Acts 11
1 Ref Now the apostles and the brothers{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."} who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 Ref When Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Ref saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!"
4 Ref But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,
5 Ref "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.
6 Ref When I had looked intently at it, I considered, and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, creeping things, and birds of the sky.
7 I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat!'
8 Ref But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.'
9 Ref But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, 'What God has cleansed, don't you call unclean.'
10 Ref This was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.
11 Ref Behold, immediately three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.
12 Ref The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.
13 Ref He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying to him, 'Send to Joppa, and get Simon, whose surname is Peter,
14 Ref who will speak to you words by which you will be saved, you and all your house.'
15 Ref As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.
16 Ref I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'
17 Ref If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?"
18 Ref When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!"
19 Ref They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
20 Ref But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 Ref The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 Ref The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,
23 Ref who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.
24 Ref For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.
25 Ref Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.
26 Ref When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It happened, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 Ref Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 Ref One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.
29 Ref As any of the disciples had plenty, each determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea;
30 Ref which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.