| 1. | Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. |
| 2. | So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, |
| 3. | saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" |
| 4. | But Peter began and explained to them in order: |
| 5. | "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, something descending, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came down to me. |
| 6. | Looking at it closely I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. |
| 7. | And I heard a voice saying to me, `Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' |
| 8. | But I said, `No, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' |
| 9. | But the voice answered a second time from heaven, `What God has cleansed you must not call common.' |
| 10. | This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. |
| 11. | At that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesare'a. |
| 12. | And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brethren also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. |
| 13. | And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter; |
| 14. | he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.' |
| 15. | As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. |
| 16. | And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, `John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' |
| 17. | If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" |
| 18. | When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life." |
| 19. | Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoeni'cia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to none except Jews. |
| 20. | But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyre'ne, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. |
| 21. | And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned to the Lord. |
| 22. | News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. |
| 23. | When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad; and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose; |
| 24. | for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a large company was added to the Lord. |
| 25. | So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; |
| 26. | and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians. |
| 27. | Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. |
| 28. | And one of them named Ag'abus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of Claudius. |
| 29. | And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; |
| 30. | and they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. |
