Acts:11

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* Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God . * So when Peter went up to Jerusalem , the circumcised believers criticized him , * saying , »You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them .« * But Peter began and explained to them in order : * »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 . * And when I looked into it I saw four-footed animals of the earth , wild beasts , reptiles , and birds of the air . * Then I heard a voice saying to me , ‘Get up , Peter . Kill and eat !’ * But I said , ‘No , Lord ; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth .’ * But the voice answered a second time from heaven , ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common .’ * This happened three times , and all was drawn up again into heaven . * And behold , at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying , having been sent to me from Caesarea . * The Spirit told me to go with them with no hesitation . These six brethren also went with me , and we entered the man 's house . * And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying , ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon , who is also called Peter ; * he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved , you and all your household .’ * As I began to speak , the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning . * And I remembered the word of the Lord , how he said , ‘John baptized with water , but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit .’ * So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us , who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ , who was I that I could oppose God ?« * When they heard this , they quieted down and glorified God , saying , »So then , God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance unto life .« * Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch , speaking the word to no one except Jews . * But there were some of them , men of Cyprus and Cyrene , who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also , preaching the Lord Jesus . * The hand of the Lord was with them , and a great number believed and turned to the Lord . * News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem , and they sent Barnabas to Antioch . * When he arrived and saw the grace of God , he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts ; * for he was a good man , full of the Holy Spirit and of faith . And a great number of people were brought to the Lord . * So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul ; * and when he had found him , he brought him to Antioch . So for a whole year they met with the church and taught great numbers of people ; and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch . * Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch . * One of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine all over the world . And this took place in the reign of Claudius . * And the disciples determined , each according to his ability , to send relief for the brethren living in Judea . * And this they did , sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul .

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