From the beginning God made it clear that his salvation and grace is available for everyone, not just for the people of Israel. In this section of Acts, we see “Christians” (Acts 11:26) realize and accept that the “good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (10:36) is for the Gentiles too. The first apostle is martyred (James) and Peter is rescued from prison. Yet “the word of God continued to spread and flourish” (12:24). Here are my (somewhat) random thoughts from Acts 10–12.¹

Cornelius

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God prepares both Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and Peter, the leader of the church, for the fulfillment of his plan to bring the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles. When the two are finally in the same room, Cornelius tells Peter:

So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us. (10:33)

I love Cornelius’s heart and eagerness to listen to Peter. Like him, I must also follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance on whom I should invite to speak to me. But when I know the Spirit has led, I want to sit in the presence of God and listen well.

Are you eager to sit in the presence of God and listen to everything the Lord commands his messenger to say to you?

Get up (and Go)

The Greek verb (anistemi) translated “arise,” “get up,” “stand,” or “raise” appears 43² times in the book of Acts, eight times in this section alone:

Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." (10:13)
So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them." (10:20)
Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter got up and went with them. (10:23)
But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself." (10:26)
[Jesus] was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. (10:41)
Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' (11:7)
One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (10:28)
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. (12:7)

According to Strong’s Topical Lexicon, this word is a summons to actions, a divine direction that calls for a swift response.³

How might God be calling you to get up? How quickly do you respond when he says “get up and go”?

The Gospel

Peter describes the gospel as “the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (10:36). In a nutshell, the gospel is:

38 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 
39 They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 
40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 
43 Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
44 The Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message ...
45 even on Gentiles.

How has the good news of peace through Jesus impacted you?

The Great Commission

In the first chapter of Acts, Jesus tells his followers, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8). Here we see this being fulfilled in Peter’s words and life:

“We are witnesses of everything he [Jesus] did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. (10:39–42)

How are you being his witness?

For All Nations

Peter’s speech to Cornelius and to his fellow Jewish believers is monumental. He finally understands salvation is for everyone:

I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. (10:34–35)
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (10:43)
"So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?" When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (11:17–18)

My teacher this semester, Haley Whitaker, says, “Gentile inclusion is the purpose for having a chosen people in the first place.”⁴

Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. (Gen 18:18)
He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God. (Josh 4:24)

Jesus also confirmed God’s ultimate plan when he taught his disciples:

And repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:47)
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matt 24:14)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matt 28:19)

God’s desire to reach the nations informed my husband’s and my choice to go overseas in our younger years. Now we prepare, send, and care for those who go now.

How are you participating in making disciples of all nations?

Salvation

In this section of Acts, the group of Jesus-followers are most frequently called “believers” (10:23, 45; 11:1). We also see the first mention of them as “Christians,” which simply means “a followers of Christ” (11:26). In addition, they are referred to as those who “belong to the church” (12:1). The writer of Acts also describes this process of being saved in various ways:

Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (10:43)
The Gentiles also had received the word of God. (11:1)
He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved. (11:14)
So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way? (11:17)
So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life. (11:17)
A great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. (11:21)
A great number of people were brought to the Lord. (11:24)

Today, the title “Christian” has come to mean many different things. I stopped using it to describe myself when I lived overseas where this word conjured images of crusades. Now I most often call myself a “believer” or “follower of Jesus.” But the bottom line is, I want to follow Christ so well that I am identified with him.

If the title “Christian” means “a follower of Christ,” how well does it fit you?

Barnabas

Earlier in the book we were introduced to this disciple whose name means “son of encouragement” (4:36). Here we see him again living up to his name:

News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. (11:22–24)

What a great epitaph this would be!

How might you exhort others to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts?

Persecution and Prayer

[Herod] proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. (12:3–5)

Do hard times cause you to panic or pray?

Peter Escapes, Others Die

Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” (11:11)

The church prays and Peter is rescued. But not all are. I’m sure the church also prayed earnestly for Stephen (7:54–60), James (12:1–2), and all the others who are put to death (26:10).

I don’t have an easy answer for this seeming arbitrariness, so I remind myself of what is true: There will always be those in this world who choose evil; God consistently acts from his character of love; and I am not privy to God’s eternal plans. However, I can pour out my questions, frustrations, and disappointment to God and ask him for explanations, understanding, and how to handle an outcome that is not what I asked for.

What do you do with the reality that sometimes one is executed while another is rescued?

Women

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” (12:12–14)

I love that Luke us tells John-Mark’s mother held prayer meetings in her home and also mentions a servant girl by name. He is the same writer who told us all about Mary of Nazareth and recorded her Magnificat. Luke makes sure we know that women are part of the story.

How are you encouraged to know that women are an important part of the church?

Conclusion

I leave you with this encouragement.

But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. (12:24)

Prayer

Lord, I wish that all would be rescued and that none would experience persecution and death. Yet your word continues to spread despite centuries of opposition. I ask for the faith like the believers at Antioch had to turn to you in prayer immediately when faced with an impossible situation. And thank you for not showing favoritism but offering salvation to all the nations. Help me to “get up and go” wherever you lead me.

---

1. Catch up on previous posts: Explore Acts 1–3; Acts 4–6; Acts 7–9 ↩︎
2. Acts 1:15; 2:24; 2:32; 3:22; 3:26; 5:6; 5:17; 5:34; 5:36; 5:37; 6:9; 7:18; 7:37: 8:26; 8:27; 9:6; 9:11; 9:18; 9:34; 9:39: 9:40; 9:41; 13:16; 13:22; 13:34; 14:10; 15:7; 17:3; 17:31; 20:30; 22:10; 22:16; 23:9; 26:16; 26:30 ↩︎
3. https://biblehub.com/greek/450.htm ↩︎
4. Haley Whitaker, in a message to Benttree Tuesday Morning Bible Study, March 10, 2026. ↩︎