Act 11 | ESV | STEP | Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God .

‏ Acts 11

Peter Reports to the Church

1 Now the apostles and ^athe brothers ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters} who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ^cthe circumcision party ^{▼▼Or Jerusalem, those of the circumcision} criticized him, saying, 3 ^e“You went to uncircumcised men and ^fate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them in order: 5 ^g“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. 6 Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, ^hmaking no distinction. ⁱThese six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And 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; 14 ^jhe will declare to you a message by which ^kyou will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 As I began to speak, ^lthe Holy Spirit fell on them ^mjust as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ⁿ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then ^oGod gave ^pthe same gift to them as he gave to us ^qwhen we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^rwho was I ^sthat I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they ^tglorified God, saying, ^u“Then to the Gentiles also God has ^vgranted ^wrepentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch

19 ^xNow 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. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists ^{▼▼Or Greeks (that is, Greek-speaking non-Jews)} also, ^zpreaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And ^aathe hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ^abturned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw ^acthe grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord ^adwith steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, ^aefull of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people ^afwere added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to ^agTarsus to look for Saul, 26 and 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 ^ahChristians.

27 Now in these days ^aiprophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named ^ajAgabus stood up and foretold ^akby the Spirit that there would be a great ^alfamine over all the world (this took place in the days of ^amClaudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, ^anto send relief to ^aothe brothers ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters} living in Judea. 30 ^aqAnd they did so, sending it to ^arthe elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.