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Matured Ministry / Defeats Criticism

Over the course of time the Apostle Peter oversaw his work with the Lord in a way that showed spiritual maturity. He, like every servant of the Lord who is sent to bring forth a new work, faced criticism. The Book of Acts records one of the times when the cancer of traditionalism kept Christians from recognizing a powerful move of God. “The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, ‘You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.’ Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened:” (Acts 11:1-4) “When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.’" (Acts 11:18) A ministry matured in the Holy Spirit defeats criticism.

The Holy Spirit reveals the importance of God’s work through Peter by moving Luke to refer to the events of the ministry in Cornelius’s household three different times in the Book of Acts. I would propose to you if the work of the Lord was important enough to have the Holy Spirit move Luke to write down the events of Peter’s ministry, it should be important enough for the Body of Christ to take note of the truths surrounding Peter’s ministry.

It is important to note that those who criticized Peter’s ministry to the Gentiles were Jewish Christians, “circumcised believers” who needed a fuller understanding of the whole counsel of the Word of God. Everyone in the church can easily fall into the same spiritual blindness as the religious people of Peter’s day. Thus Christians prayerfully seek Holy Spirit illumination of the whole of Scripture to cleanse them from the cancers of traditionalism, legalism, faddism, and denominationalism. They desire to mature in ministry and give Biblical accountability, like Peter did.

When Christians learn how to Biblically seek revelation from God and Biblically present His revelation to the Body of Christ, spiritual leaders will rejoice in the work of the Lord.

Seek Biblical Maturity!

Defeat Human Criticism!