8. Призвание в Церковь язычников (42 г. по Р. X.). Христиане в Антиохии

While visiting believers scattered in Palestine, the Apostle Peter came to the city of Joppa (now Jaffa, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea) and stayed in the house of a tanner named Simon. About six o'clock 9 he went to the top of the house and prayed there, after which he felt severe hunger and fell into a frenzy 10. And so he sees the open sky and from there a certain vessel descending towards him, like a large canvas, tied at the four corners and lowered to the ground. It contained all sorts of four-legged animals, reptiles and birds (that is, those not allowed for consumption by the law of Moses). As soon as the vessel descended to the apostle, he heard a voice: “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” Peter said, “No, Lord, I have never eaten anything bad or unclean.” Then another time there was a voice from heaven: “What God has cleansed, do not consider unclean.” This was repeated three times, and the vessel again rose to heaven. At these moments, a voice suddenly rang out at the gate of the house: “Is Simon, called Peter, here?” And the Holy Spirit inspired Peter: “Behold, three people are looking for you: get up, go with them, without any doubt.” It turned out that the messengers were from Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Caesarea 11. He was a pious and God-fearing man with his entire household, he did a lot of alms and fervently prayed to God. About the ninth hour 12 Cornelius clearly saw an angel who said to him: “Cornelius, your prayers and alms have come as a memorial before God. So go and call Simon, who is called Peter; he will tell you words by which you and your whole house will be saved.” Then Peter realized that the Lord was not telling him to neglect the pagans, and he went to Caesarea. Meanwhile, his relatives and friends gathered at Cornelius’s house. The Apostle began to preach to them about the Lord Savior and noticed that even during the sermon the Holy Spirit descended on them, as they began to speak in different languages. Then Peter said: “Who can forbid those who, like us, have received the Holy Spirit, to be baptized with water?” 13. And he ordered them to be baptized. Some time after the conversion of Cornelius, a rumor reached the Jerusalem Christians that pagan Christians had appeared in Syrian Antioch, a rich and populous city. The apostles sent Barnabas there to establish the Church, and Barnabas invited Saul. For a whole year they preached in Antioch and founded a great and glorious Church there. Here for the first time believers began to be called Christians. At the end of the year, Christians from Jerusalem who possessed the gift of prophecy came to Antioch. One of them, named Agave, predicted the onset of widespread famine, which actually happened under Emperor Claudius. At this prediction, the love of the Christians of Antioch for those of Jerusalem was kindled. Each of them donated according to their income, and sent an allowance to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Saul (an example of communication between the Churches). Upon their return, the Holy Spirit inspired some teachers of the Church of Antioch: “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then they, having fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them (as a sign of love and good wishes), released them. Barnabas' nephew Mark went with them. – The sixth, or in our opinion the twelfth, hour of the nailing of the Lord Savior to the cross. – The name frenzy should mean extraordinary excitement and admiration of the human spirit, in which it seems to emerge from the boundaries and conditions of existence in the body. The Apostle Paul, speaking about a certain person caught up to heaven, adds: “Whether he was in the body or outside the body. I don’t know, God knows” (2 Cor. 12:2-3). – Caesarea is a city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, 43–45 versts from Joppa. This city was built by Herod the Great and was the residence of Roman procurators. At this time (41–44) there was no Roman procurator in Judea, and it was ruled by the grandson of Herod the Great, Herod Agrippa. The Romans, however, considered it necessary to keep a detachment of especially trusted troops here (an Italian regiment) to protect the interests of the empire and, if necessary, to help Herod Agrippa himself against hostile Jews. The head of this guard army was Cornelius, who came from an ancient patrician family. – The ninth hour according to Jewish reckoning from the beginning of the day corresponds to our third afternoon. Since ancient times, Christians have devoted this hour to prayer, because at this hour the Lord on the cross gave up His spirit to God the Father. - As if the apostle were reasoning like this: “If they have received the grace imparted in the second sacrament, then how can I deny them the grace of the first sacrament?” The hesitation of the holy Apostle is understandable; this was the first step in turning to the Church of the Gentiles. The actions of the apostle aroused many rumors and misunderstandings among Jewish Christians, until it became clear that such was the will of the Lord. – The beginning of the Church here was probably laid by Hellenistic Jewish Christians and proselytes who came from Jerusalem after the murder of St. Stephen. You might be interested in: