The Acts of the Apostles

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

The apostles and other believers who lived in various towns in the province of Judea heard people say that some non-Jewish people had also believed the message of God about Jesus.

But there were some Jewish believers in Jerusalem who wanted all followers of Messiah to be circumcised. When Peter returned from Caesarea to Jerusalem, they met with him and criticized him.

They said to him, “Not only was it wrong for you to visit in the homes of uncircumcised non-Jews, you even ate with them!”

So Peter began to explain exactly what had happened.

He said, “I was praying by myself in the city of Joppa, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw that something like a large sheet was being lowered from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was.

As I was looking intently into it, I saw some tame animals and also some wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds.

Then I heard God commanding me, ‘Peter, get up, kill and eat them!’

But I replied, ‘Lord, you surely do not really want me to do that, because I have never eaten anything that our laws say that we must not eat!’

God spoke from heaven to me a second time, ‘I am God, so if I have made something acceptable to eat, do not say it is unacceptable.’

This same thing happened two more times, and then the sheet with all those animals and birds was pulled up into heaven again.

At that exact moment, three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying.

God’s Spirit told me that I should not hesitate to go with them even though they were not Jews. Six Jewish believers also went with me to Caesarea, and then we went into that non-Jewish man’s house.

He told us that he had seen an angel standing in his house. The angel told him, ’Tell some men to go to Joppa and bring back Simon whose other name is Peter.

He will tell you how you and everyone else in your house will be saved.’

As I started to speak, the Holy Spirit suddenly came down on them, just like he had first come on us during the Pentecost festival.

Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized you with water, but God will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

God gave those non-Jews the same Holy Spirit that he had given to us after we had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I could not possibly tell God that he did wrong when he gave them the Holy Spirit!”

After those Jewish believers heard what Peter said, they stopped criticizing him. Instead, they praised God, saying, “Then it is clear to us that God has also accepted the non-Jews so that they will have eternal life, if they turn from their sinful behavior.”

The Church at Antioch

After Stephen died, many of the believers left Jerusalem and went to other places because they were suffering there in Jerusalem. Some of them went to Phoenicia, some went to the Island of Cyprus, and others went to Antioch, a city in Syria. In those places they were continually telling people the message about Jesus, but they told only other Jewish people.

Some of the believers were men from the Island of Cyprus and Cyrene city in north Africa. They went to Antioch and were also telling non-Jewish people about the Lord Jesus.

Lord God was powerfully enabling those believers to preach effectively. As a result, very many non-Jewish people believed their message and trusted in the Lord.

The group of believers in Jerusalem heard people say that many people in Antioch were believing in Jesus. So the leaders of the believers in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch.

When he got there, he realized that God had acted kindly toward the believers. So he was very happy, and he was encouraging all of the believers to continue to trust completely in the Lord Jesus.

Barnabas was a good man whom the Holy Spirit completely controlled, one who trusted God completely. Because of what Barnabas did, many people there believed in the Lord Jesus.

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus city in Cilicia to look for Saul.

After he found him, Barnabas brought him back to Antioch to help teach the believers. So during a whole year Barnabas and Saul met regularly with the church there and taught large numbers of people about Jesus. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

During the time that Barnabas and Saul were at Antioch, some believers who were prophets arrived there from Jerusalem.

One of them, whose name was Agabus, stood up in order to speak. God’s Spirit enabled him to prophesy that there would soon be a famine in many countries. (This famine happened when Claudius was the Roman emperor.)

When the believers there heard what Agabus said, they decided that they would send money to help the believers who lived in Judea. Each of them decided to give as much money as he was able to give.

They sent the money with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders of the believers in Jerusalem.

Now the apostles and the brothers(a) who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,

saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,

“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.

When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.

I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter, kill and eat!’

But I said, ‘Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’

But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’

This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

The Spirit told me to go with them without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.

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,

who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.’

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 withstand God?”

When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”

The Church at Antioch

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.

But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists,(b) preaching the Lord Jesus.

The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

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,

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.

For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

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.

As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Footnotes

(a)11:1 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(b)11:20 A Hellenist is someone who keeps Greek customs and culture.