Peter Reports That Non-Jewish People Can Belong to the Church

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that people who were not Jewish had accepted God’s word. ² However, when Peter went to Jerusalem, the believers who insisted on circumcision began to argue with him. ³ They said, “You went to visit men who were uncircumcised, and you even ate with them.”

⁴ Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said, ⁵ “I was praying in the city of Joppa when I fell into a trance. I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners from the sky. The sheet came near me. ⁶ I looked into the sheet very closely and saw tame animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. ⁷ I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill these animals, and eat them.’

⁸ “But I answered, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never put anything impure or unclean ^[a] into my mouth.’

⁹ “A voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Don’t say that the things which God has made clean ^[b] are impure.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times. Then everything was pulled back into the sky again.

¹¹ “At that moment three men arrived at the house where we were staying. They had been sent from Caesarea to find me.

Peter Reports That Non-Jewish People Can Belong to the Church

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that people who were not Jewish had accepted God’s word. ² However, when Peter went to Jerusalem, the believers who insisted on circumcision began to argue with him. ³ They said, “You went to visit men who were uncircumcised, and you even ate with them.”

⁴ Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said, ⁵ “I was praying in the city of Joppa when I fell into a trance. I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners from the sky. The sheet came near me. ⁶ I looked into the sheet very closely and saw tame animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. ⁷ I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill these animals, and eat them.’

⁸ “But I answered, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never put anything impure or unclean ^[a] into my mouth.’

⁹ “A voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Don’t say that the things which God has made clean ^[b] are impure.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times. Then everything was pulled back into the sky again.

¹¹ “At that moment three men arrived at the house where we were staying. They had been sent from Caesarea to find me.

For the choir director; a psalm by Korah’s descendants.

For the choir director; a psalm by Korah’s descendants.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁵ I, too, have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. For this reason ¹⁶ I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. ¹⁸ Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit. ¹⁹ You will also know the unlimited greatness of his power as it works with might and strength for us, the believers. ²⁰ He worked with that same power in Christ when he brought him back to life and gave him the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ²¹ He is far above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put everything under the control of Christ. He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church. ²³ The church is Christ’s body and completes him as he fills everything in every way.

Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians

¹⁵ I, too, have heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. For this reason ¹⁶ I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. ¹⁸ Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit. ¹⁹ You will also know the unlimited greatness of his power as it works with might and strength for us, the believers. ²⁰ He worked with that same power in Christ when he brought him back to life and gave him the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ²¹ He is far above all rulers, authorities, powers, lords, and all other names that can be named, not only in this present world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put everything under the control of Christ. He has made Christ the head of everything for the good of the church. ²³ The church is Christ’s body and completes him as he fills everything in every way.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you. I told you that everything written about me in Moses’ Teachings, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “Scripture says that the Messiah would suffer and that he would come back to life on the third day. ⁴⁷ Scripture also says that by the authority of Jesus people would be told to turn to God and change the way they think and act so that their sins will be forgiven. This would be told to people from all nations, beginning in the city of Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses to these things.

⁴⁹ “I’m sending you what my Father promised. Wait here in the city until you receive power from heaven.”

⁵⁰ Then Jesus took them to a place near Bethany. There he raised his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken to heaven.

⁵² The disciples worshiped him and were overjoyed as they went back to Jerusalem. ⁵³ They were always in the temple, where they praised God.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you. I told you that everything written about me in Moses’ Teachings, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to come true.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “Scripture says that the Messiah would suffer and that he would come back to life on the third day. ⁴⁷ Scripture also says that by the authority of Jesus people would be told to turn to God and change the way they think and act so that their sins will be forgiven. This would be told to people from all nations, beginning in the city of Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses to these things.

⁴⁹ “I’m sending you what my Father promised. Wait here in the city until you receive power from heaven.”

⁵⁰ Then Jesus took them to a place near Bethany. There he raised his hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken to heaven.

⁵² The disciples worshiped him and were overjoyed as they went back to Jerusalem. ⁵³ They were always in the temple, where they praised God.