We can see the importance of witnesses as Peter goes to Cornelius’ house. Acts 10: 23 So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa. [1] God had just given Peter revelation about mixing with the Gentiles. Acts 10: 15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”[2]
Historically, Jews kept themselves separate, but that wouldn’t work if they were to reach the whole world with the Gospel. Peter even explained this to Cornelius. Acts 10: 28 Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. [3] Jesus’ work on the cross had changed things.
The Testimony of Witnesses
God gave Moses instruction on the importance of witnesses in a judicial case. Deuteronomy 19: 15 “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. [4] Peter’s revelation of mixing with Gentiles was explosive in the Jewish community of believers. If you stop the story at the end of Acts 10, you think everything was great. But if we continue to Acts 11, the apostles in Jerusalem criticized Peter.
As Peter defended his actions, we learn that he took six other believers, triple the required number of witnesses. Acts 11: 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us.[5] These men could testify that the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles before Peter finished preaching.
The testimony of these men allowed the Apostles to believe Peter. This controversy was not over, however. Years later, after Paul’s first missionary journey to the Gentiles, a council met in Jerusalem to decide on the matter. The witness of these six men was instrumental in beginning to change the mindset of the Jewish believers. This allowed the Gospel message to turn the world upside down.
Witnesses Are Still Important
As we continue to see charges of wrongdoing levied against both political and church leaders, we can see the need for multiple witnesses to discern the truth. The Godly wisdom found in Deuteronomy and demonstrated with Peter remains true today.
Doing ministry with a group is more effective than trying to be the solo hero. I think God has designed us to be better together. No one has all the giftings, but we can multiply our skills together. Teams also provide protection against false accusations while providing accountability for one another. To learn more about the importance of witnesses, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gentile-pentecost
[1-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.