Acts 11

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the nations too had received the word of God. [a] 2 And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those from the circumcision took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” [b]

4 But Peter began and set it out to them in order, saying: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a vessel coming down like a great sheet, being let down out of heaven by four corners, and it came all the way to me. 6 Fixing my eyes on it I looked closely, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild animals, and the creeping things, and the birds of heaven. 7 And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, because nothing common or unclean has ever gone into my mouth.’ [c] 9 But a voice answered a second time out of heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not make common.’ 10 And this happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.

11 And look — at that very moment three men stood at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. And these six brothers also came with me, and we went into the man’s house. [d] 13 And he reported to us how he had seen the messenger standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and send for Simon who is called Peter, 14 who will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he used to say, ‘John immersed with water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.’ [e] 17 If then God gave them the equal gift he gave us when we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, able to hold back God?” † 18 And when they heard these things they went quiet, and they glorified God, saying, “So then God has given the change of mind that leads to life to the nations too.” [f]

19 Now those who had been scattered by the affliction that came about over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews only. 20 But some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and were speaking to the Greek-speakers as well, bringing the good news of the Lord Jesus. [g] 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who trusted turned back to the Lord.

22 And the word about them was heard in the ears of the gathering that was in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas out as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the favor of God he rejoiced, and he encouraged them all to stay with the Lord with the purpose of their heart, 24 because he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord.

25 And he went out to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and having found him he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that for a whole year they were gathered together in the gathering and taught a considerable crowd, and that in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. [h] †

27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified through the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited world — which happened under Claudius. 29 And the disciples, each of them as he had the means, determined to send something for service to the brothers living in Judea; [i] 30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.