Atos 11

¹ AndPeter, being reprehended without reason by the unskilful and ignorant, does not object and say that he should not be judged by any, but openly gives an account of his actions.the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

² And when Peter was come vp to Hierusalem, they of the circumcision contended against him,

³ Saying, Thou wentest in to men vncircumcised, and hast eaten with them.

⁴ Then Peter beganne, and expounded the thing in order to them, saying,

⁵ I was in the citie of Ioppa, praying, and in a trance I sawe this vision, A certaine vessell comming downe as it had bene a great sheete, let downe from heauen by the foure corners, and it came to me.

⁶ Towarde the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and sawe foure footed beastes of the earth, and wilde beastes, and creeping things, and foules of the heauen.

⁷ Also I heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Arise, Peter: slay and eate.

⁸ And I said, God forbid, Lord: for nothing polluted or vncleane hath at any time entred into my mouth.

⁹ But the voyce answered me the seconde time from heauen, The things that God hath purified, pollute thou not.

¹⁰ And this was done three times, and all were taken vp againe into heauen.

¹¹ Then behold, immediatly there were three men already come vnto the house where I was, sent from Cesarea vnto me.

¹² And the Spirit saide vnto me, that I should go with them, without doubting: moreouer these sixe brethren came with me, and we entred into the mans house.

¹³ And he shewed vs, howe he had seene an Angel in his house, which stoode and said to him, Send men to Ioppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter.

¹⁴ He shall speake wordes vnto thee, whereby both thou and all thine house shalbe saued.

¹⁵ And as I began to speake, the holy Ghost fell on them, euen as vpon vs at the beginning.

¹⁶ Then I remembred the word of the Lord, howe he said, Iohn baptized with water, but ye shalbe baptized with the holy Ghost.

¹⁷ For as much then as God gaue them a like gift, as he did vnto vs, when we beleeued in the Lorde Iesus Christ, who was I, that I coulde let God?

¹⁸ Those who ask a question of the truth which they do not know, ought to be quietly heard, and must also quietly yield to the declaration of the truth.When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

¹⁹ The scattering abroad of Jerusalem is the cause of the gathering together of many other churches.Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, andHe speaks of Antioch which was in Syria and bordered upon Cilicia.Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

²⁰ The church of Antioch, the new Jerusalem of the Gentiles, was extraordinarily called.And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

²¹ And the hand of the Lord was with them, so that a great number beleeued and turned vnto the Lord.

²² The apostles do not rashly condemn an extraordinary calling, but instead they judge it by the effects.Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

²³ Who when he was come and had seene the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted all, that with purpose of heart they would continue in the Lord.

²⁴ For he was a good man, and full of the holy Ghost, and faith, and much people ioyned them selues vnto the Lord.

²⁵ There was no contention amongst the apostles, either with regard to usurping, or with regard to holding places of degree.Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

²⁶ And when he had founde him, he brought him vnto Antiochia: and it came to passe that a whole yere they were conuersant with ye Church, and taught much people, in so much that the disciples were first called Christians in Antiochia.

²⁷ God punishes his Church when he punishes the wicked, in his scourges and plagues which he sends upon the earth, in such a way that he nonetheless conveniently provides for it.And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

²⁸ And there stoode vp one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit, that there should be great famine throughout all the world, which also came to passe vnder Claudius Cesar.

²⁹ All congregations or churches make one body.Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to sendThat is, that the deacons might help the poor with it: for it was appropriate and helpful to have all these things done orderly and decently, and therefore it is said that they sent these things to the elders, that is, to the governors of the Church.relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

³⁰ Which thing they also did, and sent it to the Elders, by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.