11

Peter Explains His Actions

¹The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
⁴Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
⁸“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
⁹“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ ¹⁰This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
¹¹“Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹²The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
¹⁵“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with⚓water, but you will be baptized with⚓the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
¹⁸When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. ²⁰Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
²²News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. ²⁴He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
²⁵Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
²⁷During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. ³⁰This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

11

Peter Defends God’s Grace

¹Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. ²And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, ⚓those of the circumcision contended with him, ³saying, ⚓“You went in to uncircumcised men ⚓and ate with them!”
⁴But Peter explained it to them ⚓in order from the beginning, saying: ⁵⚓“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. ⁶When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. ⁷And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸But I said, ‘Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’ ⁹But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ ¹⁰Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹²Then ⚓the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover ⚓these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³⚓And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, ¹⁴who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, ⚓as upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ⚓‘John indeed baptized with water, but ⚓you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷⚓If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, ⚓who was I that I could withstand God?”
¹⁸When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, ⚓“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Barnabas and Saul at Antioch

¹⁹⚓Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. ²⁰But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to ⚓the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And ⚓the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and ⚓turned to the Lord.
²²Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out ⚓Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. ²³When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and ⚓encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. ²⁴For he was a good man, ⚓full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. ⚓And a great many people were added to the Lord.
²⁵Then Barnabas departed for ⚓Tarsus to seek Saul. ²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Relief to Judea

²⁷And in these days ⚓prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸Then one of them, named ⚓Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of ⚓Claudius Caesar. ²⁹Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send ⚓relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. ³⁰⚓This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.