Acts 11
Then God Has Granted Repentance to the Gentiles Also
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The Apostles and the Brothers Heard
11:1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had received the word of God.
11:2When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision disputed with him,
11:3saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Peter’s Report to Jerusalem
11:4Peter began explaining to them in order, saying,
11:5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: something like a large sheet descending, lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came right to me.
11:6I looked intently into it and examined it, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.
11:7I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; slaughter and eat.’
11:8But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
11:9A voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, you must not call common.’
11:10This happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven.
11:11And look, at once three men stood at the house where we were, sent to me from Caesarea.
11:12The Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.
11:13He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon who is called Peter,
11:14who will speak words to you by which you and your whole household will be saved.’
11:15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as upon us at the beginning.
11:16I remembered the Lord’s word, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.’
11:17If, 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?”
11:18When they heard these things, they fell silent and glorified God, saying, “Then God has granted even the Gentiles repentance leading to life.”
The Church at Antioch
11:19Those who had been scattered by the affliction that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews alone.
11:20But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and also spoke to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus.
11:21The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
11:22The report about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
11:23When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain with the Lord with steadfast purpose of heart,
11:24for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. A considerable crowd was added to the Lord.
11:25He went away to Tarsus to search for Saul,
11:26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they gathered with the Church and taught a considerable crowd. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.
Relief Sent to Judea
11:27In those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
11:28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated through the Spirit that a great famine would come over the whole inhabited world. This happened in the time of Claudius.
11:29The disciples determined, each according to his means, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
11:30This they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.