Acts 11
11
Peter Explains His Actions
1The apostles and the believers all through Judea heard that Gentiles had also received God’s word. 2Peter went up to Jerusalem. There the Jewish believers found fault with him. 3They said, “You went into the house of Gentiles. You ate with them.”
4Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story. 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying,” he said. “There I had a vision. I saw something that looked like a large sheet. It was being let down from heaven by its four corners. It came down to where I was. 6I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth. There were also wild animals, reptiles and birds. 7Then I heard a voice speaking to me. ‘Get up, Peter,’ the voice said. ‘Kill and eat.’
8“I replied, ‘No, Lord! I will not! Nothing that is not pure and “clean” has ever entered my mouth.’
9“A second time the voice spoke from heaven. The voice said, ‘Do not say anything is not pure that God has made “clean.” ’ 10This happened three times. Then the sheet was pulled up into heaven.
11“Just then three men stopped at the house where I was staying. They had been sent to me from Caesarea. 12The Holy Spirit told me not to let anything keep me from going with them. These six brothers here went with me. We entered the man’s house. 13He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house. The angel said, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon Peter. 14He has a message to bring to you. You and your whole family will be saved through it.’
15“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them. He came just as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered the Lord’s words. ‘John baptized with water,’ he had said. ‘But you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17God gave them the same gift he gave those of us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18When they heard this, they didn’t object anymore. They praised God. They said, “So then, God has allowed even Gentiles to turn away from their sins. He did this so that they could live.”
The Believers in Antioch
19Some believers had been scattered by the suffering that unbelievers had caused them. They were scattered after Stephen was killed. Those believers traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. But they spread the word only among Jews. 20Some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch. There they began to speak to Greeks also. They told them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord’s power was with them. Large numbers of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22The church in Jerusalem heard about this. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad. He told them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24Barnabas was a good man. He was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Large numbers of people came to know the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26He found him there. Then he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church. They taught large numbers of people. At Antioch the believers were called Christians for the first time.
27In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them was named Agabus. He stood up and spoke through the Spirit. He said there would not be nearly enough food anywhere in the Roman world. This happened while Claudius was the emperor. 29The believers decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. All of them helped as much as they could. 30They sent their gift to the elders through Barnabas and Saul.
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Acts 11
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, #Acts 10:45those of the circumcision contended with him, 3saying, #Matt. 9:11; Acts 10:28“You went in to uncircumcised men #Gal. 2:12and ate with them!”
4But Peter explained it to them #Luke 1:3in order from the beginning, saying: 5#Acts 10:9“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 #(John 16:13); Acts 10:19; 15:7the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover #Acts 10:23these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13#Acts 10:30And 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, #Acts 2:1–4; 15:7–9as upon us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, #Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; John 1:26, 33; Acts 1:5; 19:4‘John indeed baptized with water, but #Is. 44:3you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17#(Acts 15:8, 9)If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, #Acts 10:47who was I that I could withstand God?”
18When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, #Is. 42:1, 6; 49:6; Luke 2:32; John 11:52; Rom. 10:12, 13; 15:9, 16“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Barnabas and Saul at Antioch
19#Acts 8:1, 4Now 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 #Acts 6:1; 9:29the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And #Luke 1:66; Acts 2:47the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and #Acts 9:35; 14:1turned to the Lord.
22Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out #Acts 4:36; 9:27Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. 23When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and #Acts 13:43; 14:22encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 24For he was a good man, #Acts 6:5full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. #Acts 5:14; 11:21And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas departed for #Acts 9:11, 30Tarsus 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 #Acts 2:17; 13:1; 15:32; 21:9; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28Then one of them, named #John 16:13; Acts 21:10Agabus, 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 #Acts 18:2Claudius Caesar. 29Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send #Rom. 15:26; 1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 9:1relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 30#Acts 12:25This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.