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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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Acts 11
11
1 Now the Apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God.
2 Then, when Peter had gone up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision argued against him,
3 saying, "Why did you enter to uncircumcised men, and why did you eat with them?"
4 And Peter began to explain to them, in an orderly manner, saying:
5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw, in an ecstasy of mind, a vision: a certain container descending, like a great linen sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. And it drew near to me.
6 And looking into it, I considered and saw the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and the flying things of the air.
7 Then I also heard a voice saying to me: 'Rise up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
8 But I said: 'Never, lord! For what is common or unclean has never entered into my mouth.'
9 Then the voice responded a second time from heaven, 'What God has cleansed, you shall not call common.'
10 Now this was done three times. And then everything was taken up again into heaven.
11 And behold, immediately there were three men standing near the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
12 Then the Spirit told me that I should go with them, doubting nothing. And these six brothers went with me also. And we entered into the house of the man.
13 And he described for us how he had seen an Angel in his house, standing and saying to him: 'Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter.
14 And he shall speak to you words, by which you shall be saved with your whole house.'
15 And when I had begun to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as upon us also, in the beginning.
16 Then I remembered the words of the Lord, just as he himself said: 'John, indeed, baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
17 Therefore, if God gave them the same grace, as also to us, who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I would be able to prohibit God?"
18 Having heard these things, they were silent. And they glorified God, saying: "So has God also given to the Gentiles repentance unto life."
19 And some of them, having been dispersed by the persecution that had occurred under Stephen, traveled around, even to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the Word to no one, except to Jews only.
20 But some of these men from Cyprus and Cyrene, when they had entered into Antioch, were speaking also to the Greeks, announcing the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them. And a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.
22 Now the news came to the ears of the Church at Jerusalem about these things, and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
23 And when he had arrived there and had seen the grace of God, he was gladdened. And he exhorted them all to continue in the Lord with a resolute heart.
24 For he was a good man, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas set out for Tarsus, so that he might seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.
26 And they were conversing there in the Church for an entire year. And they taught such a great multitude, that it was at Antioch that the disciples were first known by the name of Christian.
27 Now in these days, prophets from Jerusalem went over to Antioch.
28 And one of them, named Agabus, rising up, signified through the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine over the entire world, which did happen under Claudius.
29 Then the disciples declared, according to what each one possessed, what they would offer to be sent to the brothers living in Judea.
30 And so they did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
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