Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision took issue with him, saying, "You went to men {who were uncircumcised} and ate with them!" read more.
But Peter began [and] explained [it] to them in an orderly sequence, saying, "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision--an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me. [As I] looked intently into it, I was considering [it], and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild animals and the reptiles and the birds of the sky. And I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter, slaughter and eat!' But I said, 'Certainly not, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth!' But the voice replied from heaven for the second time, '[The things] which God has made clean, you must not consider unclean!' And this happened three times, and everything was pulled up into heaven again. And behold, at once three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea approached the house in which we were [staying]. And the Spirit told me to accompany them, not hesitating [at all]. So these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the man's house. And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter, who will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' And [as] I was beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as also on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Therefore if God gave them the same gift as also to us [when we] believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I [to be] able to hinder God?" And [when they] heard these [things], they became silent and praised God, saying, "Then God has granted the repentance [leading] to life to the Gentiles also!"

And [after] there was much debate, Peter stood up [and] said to them, "Men [and] brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you through my mouth [that] the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them [by] giving [them] the Holy Spirit, just as he also [did] to us. And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. read more.
So now why are you putting God to the test [by] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe [we] will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in {the same} way those also [are]."