rsv Acts:11 SEEK
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Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God .
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So when Peter went up to Jerusalem ,
the circumcision party criticized him ,
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saying , "
Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them ?"
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But Peter began and explained to them in order :
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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 .
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Looking at it closely I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air .
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And I heard a voice saying to me , `
Rise ,
Peter ;
kill and eat .'
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But I said , `
No ,
Lord ;
for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth .'
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But the voice answered a second time from heaven , `
What God has cleansed you must not call common .'
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This happened three times ,
and all was drawn up again into heaven .
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At that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were ,
sent to me from Caesare '
a .
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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 .
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And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying , `
Send to Joppa and bring Simon called Peter ;
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he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved ,
you and all your household .'
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As I began to speak ,
the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning .
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And I remembered the word of the Lord ,
how he said , `
John baptized with water ,
but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit .'
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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 ?"
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When they heard this they were silenced .
And they glorified God ,
saying , "
Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life ."
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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 .
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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 .
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And the hand of the Lord was with them ,
and a great number that believed turned to the Lord .
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News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem ,
and they sent Barnabas to Antioch .
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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 ;
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for he was a good man ,
full of the Holy Spirit and of faith .
And a large company was added to the Lord .
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So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul ;
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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 .
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Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch .
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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 .
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And the disciples determined ,
every one according to his ability ,
to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea ;
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and they did so ,
sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul .