Apostlene i Jerusalem accepterer, at Messias ikke kun kom for jødernes skyld
1Det varede ikke længe før apostlene og menighederne rundt omkring i Judæa hørte, at en gruppe ikke-jøder havde taget imod Guds ord.2Da Peter vendte tilbage til Jerusalem, måtte han stå skoleret for menighedens ledere dér.3„Du har besøgt en ikke-jødisk familie, og du har oven i købet spist sammen med dem!” lød anklagen.4Peter fortalte dem så fra ende til anden, hvad der var sket:5„En dag, mens jeg var i bøn i Joppe, havde jeg et syn,” forklarede han. „Noget blev sænket ned fra himlen. Det lignede en stor dug, der blev holdt oppe i de fire hjørner, og den dalede ned foran mig.6Jeg stirrede på den og så alle mulige slags pattedyr, rovdyr, krybdyr og fugle.7Så hørte jeg en stemme sige: ‚Rejs dig, Peter, slagt og spis.’8‚Ikke tale om, Herre!’ svarede jeg. ‚Sådan nogle urene dyr har jeg aldrig spist.’9Men stemmen talte igen: ‚Det, som Gud har erklæret for rent, må du ikke kalde urent.’10Det skete tre gange, og så forsvandt det hele op i himlen.11I det samme stod der tre mænd uden for huset, hvor jeg opholdt mig. De var kommet fra Cæsarea for at hente mig.12Helligånden sagde til mig, at jeg skulle gå med dem uden at gøre indvendinger. De seks mænd, der står her, fulgte også med, og vi tog så op til mandens hus.13Da vi ankom, fortalte han os, hvordan en engel pludselig havde stået foran ham og havde sagt til ham: ‚Send bud til Joppe efter en, der hedder Simon Peter.14Han vil fortælle dig, hvordan du selv og hele din husstand kan blive frelst.’15Men så snart jeg begyndte at tale til dem, faldt Helligånden på dem, akkurat som det skete for os i begyndelsen.16Så kom jeg i tanke om, hvad Herren havde sagt: ‚Johannes døbte med vand, men I skal døbes med Helligåndens kraft!’17Gud gav altså de her ikke-jøder den samme gave, som vi fik, da vi var kommet til tro på Herren Jesus, Messias. Hvem er da jeg, at jeg skulle stille mig i vejen for Gud?”18Da de hørte den beretning, blev de først helt stille. Derefter begyndte de at lovprise Gud og sagde til hinanden: „Så er det altså Guds ønske, at det ikke kun er jøderne, der skal vende om fra deres synd og modtage det evige liv.”
Den første store menighed blandt de græsktalende folkeslag
19De Jesus-troende, der var flygtet fra Jerusalem under den store forfølgelse efter Stefanus’ død, nåede så langt som til Fønikien, Cypern og Antiokia. Overalt fortalte de budskabet om Jesus, dog kun til jøderne.20Men nogle af dem, der oprindeligt kom fra Cypern eller Kyrene, var græsktalende, og da de kom til Antiokia, begyndte de at tale til grækerne om Herren Jesus,21og Herrens kraft var med dem, så et stort antal kom til tro.22Menigheden i Jerusalem hørte, hvad der var sket i Antiokia, og derfor sendte de Barnabas derhen.23Da han så, hvad Gud i sin nåde havde gjort, blev han meget glad og opmuntrede dem alle til helhjertet at holde fast ved troen på Herren.24Barnabas var et godt menneske, fuld af Helligånd og tro. Ved hans indsats kom mange mennesker til tro på Jesus.25Nogen tid efter rejste Barnabas videre til Tarsos for at opsøge Saul.26Da han havde fundet ham, tog han ham med tilbage til Antiokia. I et helt år arbejdede de sammen i menigheden og underviste en stor gruppe mennesker. Det var her i Antiokia, at disciplene for første gang blev kaldt „de kristne”.[1] (Es 11,1)27Mens de var dér, kom nogle profeter fra Jerusalem til Antiokia.28En af dem ved navn Agabos rejste sig ved et møde og forudsagde ved Helligånden, at der ville komme en stor hungersnød over hele verden (det skete, mens Claudius var kejser i Rom).29Disciplene besluttede da at sende hjælp til deres medkristne i Judæa. Enhver skulle give så meget, de havde råd til.30Derefter blev Barnabas og Saul sendt af sted for at overbringe den indsamlede gave til lederne i menigheden i Jerusalem.
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; Ap G 11,29)2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party[2] criticized him, saying, (Ap G 10,45; Rom 4,12; Gal 2,12; Kol 4,11; Titus 1,10)3“You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” (Luk 15,2; Ap G 10,28; Gal 2,12; Gal 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. (Ap G 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. (Ap G 10,23; Ap G 10,45; Ap G 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; Ap G 10,2; Ap G 10,22; Ap G 16,15; Ap G 16,31; Ap G 18,8)15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. (Ap G 2,4; Ap G 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.’ (Matt 3,11; Ap G 1,5; Ap G 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?” (Ap G 2,38; Ap G 5,39; Ap G 10,43; Ap G 10,47; Rom 9,20; Ef 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.” (Matt 8,11; Ap G 5,31; Ap G 10,34; Ap G 13,47; Ap G 21,20; 2.Kor 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. (Ap G 8,1; Ap G 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; Ap G 5,42)21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. (Salm 80,17; Salm 89,21; Luk 1,66; Ap G 9,35; Ap G 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, (Ap G 4,33; Ap G 13,43; Ap G 14,26; Ap G 15,40; Ap G 20,24; Ap G 20,32; Rom 5,15; 2.Kor 6,1; Ef 3,2; Ef 3,7; Kol 1,6; 2.Tim 3,10; Titus 2,11; Heb 12,15; 1.Pet 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. (Ap G 5,14; Ap G 6,5; Ap G 11,26)25So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, (Ap G 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. (Ap G 26,28; 1.Pet 4,16)27Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. (Ap G 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). (Matt 24,7; Ap G 2,18; Ap G 8,29; Ap G 18,2; Ap G 21,10)29So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers[4] living in Judea. (Ap G 11,1; Ap G 24,17; Rom 15,26)30And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Ap G 12,25; Ap G 14,23; Ap G 15,2; Ap G 15,4; Ap G 15,6; Ap G 16,4; Ap G 20,17; Ap G 21,18; 1.Tim 5,17; 1.Tim 5,19; Titus 1,5; Jak 5,14; 2.Joh 1,1; 3.Joh 1,1)