The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Apostles 11
1 Now the apostles and the brothers†
who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles
had also received the word of God.
2 When Peter had come up to Jerusalem,
those who were of the circumcision
contended with him,
3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised
men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter began, and explained to them
in order, saying,
5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and
in a trance I saw a vision: a certain
container descending, like it was a great sheet
let down from heaven by four corners. It
came as far as me.
6 When I had looked intently at it, I
considered, and saw the four-footed animals
ofthe earth, wild animals, creeping things,
and birds of the sky.
7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise,
Peter, kill and eat!’
8 But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing
unholy or unclean has ever entered into
my mouth.’
9 But a voice answered me the second
time out of heaven, ‘What God has
cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’
10 This was done three times, and all
were drawn up again into heaven.
11 Behold, immediately three men stood
before the house where I was, having been
sent from Caesarea to me.
12 The Spirit told me to go with them
with out discriminating. These six
brothers also accompanied me, and we entered
into the man’s house.
13 He told us how he had seen the angel
standing in his house and saying to him,
‘Send to Joppa and get Simon, who
is called Peter,
14 who will speak to you words by which
you will be saved, you and all your house.’
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell
on them, even as on us at the beginning.
16 I remembered the word of the Lord,
how he said, ‘John indeed baptized in
water, but you will be baptized in
the Holy Spirit.
’
17 If then God gave to them the same gift
as us when we believed in the Lord Jesus
Christ, who was I, that I could with stand God?”
18 When they heard these things, they
held their peace and glorified God, saying,
“Then God has also granted to the Gentiles
repentance to life!”
19 They therefore who were scattered
abroad by the oppression that arose about
Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word
to no one except to Jews only.
20 But there were some of them, men of
Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had
come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists,‡
preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 The hand of the Lord was with them,
and a great number believed and turned to
the Lord.
22 The report concerning them came to
the ears of the assembly which was in
Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as
far as Antioch,
23 who, when he had come, and had seen
the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted
them all, that with purpose of heart they
should remain near to the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the
Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people
were added to the Lord.
25 Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look
for Saul.
26 When he had found him, he brought
himto Antioch. For a whole year they were
gathered together with the assembly, and
taught many people. The disciples were
first called Christians in Antioch.
27 Now in these days, prophets came
down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 One of them named Agabus stood
up and indicated by the Spirit that there
should be a great famine all over the
world, which also happened in the days of
Claudius.
29 As any ofthe disciples had plenty, each
determined to send relief to the brothers
who lived in Judea;
30 which they also did, sending it to the
elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.