Question
If Peter’s ministry was limited to the remnant, why was he in Antioch and Babylon? (Acts 8:1)
Response
That Peter was in Babylon (and from there wrote I Peter to the members of “the Israel of God” that were scattered into the Galatian area) seems evident from what he says in I Peter 5:12-13. But this is also a place to which it would be very natural for God to have Peter go (and also it would be very natural for God to have a church of the remnant of Israel located there) seeing that it is one of the main prophesied places in which the remnant of Israel is both going to exist, and is going to have a special testimony to make, during the final installment of God’s program with Israel. Wherefore in accordance with the wisdom and genius that God was exercising during the years immediately following the suspending of Israel’s program and the bringing in of His unprophesied dispensation of Gentile grace. God had His believing remnant of Israel and their apostles locate themselves in the very same places that the remnant will be in when He resumes and fulfills His program with Israel following the conclusion of His present dispensation of grace. Hence for a time Peter was in Babylon, along with the portion of “the Israel of God” that was there at that time, and they were there in perfect accordance with the role that the remnant was having at that time, and also in perfect accordance with the role that the remnant will yet have in Babylon in the time ‘to come’.
Peter and the rest of the Israel’s apostles ‘stayed in Jerusalem’ (as Acts 8:1 says) in accordance with the natural expectation that they had at that time that God’s program with Israel was going to continue on as per the prophetic schedule. However, when God began to make it evident to them that His program with Israel was not continuing on as had been expected (which He quickly began to show them, as Acts 8 records). He began to direct them to function in accordance with what He wanted them to do in preparation for the time ‘to come’ when He would conclude ‘visiting the Gentiles’ and would then resume and fulfill His program with Israel. Hence Peter and the others not only left Jerusalem at various times, but ones like Peter even left the land of Israel itself (as when he went to Babylon) for purposes that had to do with God in His wisdom providing in advance for the time when He would resume and fulfill His program with Israel.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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