Acts 11

Ethnic Barriers Broken

1The news traveled fast and soon reached the apostles and the believers living in Judea that non-Jewish people were also receiving God’s message of new life. 2When Peter finally arrived in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers called him to task, saying, 3“Why did you stay in the home of people who aren’t Jewish? You even ate your meals with them!”

4Peter explained what had happened, saying, 5“One day when I was in the city of Joppa, while I was praying I fell into an ecstatic trance and I went into another realm. # 11:5 See footnote on Acts 10:10. I saw in a vision something like a linen tablecloth descending out of heaven, being let down by its four corners, and it got close to me. 6As I examined it I saw many four-footed animals, wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds. 7Then I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat them.’

8“I said, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! For I’ve never eaten anything that is forbidden or impure according to our Jewish laws.’

9“The voice spoke to me again, saying, ‘Nothing is unclean if God declares it to be clean.’

10“The vision repeated itself three times. Then suddenly the linen sheet was snatched back up into heaven. 11At that moment three men from Caesarea, who had been sent for me, approached the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to accompany them with no questions asked. These six brothers here with me made the trip, and we entered into the home of the man who had sent for me. 13He shared with us about the angel who appeared to him and told him to send messengers to Joppa to find Simon, the Rock. The angel had told him, 14‘He will tell you and your family the message of how you can be saved!’

15“Shortly after I began to speak, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, just like what happened to us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the words the Lord had told us: ‘John immersed you in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.’ 17So I concluded that if God is pleased to give them the same gift of the Holy Spirit that he gave us after they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who am I to stand in the way of God?”

18When they heard this, their objections were put to rest and they all glorified God, saying, “Look what God has done! He’s giving the gift of repentance that leads to life to people who aren’t even Jews.”

The Church at Antioch

19Because of the persecution triggered by Stephen’s death in Jerusalem, many of the believers were scattered. Some reached as far as the coast of Lebanon, # 11:19 Or “Phoenicia.” the island of Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria, but they were still only preaching the word to Jews. 20However, some of the believers from Cyprus and Cyrene, # 11:20 A city on the coast of Libya. Some have linked the man who carried the cross of Jesus, Simon of Cyrene, to this group of missionary evangelists. who had come to Antioch in Syria, # 11:20 Antioch was important from both a commercial and a military point of view. It was the seat of the Roman governor-general, with large garrisons and military supplies stored there. It was also a center of art and culture, known for its beauty and recognized as the capital of the Syrian kingdom. The church prospered greatly in Antioch, and it became a Christian hub and headquarters for the apostles. For many centuries in church history, Antioch remained a strong witness for evangelization, sending missionaries into Persia and throughout the Roman Empire. preached to the non-Jews living there, proclaiming the message of salvation in the Lord Jesus. # 11:20 In the early days of the church, every believer was a missionary. There was a great cost involved with following Christ. They laid their lives down to serve him and to make him known among the nations. Not just the apostles, but all of the believers did their part in spreading the teachings of Jesus wherever they went. 21The mighty power of the Lord was with them as they ministered, and a large number of people believed and turned their hearts to the Lord.

22News of what was happening in Antioch reached the church of Jerusalem, so the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch as their emissary. 23When he got there and witnessed for himself God’s marvelous grace, he was enthused and overjoyed. He encouraged # 11:23 Barnabas was given the nickname “Encourager.” See Acts 4:36–37. the believers to remain faithful and cling to the Lord with passionate hearts. # 11:23 The Aramaic is “He begged them to imitate the Lord with all their hearts.” 24Barnabas was a good man, # 11:24 The Aramaic is “He was a blessed man.” full of the Spirit of holiness, and he exuded a life of faith. Because of his ministry even more crowds of people were brought to the Lord!

25Barnabas left for Tarsus to find Saul and bring him back to Antioch. 26Together Saul and Barnabas ministered there for a full year, equipping the growing church and teaching the vast number of new converts. It was in Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first revealed as “anointed ones.” # 11:26 Or “Christians.” The Greek word chrematizo means “supernaturally revealed” (imparted), more than simply “called.” It was first in Antioch that the revelation came that the believers were anointed ones. See also Matt. 2:12, where the term is used as God giving revelation in a dream.

Agabus Prophesies a Coming Famine

27At that time there were prophets in the church of Jerusalem, and some of them came to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up in one of the meetings and prophesied by the Holy Spirit that a severe famine was about to come over Israel. (This prophecy was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius Caesar.) # 11:28 This would have been about AD 45–46. 29So they determined that each believer, according to his or her ability, would give an offering to send as relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30They set aside the gifts and entrusted the funds to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders # 11:30 The Aramaic is “priests.” of the church in Jerusalem. # 11:30 Upon hearing the prophecy of a famine coming, the church of Antioch determined to receive an offering for the Judean believers, for the gospel came to them from Jerusalem. They gave back to the place where the gospel was sent to them.

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Acts 11

Peter Returns to Jerusalem

1The apostles and the believers in Judea heard that non-Jewish people had accepted God’s teaching too. 2But when Peter came to Jerusalem, some Jewish believers#11:2 Jewish believers Literally, “those of circumcision.” This may mean Jews who thought all followers of Christ must be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses. See Gal. 2:12. argued with him. 3They said, “You went into the homes of people who are not Jews and are not circumcised, and you even ate with them!”

4So Peter explained the whole story to them. He said, 5“I was in the city of Joppa. While I was praying, I had a vision. I saw something coming down from heaven. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners. It came down close to me, 6and I looked inside. I saw all kinds of animals, including wild ones, as well as reptiles and birds. 7I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill anything here and eat it!’

8“But I said, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is not pure or fit to be used for food.’

9“But the voice from heaven answered again, ‘God has made these things pure. Don’t say they are unfit to eat!’

10“This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back into heaven. 11Suddenly there were three men standing outside the house where I was staying. They had been sent from Caesarea to get me. 12The Spirit told me to go with them without wondering if it was all right. These six brothers here also went with me, and we went to the house of Cornelius. 13He told us about the angel he had seen standing in his house. The angel said, ‘Send some men to Joppa to get Simon, the one who is also called Peter. 14He will speak to you, and what he tells you will save you and everyone living in your house.’

15“After I began speaking, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he came on us at the beginning.#11:15 beginning The day of Pentecost described in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit came on Jesus’ first followers to give them power to begin their work of telling the world the Good News of salvation through Jesus. 16Then I remembered the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘John baptized people in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.’ 17God gave these people the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So how could I object to what God wanted to do?”

18When the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is also allowing even those who are not Jews to change their hearts so that they can have the life he gives!”

The Good News Comes to Antioch

19The believers were scattered by the persecution#11:19 persecution A time when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were punishing people who believed in Christ. See Acts 8:1-4. that began when Stephen was killed. Some of them went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They told the Good News in these places, but only to Jews. 20Some of these believers were men from Cyprus and Cyrene. When these men came to Antioch, they began speaking to people who were not Jews.#11:20 people who were not Jews Literally, “Hellenists,” meaning people who have been influenced by Greek culture. Some Greek copies have “Greeks.” They told them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord was helping these men, and a large number of people believed and decided to follow the Lord.

22When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23-24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. When he went to Antioch and saw how God had blessed the believers there, he was very happy. He encouraged them all, saying, “Always be faithful to the Lord. Serve him with all your heart.” Many more people became followers of the Lord.

25Then Barnabas went to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul. 26When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They stayed there a whole year. Every time the church came together, Barnabas and Saul met with them and taught many people. It was in Antioch that the followers of the Lord Jesus were called “Christ-followers” for the first time.

27About that same time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and spoke with the help of the Spirit. He said, “A very bad time is coming to the whole world. There will be no food for people to eat.” (This time of famine happened when Claudius was emperor.) 29The Lord’s followers decided that they would each send as much as they could to help their brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. 30They gathered the money and gave it to Barnabas and Saul, who took it to the elders in Judea.

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