Acts 11
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#11:16 Or in water, but you will be baptized with#11:16 Or in 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.
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The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
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Acts 11
11
Gentile Salvation Defended
1The apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message also. 2When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who stressed circumcision # Lit those of the circumcision argued with him, # Ac 10:45; Col 4:11; 1Tm 1:10 3saying, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them! ” # Ac 10:28; Gl 2:12
4Peter began to explain to them in an orderly sequence, saying: 5“I # Ac 10:9-32 was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. 6When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 7Then I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat! ’
8“ ‘No, Lord! ’ I said. ‘For nothing common or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth! ’ 9But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call common.’
10“Now this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into heaven. 11At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. 12Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. # Ac 8:29; 10:23; 15:9 13He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send # Other mss add men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 14He will speak a message # Lit speak words to you that you and all your household # Jn 4:53; Ac 10:2; 16:15,31-34; 18:8; 1Co 1:16 will be saved by.’
15“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning. # Ac 2:4; 10:44 16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ # Mt 3:11; Mk 1:8; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:33; Ac 1:5 17Therefore, if God gave them the same gift that He also gave to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God? ” # Ac 5:39; 10:45,47
18When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life # Or repentance to life even to the Gentiles! ” # Rm 10:12-13; 2Co 7:10
The Church in Antioch
19Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, # Ac 6:5; 13:1; 14:26; 15:22-23,30,35; 18:22; Gl 2:11 speaking the message to no one except Jews. 20But there were some of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, # Other mss read Greeks # In this context, a non-Jewish person who spoke Gk proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. # Mt 27:32; Ac 4:36 21The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. # Lk 1:66; Ac 2:47; 9:35 22Then the report about them was heard by the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel # Other mss omit to travel as far as Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart, # Ac 13:43; 14:26; 15:40; 20:24,32 24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit # Lk 4:1; Ac 6:5; 7:55 and of faith. And large numbers of people were added # Ac 2:41,47; 5:14 to the Lord. 25Then he # Other mss read Barnabas went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples # Ac 6:1; 9:1; 13:52; 14:20; 15:10; 16:1; 19:1 were first called Christians at Antioch. # Ac 26:28; 1Pt 4:16
Famine Relief
27In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. # Ac 13:1; 15:32; 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11 28Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. # Or the whole world This took place during the time of Claudius. # Emperor a.d. 41–54; there was a famine a.d. 47–48. # Mt 24:14; Ac 18:2; 21:10; Gl 2:2 29So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. # Rm 15:26; 2Co 9:1-2; Gl 2:10 30They did this, sending it to the elders # Ac 14:23; 15:2; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 1Tm 5:17,19; Jms 5:14; 2Jn 1 by means of Barnabas and Saul.
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