1 The apostles and brothers in Judea heard that the people of the nations also received the word of God.

2 When Peter went to Jerusalem, those who favored circumcision argued with him.

3 They said: »You went to the uncircumcised and ate with them.«

4 Peter started at the beginning and explained what happened.

5 »I was in the city of Joppa praying. In a trance I saw a vision. A vessel descended like a great sheet. It let down from heaven by four corners and it came to me.

6 »I looked in it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things and birds of the air.

7 »I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up Peter slaughter and eat.’

8 »I said, ‘No Lord, for nothing defiled or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth.’

9 »The voice answered me again from heaven, ‘Do not call defiled what God has cleansed!’

10 »This happened three times. Then everything was pulled up again into heaven.

11 »At that moment there were three men who were sent from Caesarea to me at the house where I was.

12 »The Spirit told me to go with them and not to doubt them. These six brothers accompanied me when we entered the man’s house.

13 »He showed us how he had seen an angel in his house that stood and said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.’

14 »He will bring you a message so that you and your household shall be saved.

15 »When I spoke the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it was in the beginning.

16 »Then I remembered what the Lord said, ‘John indeed baptized with water. However you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17 »Since God gave them the same gift as he gave to us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could oppose God?«

18 When they heard this they objected no more and praised God, saying: »God has granted the people of the nations repentance to life.«

19 Those who were scattered abroad because of the persecution of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word only to the Jews.

20 Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. When they came to Antioch they spoke to the Greeks and preached the Lord Jesus.

21 The hand Spirit of God was with them. A great number believed, and turned to the Lord.

22 News of these things came to the ears of the congregation in Jerusalem. They sent Barnabas that he should go as far as Antioch.

23 When he arrived he saw the grace of God and was glad. He exhorted them all to remain true to the Lord as their only purpose of heart.

24 For he was a good man full of Holy Spirit and of faith. Then many people were added to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek Saul.

26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They met with the congregation for a whole year. They taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27 Prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch at that time.

28 One of them was named Agabus. He indicated through the Spirit that a great famine was about to come on the entire earth. He said it would come to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

29 The disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers in Judea.

30 They sent it to the elders through Barnabas and Saul.