Chapter IX

PETER CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR ASSOCIATING WITH GENTILES, AND JUSTIFIED; PREACHING TO THE GENTILES CONTINUED.

1 [11:1]AND the apostles and brothers who were in Judea heard that the gentiles received the word of God. [11:2]And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, [11:3]saying, You went in to men that were uncircumcised, and eat with them. [11:4]And Peter began and related to them in order, saying, [11:5]I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw a vision in a trance, a vessel like a great sheet descending, let down by the four corners from heaven, and it came to me; [11:6]and looking into it attentively I perceived and saw the quadrupeds of the earth and wild beasts and reptiles and birds of heaven. [11:7]And I heard a voice saying to me, Arise, Peter, kill and eat. [11:8]And I said, By no means, Lord, for nothing common or impure has ever entered into my mouth. [11:9]And a voice answered from heaven a second time, What God has purified do not you regard common. [11:10]And this was done thrice, and again all were taken up to heaven.

2 [11:11]And behold, immediately three men came to the house in which I was, being sent for me from Caesarea. [11:12]And the Spirit told me to go with them. And these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man. [11:13]And he told us how he had seen the angel in his house standing and saying to him, Send to Joppa and call Simon who is called Peter, [11:14]who will speak words to you by which you shall be saved and all your house. [11:15] And when I began to speak the Holy Spirit fell on them as also on us in the beginning. [11:16]And I remembered the word of the Lord how he said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. [11:17]If therefore God gave the gift equally to them and to us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I should be able to forbid God? [11:18] And hearing these things they were silent, and glorified God, saying, Then to the gentiles also has God indeed given the change of mind to life.

3 [11:19]And those scattered abroad by the affliction which commenced with Stephen, went even to Phenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but Jews only. [11:20]But some of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who came to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus. [11:21] And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. [11:22]And a report concerning them was brought to the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go as far as Antioch; [11:23]who having come and seen the grace of God rejoiced, and exhorted all to adhere to the Lord with the purpose of the heart; [11:24]for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great multitude were added to the Lord.

4 [11:25]And he went to Tarsus to seek for Saul, [11:26]and found and brought him to Antioch. And he was with them, and they met a whole year with the church and taught a great multitude; and the disciples first took the name of Christians at Antioch.

5 [11:27]And in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch; [11:28]and one of them, by the name of Agabus, standing up signified by the spirit that a great famine was about to come on all the world; which also came under Claudius Caesar. [11:29]And each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send help to the brethren living in Judea; [11:30]which they also did, sending to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.