The Gentile Pentecost (Acts 8-15)Sample

All one in Christ

The Gentile Pentecost narrated through Acts 8-15 is all about how God has begun to unite all the different human ethnic groups through faith in Jesus Christ. All who believe in Jesus are given an equal place in Christ. Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free, ‘people from every nation, and tribe and people and language’ (Revelation 7:9).

This is the revealed mystery; ‘that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians 3:6).

Few images portray the need for this more than the wall dividing Jerusalem in two. But this division is found everywhere. All over the world there is discrimination, racism, tribalism, nationalism, snobbery, and very, very regrettably these are sometimes even found in the church - and where these occur there ought to be immediate and sincere repentance.

All who believe in Christ have equal status in Christ, and equal means equal!

Nevertheless, despite the church’s failures God’s purpose will be fulfilled because; ‘his intent was that now through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 3:10).

This unity in Christ is a demonstration to the spiritual powers and authorities in the heavenly places of all that God the Father will one day bring to fruition in Christ.