Our Father Receives the Gentiles
11 1 Now the apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of our Father. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, "You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them."
4 But Peter explained it to them step by step: 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. 6 Looking closely at it, I saw four-legged animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' 8 But I said, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 But the voice answered a second time from heaven, 'What our Father has made clean, you must not call impure.' 10 This happened three times, and all of it was drawn up again into heaven. 11 And just then, three men arrived at the house where we were staying, sent to me from Caesarea. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13 And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will bring you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of our Lord Jesus, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 If then our Father gave them the same gift he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in our Father's way?"
18 When they heard these things, they fell silent. And they glorified our Father, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also our Father has granted repentance that leads to life."
Our Father's Family Grows in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists also, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. a a v20 Hellenists: Greek-speaking people, likely Gentiles in this context. 21 And the hand of our Lord Jesus was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The church in Jerusalem heard about this and sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of our Father, he rejoiced, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast hearts, 24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large crowd was added to the Lord.
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. b b v26 The name Christians means "those belonging to Christ" — the first time followers of Jesus were called by his name.
27 In these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine was about to come over all the world (which happened in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples decided, each according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders through Barnabas and Saul.