Acts 11

Peter Defends His Actions to the Jerusalem Church

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted¹ the word of God.² 11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem,³ the circumcised believers⁴ took issue with⁵ him, 11:3 saying, “You went to⁶ uncircumcised men and shared a meal with⁷ them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point,⁸ saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision,⁹ an object something like a large sheet descending,¹⁰ being let down from heaven¹¹ by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared¹² I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles,¹³ and wild birds.¹⁴ 11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter¹⁵ and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean¹⁶ has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider¹⁷ ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment,¹⁸ three men sent to me from Caesarea¹⁹ approached²⁰ the house where we were staying.²¹ 11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers²² also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message²³ to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on²⁴ them just as he did²⁵ on us at the beginning.²⁶ 11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord,²⁷ as he used to say,²⁸ ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’²⁹ 11:17 Therefore if God³⁰ gave them the same gift³¹ as he also gave us after believing³² in the Lord Jesus Christ,³³ who was I to hinder³⁴ God?” 11:18 When they heard this,³⁵ they ceased their objections³⁶ and praised³⁷ God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance³⁸ that leads to life even to the Gentiles.”³⁹

Activity in the Church at Antioch

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen⁴⁰ went as far as⁴¹ Phoenicia,⁴² Cyprus,⁴³ and Antioch,⁴⁴ speaking the message⁴⁵ to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus⁴⁶ and Cyrene⁴⁷ among them who came⁴⁸ to Antioch⁴⁹ and began to speak to the Greeks⁵⁰ too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The⁵¹ hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed⁵² turned⁵³ to the Lord. 11:22 A report⁵⁴ about them came to the attention⁵⁵ of the church in Jerusalem,⁵⁶ and they sent Barnabas⁵⁷ to Antioch.⁵⁸ 11:23 When⁵⁹ he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true⁶⁰ to the Lord with devoted hearts,⁶¹ 11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people⁶² were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.⁶³ So⁶⁴ for a whole year Barnabas and Saul⁶⁵ met with the church and taught a significant number of people.⁶⁶ Now it was in Antioch⁶⁷ that the disciples were first called Christians.⁶⁸

Famine Relief for Judea

11:27 At that time⁶⁹ some⁷⁰ prophets⁷¹ came down⁷² from Jerusalem⁷³ to Antioch.⁷⁴ 11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up⁷⁵ and predicted⁷⁶ by the Spirit that a severe⁷⁷ famine⁷⁸ was about to come over the whole inhabited world.⁷⁹ (This⁸⁰ took place during the reign of Claudius.)⁸¹ 11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability,⁸² decided⁸³ to send relief⁸⁴ to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so,⁸⁵ sending their financial aid⁸⁶ to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

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