Acts 11
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- Acts 11:2 Lit those of the circumcision
- Acts 11:13 Other mss add men
- Acts 11:14 Lit speak words
- Acts 11:18 Or repentance to life
- Acts 11:20 Other mss read Greeks
- Acts 11:20 In this context, a non-Jewish person who spoke Gk
- Acts 11:22 Other mss omit to travel
- Acts 11:25 Other mss read Barnabas
- Acts 11:28 Or the whole world
- Acts 11:28 Emperor a.d. 41–54; there was a famine a.d. 47–48.
Acts 11
Darby Translation
11 And the apostles and the brethren who were in Judaea heard that the nations also had received the word of God;
2 and when Peter went up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision contended with him,
3 saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and hast eaten with them.
4 But Peter began and set forth [the matter] to them in order, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in an ecstasy I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending like a great sheet, let down by four corners out of heaven, and it came even to me:
6 on which having fixed mine eyes, I considered, and saw the quadrupeds of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven.
7 And I heard also a voice saying to me, Rise up, Peter, slay and eat.
8 And I said, In no wise, Lord, for common or unclean has never entered into my mouth.
9 And a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God has cleansed, do not *thou* make common.
10 And this took place thrice, and again all was drawn up into heaven;
11 and lo, immediately three men were at the house in which I was, sent to me from Caesarea.
12 And the Spirit said to me to go with them, nothing doubting. And there went with me these six brethren also, and we entered into the house of the man,
13 and he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house, standing and saying [to him], Send [men] to Joppa and fetch Simon, who is surnamed Peter,
14 who shall speak words to thee whereby *thou* shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them even as upon us also at the beginning.
16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John baptised with water, but *ye* shall be baptised with [the] Holy Spirit.
17 If then God has given them the same gift as also to us when we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who indeed was *I* to be able to forbid God?
18 And when they heard these things they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then indeed God has to the nations also granted repentance to life.
19 They then who had been scattered abroad through the tribulation that took place on the occasion of Stephen, passed through [the country] to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but to Jews alone.
20 But there were certain of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who entering into Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, announcing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus.
21 And [the] Lord's hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 And the report concerning them reached the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go through as far as Antioch:
23 who, having arrived and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted all with purpose of heart to abide with the Lord;
24 for he was a good man and full of [the] Holy Spirit and of faith; and a large crowd [of people] were added to the Lord.
25 And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul.
26 And having found [him], he brought him to Antioch. And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd: and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 Now in these days prophets went down from Jerusalem to Antioch;
28 and one from among them, by name Agabus, rose up and signified by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine over all the inhabited earth, which also came to pass under Claudius.
29 And they determined, according as any one of the disciples was well off, each of them to send to the brethren who dwelt in Judaea, to minister [to them];
30 which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
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