Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision criticized him,
saying, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
But Peter began, and explained the matter to them in order, saying,
“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a state of suspended consciousness I saw a vision: an object descending something like a large linen cloth, being let down from heaven by the four corners, and it came down to me,
and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and wild beasts and reptiles and birds of heaven.
And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
But I said, ‘Surely not, Lord, for nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’
But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, do not consider unclean!’
And this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up into heaven again.
And Look! Immediately three men stood in front of the house in which we were staying, having been sent from Caesarea to me.
And the Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. And these six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house,
and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send men to Joppa, and send for Simon, who is also called Peter,
who will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your house.’
Now as I began to speak, the holy spirit rushed onto them just as it also did on us at the beginning.
Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized in holy spirit.’
So if God gave to them the same gift as he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, I, who was I, to be able to stand in God’s way?”
And when they heard these things, they calmed down, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has granted the repentance to everlasting life to the Gentiles also.”
The Church in Antioch
Now those who were scattered because of the affliction that arose in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria, speaking the word to no one except to Jews only.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number, having believed, turned to the Lord.
And the report about them came to the ears of the church that was in Jerusalem. And they sent Barnabas to Antioch,
who, when he came and saw the grace of God, was glad, and was exhorting them all to remain faithful to the Lord in the purposes of their hearts,
for he was a good man, and full of holy spirit and trust. And many people were added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to diligently search for Saul,
and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it came to pass that for a whole year they met with the church and taught a great number of people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
Now in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and clearly indicated through the spirit that there would be a great famine over the whole inhabited world, which came to pass during the reign of Claudius.
And the disciples, every one according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea,
and this they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.