Peter’s Report to Jerusalem

11 Now the emissaries and brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² But when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision took issue with him, ³ saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”

⁴ So Peter began explaining to them point by point, saying, ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision—something like a great sheet coming down, being lowered from heaven by its four corners, and it came right to me. ⁶ I looked inside, considering it carefully, and saw four-footed creatures of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷ I also heard a voice saying, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

⁸ “But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord! For never has anything unholy or unclean entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider unholy.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven.

¹¹ “At that very moment, three men arrived at the house where we were, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹² The Ruach told me to go with them without hesitating. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter. ¹⁴ He will speak words to you by which you will be saved—you and all your household.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Ruach ha-Kodesh 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 Ruach ha-Kodesh.’ ¹⁷ Therefore if God gave them the same gift as also to us after we put our trust in the Lord Messiah Yeshua, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this they became quiet, and they glorified God, saying, “Then even to the Gentiles God has granted repentance leading to life!”

Discipling in Diaspora

¹⁹ Now those scattered because of the persecution that happened in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Judeans. ²⁰ However, there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the Lord Yeshua. ²¹ The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

²² News about these things reached the ears of the community in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was thrilled. He encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with heartfelt devotion. ²⁴ For Barnabas was a good man, full of the Ruach ha-Kodesh and faith. And a large number was added to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas left for Tarsus to look for Saul, ²⁶ and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met together with Messiah’s community and taught a large number. Now it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christianoi.”^[a]

²⁷ Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Ruach that there was going to be a great famine over all the world. (This took place during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ So the disciples decided to send relief to those brothers and sisters living in Judea, each according to his ability. ³⁰ This they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.