Gentile Salvation Defended

11 The apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message also. ² When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who stressed circumcision^[a] argued with him,^{(A) 3} saying, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them!”^(B)

⁴ Peter began to explain to them in an orderly sequence, saying: ⁵ “I^(C) was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. ⁶ When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. ⁷ Then I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat!’

⁸ “‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing common or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!’ ⁹ But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call common.’

¹⁰ “Now this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹ At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. ¹² Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.^{(D) 13} He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send^[b] to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. ¹⁴ He will speak a message^[c] to you that you and all your household^(E) will be saved by.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.^{(F) 16} Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’^{(G) 17} Therefore, if God gave them the same gift that He also gave to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?”^(H)

¹⁸ When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life^[d] even to the Gentiles!”^(I)

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,^(J) speaking the message to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists,^[e][f] proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.^{(K) 21} The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.^{(L) 22} Then the report about them was heard by the church that was at Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel^[g] as far as Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with a firm resolve of the heart,^{(M) 24} for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit^(N) and of faith. And large numbers of people were added^(O) to the Lord. ²⁵ Then he^[h] went to Tarsus to search for Saul, ²⁶ and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples^(P) were first called Christians at Antioch.^(Q)

Famine Relief

²⁷ In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.^{(R) 28} Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world.^[i] This took place during the time of Claudius.^{[j](S) 29} So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea.^{(T) 30} They did this, sending it to the elders^(U) by means of Barnabas and Saul.