Chronological
Peter’s Report to the Church in Jerusalem
11 The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised disputed with him, 3 saying, “You went in and ate with uncircumcised men!”
4 Peter began explaining it to them in order, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying. And in a trance I saw a vision: A vessel like a great sheet was descending, let down from heaven by four corners, and it came to me. 6 I considered what I had observed and saw four-footed creatures and wild beasts and reptiles and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 “I said, ‘Not at all, Lord. For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, do not call common.’ 10 This happened three times. And again everything was taken up into heaven.
11 “And immediately three men sent from Caesarea to me came to the house where I was. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. Moreover these six brothers came with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter. 14 He will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as He fell on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’[a] 17 If then God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?”
18 When they heard these things, they were silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then God has granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life.”
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who were scattered by the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one except Jews. 20 Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of these things came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and exhorted them all to remain with the Lord with a loyal heart. 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And many people were added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 In these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and prophesied by the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then every disciple, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. 30 Indeed they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
James Killed and Peter Imprisoned
12 About that time King Herod extended his hands to harm certain ones from the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 Seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to arrest Peter also. This happened during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him before the people after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison. But the church prayed to God without ceasing for him.
Peter Delivered From Prison
6 The very night when Herod would have brought him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. And the guards before the door were securing the prison. 7 And suddenly an angel of the Lord approached him, and a light shone in the prison. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up, quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.
8 Then the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put your sandals on.” And he did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9 He went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10 When they had passed the first and the second guards, they came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened to them by itself. And they went out and went forward one street. And immediately the angel left him.
11 When Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I certainly know that the Lord has sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
12 Realizing this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 As Peter knocked at the door of the porch, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, from joy she did not open the door, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the door.
15 They said to her, “You are insane.” But she insisted that it was really so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16 But Peter continued knocking. And when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Motioning to them with his hand to be quiet, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.
18 Now when day came, there was a great disturbance among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
The Death of Herod
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But they came to him in unity, and having made Blastus, the king’s personal servant, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.
21 On an appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave a public speech to them. 22 The mob shouted, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory. And he was eaten by worms and died.
24 But the word of God spread and increased.
25 When Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their ministry, they returned from Jerusalem and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.