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11
Peter Defends God's Grace
1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were contending with him, 3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!”
4 But Peter, beginning to speak, was setting forth to them in order, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel coming down like a great sheet, being lowered by the four corners from heaven; and it came as far as me; 6 on which, looking intently, I was contemplating, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Arise, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.’ 9 But the voice answered me a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not make common.’ 10 And this was done three times, and again all things were drawn up into heaven. 11 And behold, immediately three men stood before the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me. 12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, without wavering. Now these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man. 13 And he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house, standing and saying to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter, 14 who will speak words to you by which you and all your household shall be saved.’ 15 And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as also on us in the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God has given to them the same gift as He gave to us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?” 18 And hearing these things, they remained silent, and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Barnabas and Saul at Antioch
19 Then those who were scattered because of the tribulation coming about over Stephen, went about as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews only. 20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, entering into Antioch spoke to the Greek speaking Jews, preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.
22 And the word about them was heard in the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas to go as far as Antioch; 23 who, arriving and seeing the grace of God, was glad, and encouraged them all with purpose of heart to continue with the Lord, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25 And Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for a whole year they assembled with the church and instructed many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 Now in these days prophets went down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And rising up, one of them named Agabus, foretold by the Spirit of a great famine about to happen in all the world, which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar. 29 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined as a ministry to send relief to the brothers dwelling in Judea; 30 which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito