) before they could be part of God's people. Peter's account of his divinely guided experience with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles convinced them that God had directly intervened and changed the rules, so to speak. The phrase "held their peace" suggests they were convinced by Peter's story and humbled by God's actions. Their initial criticisms ceased.
"...and glorified God...": This signifies that they recognized God's hand in this new development. Instead of remaining resistant, they acknowledged God's sovereign will and praised Him for it. They were acknowledging that God was doing something new and unexpected.
"...saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”": This is the key takeaway. They understood that God was offering Gentiles the opportunity to repent (turn away from their sins and turn to God) and receive eternal life, without first becoming Jews. The phrase "repentance to life" implies that repentance is the doorway to receiving the gift of eternal life. It's important to note that repentance isn't just feeling sorry; it's a change of heart and a change of direction. This was a huge paradigm shift for them. They had always thought salvation was exclusively for Jews, but now they realized God's grace extended to all people.
In essence, the verse means:
The Jewish believers in Jerusalem, upon hearing Peter's explanation of how God had poured out the Holy Spirit on Gentiles, were convinced that God was indeed offering salvation to the Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews. They stopped their criticism and praised God for this new and unexpected development, acknowledging that God was granting Gentiles the opportunity to repent and receive eternal life. This verse marks a crucial turning point in the early Church, signaling the beginning of a more widespread mission to the Gentiles and the breakdown of the exclusivity that had previously characterized the Jewish understanding of salvation. It confirms that God's grace is available to all who believe, regardless of their ethnicity or background.