Peter Reports in Jerusalem

11 Now the apostles and (A)the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, [a](B)the Jewish believers took issue with him, saying, “(C)You [b]went to [c]uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began and explained at length to them (D)in an orderly sequence, saying, (E)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw (F)a vision, an [d]object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came to where I was, and I stared at it and was thinking about it, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the [e]crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; [f]kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing [g]unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘(G)What God has cleansed, no longer [h]consider unholy.’ 10 This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. 11 And behold, at that moment three men who had been sent to me from (H)Caesarea came up to the house where we were staying. 12 (I)And the Spirit told me to go with them (J)without [i]misgivings. (K)These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 And he reported to us how he had seen the angel [j]standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send some men to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he will speak (L)words to you by which you will be saved, you and (M)all your household.’ 15 And as I began to speak, (N)the Holy Spirit fell upon them just (O)as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, (P)John baptized with water, but you will be baptized [k]with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 Therefore, if (Q)God gave them the same gift as He also gave to us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, (R)who was I that I could [l]stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they [m]quieted down and (S)glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the (T)repentance that leads to life.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 11:2 Lit those from the circumcision
  2. Acts 11:3 Or entered the house of
  3. Acts 11:3 I.e., Gentiles
  4. Acts 11:5 Or vessel
  5. Acts 11:6 Or reptiles
  6. Acts 11:7 Or sacrifice
  7. Acts 11:8 Or profane; lit common
  8. Acts 11:9 Lit make common
  9. Acts 11:12 Or making any distinction
  10. Acts 11:13 Or after he had stood in his house and said
  11. Acts 11:16 Or in
  12. Acts 11:17 Lit prevent God
  13. Acts 11:18 Lit became silent

Peter Explains His Actions

11 Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers[a] in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers[b] criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles[c] and even ate with them!” they said.

Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. “I was in the town of Joppa,” he said, “and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me. When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of tame and wild animals, reptiles, and birds. And I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.’

“‘No, Lord,’ I replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.[d]

“But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’ 10 This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

11 “Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us. 13 He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!’

15 “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with[e] water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God’s way?”

18 When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”

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Footnotes

  1. 11:1 Greek brothers.
  2. 11:2 Greek those of the circumcision.
  3. 11:3 Greek of uncircumcised men.
  4. 11:8 Greek anything common or unclean.
  5. 11:16 Or in; also in 11:16b.