Acts 11

Peter Reports at Jerusalem

1Now the apostles and 1the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, 23those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3saying, “4You 5went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4But Peter began speaking 6and proceeded to explain to them 7in orderly sequence, saying, 5“8I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw 9a vision, an 10object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from 11the sky; and it came right down to me, 6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it 12I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the 13crawling creatures and the birds of the 14air. 7I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; 15kill and eat.’ 8But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing 16unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘17What God has cleansed, no longer 18consider unholy.’ 10This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into 19the sky. 11And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from 20Caesarea. 1221The Spirit told me to go with them 2223without misgivings. 24These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13And he reported to us how he had seen the angel 25standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14and he will speak 26words to you by which you will be saved, you and 27all your household.’ 15And as I began to speak, 28the Holy Spirit fell upon them just 29as He did upon us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘30John baptized with water, but you will be baptized 31with the Holy Spirit.’ 17Therefore if 32God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, 33who was I that I could 34stand in God’s way?” 18When they heard this, they 35quieted down and 36glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the 37repentance that leads to life.”

The Church at Antioch

1938So then those who were scattered because of the 39persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way 40to 41Phoenicia and 42Cyprus and 43Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20But there were some of them, men of 44Cyprus and 45Cyrene, who came to 46Antioch and began speaking to the 4748Greeks also, 4950preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And 51the hand of the Lord was with them, and 52a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The 53news about them 54reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent 55Barnabas off 56to 57Antioch. 23Then when he arrived and 58witnessed 59the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with 60resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24for he was a good man, and 61full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And 62considerable 63numbers were 64brought to the Lord. 25And he left for 65Tarsus to look for Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to 66Antioch. And for an entire year they 67met with the church and taught considerable 68numbers; and 69the disciples were first called 70Christians in 71Antioch.

27Now 72at this time 73some prophets came down from Jerusalem to 74Antioch. 28One of them named 75Agabus stood up and began to indicate 76by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine 77all over the 78world. 79And this took place in the reign of 80Claudius. 29And in the proportion that any of 81the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the 82relief of 83the brethren living in Judea. 3084And this they did, sending it 85in charge of 86Barnabas and Saul to the 87elders.