Acts 11
Complete Jewish Bible
11 The emissaries and the brothers throughout Y’hudah heard that the Goyim had received the word of God; 2 but when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, the members of the Circumcision faction criticized him, 3 saying, “You went into the homes of uncircumcised men and even ate with them!”
4 In reply, Kefa began explaining in detail what had actually happened: 5 “I was in the city of Yafo, praying; and in a trance I had a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came down to me. 6 I looked inside and saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, crawling creatures and wild birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Kefa, slaughter and eat!’ 8 I said, ‘No, sir! Absolutely not! Nothing unclean or treif has ever entered my mouth!’ 9 But the voice spoke again from heaven: ‘Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled back up into heaven.
11 “At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying; 12 and the Spirit told me to have no misgivings about going back with them. These six brothers also came with me, and we went into the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Yafo and bring back Shim‘on, known as Kefa. 14 He has a message for you which will enable you and your whole household to be saved.’
15 “But I had hardly begun speaking when the Ruach HaKodesh fell on them, just as on us at the beginning! 16 And I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘Yochanan used to immerse people in water, but you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh.’ 17 Therefore, if God gave them the same gift as he gave us after we had come to put our trust in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who was I to stand in God’s way?”
18 On hearing these things, they stopped objecting and began to praise God, saying, “This means that God has enabled the Goyim as well to do t’shuvah and have life!”
19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution which had arisen over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch; they spoke God’s word, but only to Jews. 20 However, some of these, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, when they arrived at Antioch, began speaking to the Greeks too, proclaiming the Good News of the Lord Yeshua. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people trusted and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the ears of the Messianic community in Yerushalayim, and they sent Bar-Nabba to Antioch. 23 On arriving and seeing for himself the grace of God at work, he was glad; and he encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with their whole hearts; 24 for he was a good man, full of the Ruach HaKodesh and trust.
25 Then Bar-Nabba went off to Tarsus to look for Sha’ul; 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They met with the congregation there for a whole year and taught a sizeable crowd. Also it was in Antioch that the talmidim for the first time were called “Messianic.”
27 During this time, some prophets came down from Yerushalayim to Antioch; 28 and one of them named Agav stood up and through the Spirit predicted that there was going to be a severe famine throughout the Roman Empire. (It took place while Claudius was Emperor.) 29 So the talmidim decided to provide relief to the brothers living in Y’hudah, each according to his means; 30 and they did it, sending their contribution to the elders in the care of Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul.
Acts 11
1599 Geneva Bible
11 2 Peter being accused for going to the Gentiles, 5 defendeth himself. 22 Barnabas is sent to Antioch, 26 where the disciples are called Christians: 28 and there Agabas foretelleth a famine to come.
1 Now [a]the Apostles and the brethren that were in Judea, heard, that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision contended against him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and hast eaten with them.
4 Then Peter began, and expounded the thing in order to them, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa, praying, and in a trance I saw this vision, A certain vessel coming down as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by the four corners, and it came to me,
6 Toward the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the heaven.
7 Also I heard a voice, saying unto me, Arise, Peter: slay and eat.
8 And I said, God forbid, Lord: for nothing polluted or unclean hath at anytime entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me the second time from heaven, The things that God hath purified, pollute thou not.
10 And this was done three times, and all were taken up again into heaven.
11 Then behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit said unto me, that I should go with them, without doubting: moreover these six brethren came with me, and we entered into the man’s house.
13 And he showed us, how he had seen an Angel in his house, which stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.
14 He shall speak words unto thee, whereby both thou and all thine house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the holy Ghost fell on them, (A)even as upon us at the beginning.
16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, (B)John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost.
17 For as much then as God gave them a like gift, as he did unto us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could let God?
18 [b]When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
19 ¶ [c]And they which were (C)scattered abroad because of the affliction that arose about Stephen, went throughout till they came unto Phonicia and Cyprus, and [d]Antioch, preaching the word to no man, but unto the Jews only.
20 [e]Now some of them were men of Cyprus and of Cyrene, which when they were come into Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, and preached the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, so that a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.
22 [f]Then tidings of those things came unto the ears of the Church, which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go unto Antioch.
23 Who when he was come and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted all, that with purpose of heart they would continue in the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the holy Ghost, and faith and much people joined themselves unto the Lord.
25 ¶ [g]Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus to seek Paul:
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch: and it came to pass that a whole year they were conversant with the Church, and taught much people, insomuch that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 [h]In those days also came Prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be great famine throughout all the world, which also came to pass under Claudius Caesar.
29 [i]Then the disciples every man according to his ability, purposed to send [j]succor unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea.
30 Which thing they also did, and sent it to the Elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Footnotes
- Acts 11:1 Peter being without cause reprehended of the unskillful and ignorant, doth not object that he ought not to be judged of any, but openly giveth an account of his doing.
- Acts 11:18 Such as ask a question of the truth which they know not, ought to be quietly heard, and must also quietly yield to the declaration thereof.
- Acts 11:19 The scattering abroad of the Church of Jerusalem is the cause of the gathering together of many other Churches.
- Acts 11:19 He speaketh of Antioch which was in Syria and bordered upon Cilicia.
- Acts 11:20 The Church of Antioch, the new Jerusalem of the Gentiles was extraordinarily called.
- Acts 11:22 The Apostles do not rashly condemn an extraordinary vocation, but yet they judge it by the effects.
- Acts 11:25 There was no contention amongst the Apostles either of usurping, or of holding places and degrees.
- Acts 11:27 God doth so wrap up his Church with the wicked, in his scourges and plagues which he sendeth upon the earth, that notwithstanding he provideth for it conveniently.
- Acts 11:29 All Congregations or Churches make one body.
- Acts 11:29 That is, that thereof the Deacons might succor the poor: for it behooved to have all these things done orderly, and decently, and therefore it is said, that they sent these things to the Elders, that is, to the governors of the Church.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
