Peter’s Report at Jerusalem

1The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believersa took issue with him 3and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

4But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events: 5“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me. 6I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’

8‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impureb or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’

10This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.

11Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home. 13He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’

15As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered the word of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’c 17So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”

18When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

The Church at Antioch

19Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews. 20But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeksd as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

22When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts. 24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

27In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world.e (This happened under Claudius.) 29So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.