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Pedro justifica-se perante a igreja de haver batizado Cornélio

11 E ouviram os apóstolos e os irmãos que estavam na Judeia que também os gentios tinham recebido a palavra de Deus. E, subindo Pedro a Jerusalém, disputavam com ele os que eram da circuncisão, dizendo: Entraste em casa de varões incircuncisos e comeste com eles. Mas Pedro começou a fazer-lhes uma exposição por ordem, dizendo: Estando eu orando na cidade de Jope, tive, num arrebatamento dos sentidos, uma visão; via um vaso, como um grande lençol que descia do céu e vinha até junto de mim. E, pondo nele os olhos, considerei e vi animais da terra, quadrúpedes, e feras, e répteis, e aves do céu. E ouvi uma voz que me dizia: Levanta-te, Pedro! Mata e come. Mas eu disse: De maneira nenhuma, Senhor; pois nunca em minha boca entrou coisa alguma comum ou imunda. Mas a voz respondeu-me do céu segunda vez: Não chames tu comum ao que Deus purificou. 10 E sucedeu isto por três vezes; e tudo tornou a recolher-se no céu. 11 E eis que, na mesma hora, pararam junto da casa em que eu estava três varões que me foram enviados de Cesareia. 12 E disse-me o Espírito que fosse com eles, nada duvidando; e também estes seis irmãos foram comigo, e entramos em casa daquele varão. 13 E contou-nos como vira em pé um anjo em sua casa, e lhe dissera: Envia varões a Jope e manda chamar a Simão, que tem por sobrenome Pedro, 14 o qual te dirá palavras com que te salves, tu e toda a tua casa. 15 E, quando comecei a falar, caiu sobre eles o Espírito Santo, como também sobre nós ao princípio. 16 E lembrei-me do dito do Senhor, quando disse: João certamente batizou com água, mas vós sereis batizados com o Espírito Santo. 17 Portanto, se Deus lhes deu o mesmo dom que a nós, quando cremos no Senhor Jesus Cristo, quem era, então, eu, para que pudesse resistir a Deus? 18 E, ouvindo estas coisas, apaziguaram-se e glorificaram a Deus, dizendo: Na verdade, até aos gentios deu Deus o arrependimento para a vida.

O evangelho é pregado aos gentios em Antioquia

19 E os que foram dispersos pela perseguição que sucedeu por causa de Estêvão caminharam até à Fenícia, Chipre e Antioquia, não anunciando a ninguém a palavra senão somente aos judeus. 20 E havia entre eles alguns varões de Chipre e de Cirene, os quais, entrando em Antioquia, falaram aos gregos, anunciando o Senhor Jesus. 21 E a mão do Senhor era com eles; e grande número creu e se converteu ao Senhor. 22 E chegou a fama destas coisas aos ouvidos da igreja que estava em Jerusalém; e enviaram Barnabé até Antioquia, 23 o qual, quando chegou e viu a graça de Deus, se alegrou e exortou a todos a que, com firmeza de coração, permanecessem no Senhor. 24 Porque era homem de bem e cheio do Espírito Santo e de fé. E muita gente se uniu ao Senhor. 25 E partiu Barnabé para Tarso, a buscar Saulo; e, achando-o, o conduziu para Antioquia. 26 E sucedeu que todo um ano se reuniram naquela igreja e ensinaram muita gente. Em Antioquia, foram os discípulos, pela primeira vez, chamados cristãos.

27 Naqueles dias, desceram profetas de Jerusalém para Antioquia. 28 E, levantando-se um deles, por nome Ágabo, dava a entender, pelo Espírito, que haveria uma grande fome em todo o mundo, e isso aconteceu no tempo de Cláudio César. 29 E os discípulos determinaram mandar, cada um conforme o que pudesse, socorro aos irmãos que habitavam na Judeia. 30 O que eles com efeito fizeram, enviando-o aos anciãos por mão de Barnabé e de Saulo.

Jerusalem church questions Peter

11 The apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s word. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!”

Step-by-step, Peter explained what had happened. “I was in the city of Joppa praying when I had a visionary experience. In my vision, I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came all the way down to me. As I stared at it, wondering what it was, I saw four-legged animals—including wild beasts—as well as reptiles and wild birds.[a] I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ I responded, ‘Absolutely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ The voice from heaven spoke a second time, ‘Never consider unclean what God has made pure.’ 10 This happened three times, then everything was pulled back into heaven. 11 At that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them even though they were Gentiles. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered that man’s house. 13 He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and your entire household can be saved.’ 15 When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as the Spirit fell on us in the beginning. 16 I remembered the Lord’s words: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then who am I? Could I stand in God’s way?”

18 Once the apostles and other believers heard this, they calmed down. They praised God and concluded, “So then God has enabled Gentiles to change their hearts and lives so that they might have new life.”

The Antioch church

19 Now those who were scattered as a result of the trouble that occurred because of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They proclaimed the word only to Jews. 20 Among them were some people from Cyprus and Cyrene. They entered Antioch and began to proclaim the good news about the Lord Jesus also to Gentiles. 21 The Lord’s power was with them, and a large number came to believe and turned to the Lord.

22 When the church in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw evidence of God’s grace, he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain fully committed to the Lord. 24 Barnabas responded in this way because he was a good man, whom the Holy Spirit had endowed with exceptional faith. A considerable number of people were added to the Lord. 25 Barnabas went to Tarsus in search of Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They were there for a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching large numbers of people. It was in Antioch where the disciples were first labeled “Christians.”

27 About that time, some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, Agabus, stood up and, inspired by the Spirit, predicted that a severe famine would overtake the entire Roman world. (This occurred during Claudius’ rule.) 29 The disciples decided they would send support to the brothers and sisters in Judea, with everyone contributing to this ministry according to each person’s abundance. 30 They sent Barnabas and Saul to take this gift to the elders.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 11:6 Or birds in the sky

11 1-2 By the time Peter and his friends from Joppa returned to Jerusalem, news about outsiders accepting God’s message had already spread to the Lord’s emissaries[a] and believers there. Some of the circumcised believers didn’t welcome Peter with joy, but with criticism.

Circumcised Believers: Why did you violate divine law by associating with outsiders and sitting at the table with them for a meal? This is an outrage!

Peter patiently told them what had happened, laying out in detail the whole story.

Peter: I was in Joppa, I was praying, and I fell into a trance. In my vision, something like a huge sheet descended from the sky as if it were being lowered by its four corners. It landed right in front of me. It was full of all kinds of four-footed creatures that we would call unclean—I could identify mammals, snakes, lizards, and birds. Then I heard a voice say, “Get up, Peter! Kill these creatures and eat them!” Of course, I replied, “No way, Lord! Not a single bite of forbidden, nonkosher food has ever touched my lips.” But then the voice spoke from heaven a second time: “If God makes something clean, you must not call it dirty or forbidden.” 10 This whole drama was repeated three times, and then it was all pulled back up into the sky.

11 At that very second, three men arrived at the house where I was staying. They had come to me from Caesarea. 12 The Holy Spirit told me I should go with them, that I shouldn’t make any distinction between them as Gentiles and us as Jews. These six brothers from Joppa came with me; and yes, we entered the man’s home even though he was an outsider.

13 The outsider told us the story of how he had seen a heavenly messenger standing in his house who said, “Send to Joppa and bring back Simon, also called Peter, 14 and he will give you a message that will rescue both you and your household.” 15 Then I began to speak; and as I did, the Holy Spirit fell upon them—it was exactly as it had been with us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what Jesus had said to us: “John ritually cleansed people with water through baptism,[b] but you will be washed with the Holy Spirit.”[c] 17 So, if God gave them the same gift we were given when we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, who was I to stand in God’s way?

18 There was no argument, only silence.

Circumcised Believers: Well then, we must conclude that God has given to the outsiders the opportunity to rethink their lives, turn to God,[d] and gain a new life.

Just as the experience of the Holy Spirit transforms that small community of believers into the church at the beginning of this book, the presence of the Spirit’s work among these outsiders, the ones who were not a part of God’s covenant with Moses, demonstrates that they, too, are part of the church. This isn’t what many expected, and questions about inclusion of outsiders consume the early life of the church.

19 The believers who were scattered from Judea because of the persecution following Stephen’s stoning kept moving out, reaching Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Until this time, they had only shared their message with Jews. 20 Then some men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had become believers came to Antioch, and they began sharing the message of the Lord Jesus with some Greek converts to Judaism. 21 The Lord was at work through them, and a large number of these Greeks became believers and turned to the Lord Jesus.

22 Word of this new development came to the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch to investigate. 23 He arrived and saw God’s grace in action there, so he rejoiced and urged them to remain faithful to the Lord, to maintain an enduring, unshakable devotion. 24 This Barnabas truly was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, full of faith. A very large number of people were brought to the Lord.

25 Barnabas soon was off again—now to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 He found Saul and brought him back to Antioch. The two of them spent an entire year there, meeting with the church and teaching huge numbers of people. It was there, in Antioch, where the term “Christian” was first used to identify disciples of Jesus.

27 During that year, some prophets came north from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 A prophet named Agabus stood in a meeting and made a prediction by the Holy Spirit: there would be an expansive, terrible famine in the whole region during the reign of Claudius. 29 In anticipation of the famine, the disciples determined to give an amount proportionate to their financial ability and create a relief fund for all the believers in Judea. 30 They sent Barnabas and Saul to carry this fund to the elders in Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 11:1-2 Literally, apostles
  2. 11:16 Literally, immersed, to show repentance
  3. 11:16 Acts 1:5
  4. 11:18 Literally, repent