19 Now
those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was
killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word
only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and
Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the
good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with
them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News
of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When
he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged
them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He
was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people
were brought to the Lord.
25 Then
Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found
him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with
the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called
Christians first at Antioch.
27 During
this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One
of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe
famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the
reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able,
decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This
they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
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.”