Thematic Bible
Acts 11:1 (show verse)
Now the apostles and the [other] brothers in Judea heard that the Gentiles had responded to the message of God.
Acts 11:2 (show verse)
And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those [believers] of Jewish descent began to argue with him,
Acts 11:3 (show verse)
saying, "You went in and ate with non-Jewish people, did you not?"
Acts 11:4 (show verse)
Then Peter began to explain the whole matter to them, step by step, saying,
Acts 11:5 (show verse)
"I was in the city of Joppa and [one day], while praying, I fell into a trance [i.e., a semi-conscious, vision-like state] and saw a huge sheet-like container being lowered down from the sky by its four corners. As it came into view
Acts 11:6 (show verse)
I gazed at it and wondered [about it], as I saw [it full of] four-legged [domestic] animals, wild animals, crawling [reptiles] and birds of the sky.
Acts 11:7 (show verse)
I also heard a voice telling me to get up and kill and eat [one of them].
Acts 11:8 (show verse)
But I said, 'O no, Lord, for I have never even tasted anything ordinary or [ceremonially] unfit [for Jews to eat].'
Acts 11:9 (show verse)
Then the voice spoke from the sky again, saying, 'Do not consider something [to be] ordinary that God has made acceptable.'
Acts 11:10 (show verse)
And this was done three times before it was all lifted back up into the sky.
Acts 11:11 (show verse)
"Then, just about that time, three men sent from Caesarea to get me, walked up to the house where we were [staying].
Acts 11:12 (show verse)
The Holy Spirit directed me to go with them, without showing any discrimination. With these six brothers accompanying me, we went into Cornelius' house
Acts 11:13 (show verse)
and he told us about seeing an angel standing in his house and saying [to him] 'Send to Joppa for Simon Peter and bring him [here]
Acts 11:14 (show verse)
so he can speak words to you that will bring salvation to you and your household.'
Acts 11:15 (show verse)
"And while I was speaking, [the power of] the Holy Spirit descended on them [i.e., Cornelius' Gentile household] just like [it fell] on us [Jewish apostles] at the beginning [i.e., the day of Pentecost, See chapter 2].
Acts 11:16 (show verse)
Then I remembered what the Lord had said [See 1:4-5]: 'John immersed you [people] in water but you [apostles] will be immersed in the Holy Spirit.'
Acts 11:17 (show verse)
[Therefore], if God gave to them [i.e., the Gentiles] the same gift as He gave to us [Jews] when we [apostles, See chapter 1-2] believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stand against [the will of] God [by refusing to immerse them]?'"
Acts 11:18 (show verse)
So, when the apostles and the brothers from Judea heard these things, they stopped arguing [See verse 2] and gave honor to God, saying, "[This means] that God has permitted the Gentiles also [as well as the Jews] to repent [i.e., change their hearts and lives] so they, too, could have [the promise of never ending] life."
Acts 11:19 (show verse)
Those who were scattered everywhere as a result of the persecution [being waged against the church] because of Stephen's [death], traveled as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, declaring the message to Jews only.
Acts 11:20 (show verse)
But when some men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch, they preached [about] the Lord Jesus to the Greeks [i.e., Gentiles] also.
Acts 11:21 (show verse)
The power of the Lord was upon their efforts so that a large number of people who believed [the message] turned to the Lord [in faithful obedience].
Acts 11:22 (show verse)
And the news about [what was being done by] these people reached the church in Jerusalem, so that they sent Barnabas to Antioch [in Syria].
Acts 11:23 (show verse)
When he got there and saw how God was favoring the people [with salvation] he was very happy and [stayed on and] encouraged everyone to remain close to the Lord with a heartfelt purpose.
Acts 11:24 (show verse)
[Now] Barnabas was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith [in the Lord], and many people were added to the [church of the] Lord.
Acts 11:25 (show verse)
Then he went on to Tarsus to look for Saul [Note: Tarsus was the home town of Saul, who was later called Paul],
Acts 11:26 (show verse)
and when he found him, he brought him [back] to Antioch. So, for an entire year Saul and Barnabas gathered the church together and taught many people. [It was] here in Antioch that the disciples were first [divinely] called Christians.
Acts 11:27 (show verse)
During those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Acts 11:28 (show verse)
One of them, a man named Agabus, stood up and indicated by [the direction of] the Holy Spirit that there was going to be a severe worldwide famine, which [actually] took place during the time that Claudius ruled.
Acts 11:29 (show verse)
[In response to this prediction], the disciples decided to send as much relief as they could to help the brothers living in Judea.
Acts 11:30 (show verse)
So, they sent [what was donated] to the elders [of the Judean churches] by Barnabas and Saul.