11:1 使徒和在猶太的眾弟兄聽說外邦人也領受了上帝的道。
11:2 及至彼得上了耶路撒冷，那些奉割禮的門徒和他爭辯說：
11:3 「你進入未受割禮之人的家和他們一同吃飯了。」
11:4 彼得就開口把這事挨次給他們講解說：
11:5 「我在約帕城裡禱告的時候，魂遊象外，看見異象，有一物降下，好像一塊大布，繫著四角，從天縋下，直來到我跟前。
11:6 我定睛觀看，見內中有地上四足的牲畜和野獸、昆蟲，並天上的飛鳥。
11:7 我且聽見有聲音向我說：『彼得，起來，宰了吃！』
11:8 我說：『主啊，這是不可的！凡俗而不潔淨的物從來沒有入過我的口。』
11:9 第二次，有聲音從天上說：『神所潔淨的，你不可當作俗物。』
11:10 這樣一連三次，就都收回天上去了。
11:11 正當那時，有三個人站在我們所住的房門前，是從凱撒利亞差來見我的。
11:12 聖靈吩咐我和他們同去，不要疑惑（或譯：不要分別等類）。同著我去的，還有這六位弟兄，我們都進了那人的家。
11:13 那人就告訴我們，他如何看見一位天使站在他屋裡，說：『你打發人往約帕去，請那稱呼彼得的西門來，
11:14 他有話告訴你，可以叫你和你的全家得救。』
11:15 我一開講，聖靈便降在他們身上，正像當初降在我們身上一樣。
11:16 我就想起主的話說：『約翰是用水施洗，但你們要受聖靈的洗。』
11:17 上帝既然給他們恩賜，像在我們信主耶穌基督的時候給了我們一樣；我是誰，能攔阻上帝呢？」
11:18 眾人聽見這話，就不言語了，只歸榮耀與上帝，說：「這樣看來，上帝也賜恩給外邦人，叫他們悔改得生命了。」
The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
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彼得和那些同來的猶大基督徒知道到哥尼流家傳福音將會遇到許多的質問，可能有一些心理準備了。所以，彼得在他們面前將事件的始末詳細說了一遍，尤其是自己和哥泥流看見異象的過程，以及講道中聖靈降臨的事，最後下結論說：「就想起主的話說：『約翰是用水施洗，但你們要受聖靈的洗。』上帝既然給他們恩賜，像在我們信主耶穌基督的時候給了我們一樣；我是誰，能攔阻上帝呢？」
這樣的述說也讓這一群質疑的人不言語了，只歸榮耀與上帝，說：「這樣看來，上帝也賜恩給外邦人，叫他們悔改得生命了。」
而這樣的事件，讓我們感受到異文化之宣教，不是靠人的熱心開始的，是上帝的作為。雖然在西方的教會有「海外宣教運動」，好像是出於人的行動，其實背後還是上帝的作為！
今日我們進行宣教或許不一定要到異文化的地方，但是跟隨上帝的引導是必要的，目的不只是讓人喜歡聽我們的信息，而是要人真正皆被聖靈引導而願意接受耶穌基督成為救主，願意將生命交託在上帝的手中，並且存著盼望到永生！這一切都要聖靈藉著教會生活來完成，人只能作栽培與澆灌的工作，甚至栽培和澆灌人都要順從聖靈的工作呢！
讓我們預備好自己成為主可用的澆灌和栽培的人！
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