11 2 Peter being accused for going to the Gentiles,  5 defendeth himself. 22 Barnabas is sent to Antioch,  26 where the disciples are called Christians: 28 and there Agabas foretelleth a famine to come.

Now [a]the Apostles and the brethren that were in Judea, heard, that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision contended against him,

Saying, Thou wentest into men uncircumcised, and hast eaten with them.

Then Peter began, and expounded the thing in order to them, saying,

I was in the city of Joppa, praying, and in a trance I saw this vision, A certain vessel coming down as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by the four corners, and it came to me,

Toward the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the heaven.

Also I heard a voice, saying unto me, Arise, Peter: slay and eat.

And I said, God forbid, Lord: for nothing polluted or unclean hath at anytime entered into my mouth.

But the voice answered me the second time from heaven, The things that God hath purified, pollute thou not.

10 And this was done three times, and all were taken up again into heaven.

11 Then behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

12 And the Spirit said unto me, that I should go with them, without doubting: moreover these six brethren came with me, and we entered into the man’s house.

13 And he showed us, how he had seen an Angel in his house, which stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.

14 He shall speak words unto thee, whereby both thou and all thine house shall be saved.

15 And as I began to speak, the holy Ghost fell on them, (A)even as upon us at the beginning.

16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, (B)John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the holy Ghost.

17 For as much then as God gave them a like gift, as he did unto us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could let God?

18 [b]When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

19 [c]And they which were (C)scattered abroad because of the affliction that arose about Stephen, went throughout till they came unto Phonicia and Cyprus, and [d]Antioch, preaching the word to no man, but unto the Jews only.

20 [e]Now some of them were men of Cyprus and of Cyrene, which when they were come into Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, and preached the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, so that a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

22 [f]Then tidings of those things came unto the ears of the Church, which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go unto Antioch.

23 Who when he was come and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted all, that with purpose of heart they would continue in the Lord.

24 For he was a good man, and full of the holy Ghost, and faith and much people joined themselves unto the Lord.

25 [g]Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus to seek Paul:

26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch: and it came to pass that a whole year they were conversant with the Church, and taught much people, insomuch that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27 [h]In those days also came Prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be great famine throughout all the world, which also came to pass under Claudius Caesar.

29 [i]Then the disciples every man according to his ability, purposed to send [j]succor unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea.

30 Which thing they also did, and sent it to the Elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 11:1 Peter being without cause reprehended of the unskillful and ignorant, doth not object that he ought not to be judged of any, but openly giveth an account of his doing.
  2. Acts 11:18 Such as ask a question of the truth which they know not, ought to be quietly heard, and must also quietly yield to the declaration thereof.
  3. Acts 11:19 The scattering abroad of the Church of Jerusalem is the cause of the gathering together of many other Churches.
  4. Acts 11:19 He speaketh of Antioch which was in Syria and bordered upon Cilicia.
  5. Acts 11:20 The Church of Antioch, the new Jerusalem of the Gentiles was extraordinarily called.
  6. Acts 11:22 The Apostles do not rashly condemn an extraordinary vocation, but yet they judge it by the effects.
  7. Acts 11:25 There was no contention amongst the Apostles either of usurping, or of holding places and degrees.
  8. Acts 11:27 God doth so wrap up his Church with the wicked, in his scourges and plagues which he sendeth upon the earth, that notwithstanding he provideth for it conveniently.
  9. Acts 11:29 All Congregations or Churches make one body.
  10. Acts 11:29 That is, that thereof the Deacons might succor the poor: for it behooved to have all these things done orderly, and decently, and therefore it is said, that they sent these things to the Elders, that is, to the governors of the Church.

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