Acts 11:2-30

2And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, 12those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3saying, “3You 4went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4But Peter began speaking 5and proceeded to explain to them 6in orderly sequence, saying, 5“7I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw 8a vision, an 9object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from 10the sky; and it came right down to me, 6and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it 11I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the 12crawling creatures and the birds of the 13air. 7I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; 14kill and eat.’ 8But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing 15unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘16What God has cleansed, no longer 17consider unholy.’ 10This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into 18the sky. 11And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from 19Caesarea. 1220The Spirit told me to go with them 2122without misgivings. 23These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13And he reported to us how he had seen the angel 24standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14and he will speak 25words to you by which you will be saved, you and 26all your household.’ 15And as I began to speak, 27the Holy Spirit fell upon them just 28as He did upon us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘29John baptized with water, but you will be baptized 30with the Holy Spirit.’ 17Therefore if 31God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, 32who was I that I could 33stand in God’s way?” 18When they heard this, they 34quieted down and 35glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the 36repentance that leads to life.”

1937So then those who were scattered because of the 38persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way 39to 40Phoenicia and 41Cyprus and 42Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. 20But there were some of them, men of 43Cyprus and 44Cyrene, who came to 45Antioch and began speaking to the 4647Greeks also, 4849preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And 50the hand of the Lord was with them, and 51a large number who believed turned to the Lord. 22The 52news about them 53reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent 54Barnabas off 55to 56Antioch. 23Then when he arrived and 57witnessed 58the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with 59resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; 24for he was a good man, and 60full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And 61considerable 62numbers were 63brought to the Lord. 25And he left for 64Tarsus to look for Saul; 26and when he had found him, he brought him to 65Antioch. And for an entire year they 66met with the church and taught considerable 67numbers; and 68the disciples were first called 69Christians in 70Antioch.

27Now 71at this time 72some prophets came down from Jerusalem to 73Antioch. 28One of them named 74Agabus stood up and began to indicate 75by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine 76all over the 77world. 78And this took place in the reign of 79Claudius. 29And in the proportion that any of 80the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the 81relief of 82the brethren living in Judea. 3083And this they did, sending it 84in charge of 85Barnabas and Saul to the 86elders.