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 baptised with water,” he had said. “But you will be baptised 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 travelled 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.
Acts 11
English Standard Version
Peter Reports to the Church
1Now the apostles and the brothers[1] who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. (Joh 21:23; Ac 11:29)2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party[2] criticized him, saying, (Ac 10:45; Ro 4:12; Ga 2:12; Col 4:11; Tit 1:10)3“You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Lu 15:2; Ac 10:28; Ga 2:12; Ga 2:14)4But Peter began and explained it to them in order:5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. (Ac 10:9)6Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air.7And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’8But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’9But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’10This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.11And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea.12And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. (Ac 10:23; Ac 10:45; Ac 15:9)13And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter;14he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ (Joh 4:53; Ac 10:2; Ac 10:22; Ac 16:15; Ac 16:31; Ac 18:8)15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. (Ac 2:4; Ac 10:44)16And 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; Ac 1:5; Ac 19:2)17If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” (Ac 2:38; Ac 5:39; Ac 10:43; Ac 10:47; Ro 9:20; Eph 1:13)18When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” (Mt 8:11; Ac 5:31; Ac 10:34; Ac 13:47; Ac 21:20; 2Co 7:10)
The Church in Antioch
19Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. (Ac 8:1; Ac 8:4)20But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists[3] also, preaching the Lord Jesus. (Joh 7:35; Ac 5:42)21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. (Ps 80:17; Ps 89:21; Lu 1:66; Ac 9:35; Ac 13:11)22The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.23When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, (Ac 4:33; Ac 13:43; Ac 14:26; Ac 15:40; Ac 20:24; Ac 20:32; Ro 5:15; 2Co 6:1; Eph 3:2; Eph 3:7; Col 1:6; 2Ti 3:10; Tit 2:11; Heb 12:15; 1Pe 5:12)24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. (Ac 5:14; Ac 6:5; Ac 11:26)25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, (Ac 9:30)26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Ac 26:28; 1Pe 4:16)27Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. (Ac 13:1)28And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). (Mt 24:7; Ac 2:18; Ac 8:29; Ac 18:2; Ac 21:10)29So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers[4] living in Judea. (Ac 11:1; Ac 24:17; Ro 15:26)30And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Ac 12:25; Ac 14:23; Ac 15:2; Ac 15:4; Ac 15:6; Ac 16:4; Ac 20:17; Ac 21:18; 1Ti 5:17; 1Ti 5:19; Tit 1:5; Jas 5:14; 2Jo 1:1; 3Jo 1:1)