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, the circumcised believers³ took issue with⁴ him, 11:3 saying, “You went to⁵ uncircumcised men and shared a meal with⁶ them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point,⁷ saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision,⁸ an object something like a large sheet descending,⁹ being let down from heaven¹⁰ by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared¹¹ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles,¹² and birds of the air.¹³ 11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter¹⁴ and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean¹⁵ has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider¹⁶ ritually unclean.’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, three men sent to me from Caesarea¹⁷ approached¹⁸ the house where we were staying.¹⁹ 11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers²⁰ 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 message²¹ to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on²² them just as he did²³ on us at the beginning.²⁴ 11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say,²⁵ ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’²⁶ 11:17 Therefore if God gave them the same gift²⁷ as he also gave us after believing²⁸ in the Lord Jesus Christ,²⁹ who was I to hinder³⁰ God?” 11:18 When they heard this,³¹ they ceased their objections³² and praised³³ God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance³⁴ that leads to life even to the Gentiles.”³⁵

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen³⁶ went as far as³⁷ Phoenicia,³⁸ Cyprus,³⁹ and Antioch,⁴⁰ speaking the message⁴¹ to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus⁴² and Cyrene⁴³ among them who came⁴⁴ to Antioch⁴⁵ and began to speak to the Greeks⁴⁶ too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The⁴⁷ hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed⁴⁸ turned⁴⁹ to the Lord. 11:22 A report⁵⁰ about them came to the attention⁵¹ of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to⁵² Antioch.⁵³ 11:23 When⁵⁴ he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true⁵⁵ to the Lord with devoted hearts,⁵⁶ 11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people⁵⁷ 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.⁵⁸ So⁵⁹ for a whole year Barnabas and Saul⁶⁰ met with the church and taught a significant number of people.⁶¹ Now it was in Antioch⁶² that the disciples were first called Christians.⁶³

11:27 At that time⁶⁴ some⁶⁵ prophets⁶⁶ came down⁶⁷ from Jerusalem to Antioch.⁶⁸ 11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up⁶⁹ and predicted⁷⁰ by the Spirit that a severe⁷¹ famine⁷² was about to come over the whole inhabited world.⁷³ (This⁷⁴ took place during the reign of Claudius.)⁷⁵ 11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability,⁷⁶ decided⁷⁷ to send relief⁷⁸ to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so,⁷⁹ sending their financial aid⁸⁰ to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.