The faith of Peter: And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way? Acts 11:17
Published on HivePostify by @bernie2002xp · Wed Aug 12 2026
The early Church times were times when the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom, provided Christians with important gifts to perform superhuman tasks. The persecution against the Church, which culminated in the martyrdom of Stephen, tested the faith of the apostles. And the apostle Peter, with his spiritual leadership, was no exception. It is important to remember that it is the gifts that give life to the Church and to the communion of believers, because without these perfections of God, the Church would be like any private organization. Before leaving the world, Jesus gave the disciples a task that transcends all worldly problems. And Peter, during his preaching to the Jews and the Gentiles in the early Church days, bore witness to this. And a very important moment in the early Church occurred when Peter witnessed the gifts of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon the Gentiles, with the conversion of Cornelius and his entire household. This event took place in the city of Caesarea, after Paul's conversion. And Peter, after leaving Caesarea, went to the city of Jerusalem, and there he brought his testimony to the Church to explain how the Gentiles could also enter the Church through faith and the gifts received. Because up to that point, most members of the Church were of Jewish origin, and many believed that before entering the Church, it was necessary to accept the entire Law of Moses. And with these words, the apostle Peter testified to his faith in the Church of Jerusalem regarding what happened in Caesarea: "'As I began to speak,' Peter continued, 'the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?" Acts 11:15-17. This testimony of faith, given by Peter and Paul's first missionary journey with the conversion of numerous Gentiles, was what led the Church to its first council held in Jerusalem on the conversion of pagans to the faith.
For more information, check out my profile, follow the link, and download my ebook.
Tags: #gift#faith#peter#god#gentiles