Study Desk

Now the apostles and ^(a)the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, ^[a](b)those who were circumcised took issue with him,

saying, "^(c)You ^[b]went to uncircumcised men and ate with them."

But Peter began speaking ^[c]and proceeded to explain to them ^(d)in orderly sequence, saying,

"^(e)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw ^(f)a vision, an ^[d]object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from ^[e]the sky; and it came right down to me,

and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it ^[f]I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the ^[g]crawling creatures and the birds of the ^[h]air.

I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; ^[i]kill and eat.'

But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing ^[j]unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘^(g)What God has cleansed, no longer ^[k]consider unholy.'

This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into ^[l]the sky.

And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from ^(h)Caesarea.

⁽ⁱ⁾The Spirit told me to go with them ^[m](j)without misgivings. ^(k)These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.

And he reported to us how he had seen the angel ^[n]standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;

and he will speak ^(l)words to you by which you will be saved, you and ^(m)all your household.'

And as I began to speak, ⁽ⁿ⁾the Holy Spirit fell upon them just ^(o)as He did upon us at the beginning.

And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘^(p)John baptized with water, but you will be baptized ^[o]with the Holy Spirit.'

Therefore if ^(q)God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(r)who was I that I could ^[p]stand in God's way?"

When they heard this, they ^[q]quieted down and ^(s)glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the ^(t)repentance that leads to life."

^(u)So then those who were scattered because of the ^[r]persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way ^[s]to ^(v)Phoenicia and ^(w)Cyprus and ^(x)Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.

But there were some of them, men of ^(y)Cyprus and ^(z)Cyrene, who came to ^(aa)Antioch and began speaking to the ^[t](ab)Greeks also, ^[u](ac)preaching the Lord Jesus.

And ^(ad)the hand of the Lord was with them, and ^(ae)a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

The ^[v]news about them ^[w]reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent ^(af)Barnabas off ^[x]to ^(ag)Antioch.

Then when he arrived and ^[y]witnessed ^(ah)the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with ^[z]resolute heart to remain true to the Lord;

for he was a good man, and ^(ai)full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And ^(aj)considerable ^[aa]numbers were ^[ab]brought to the Lord.

And he left for ^(ak)Tarsus to look for Saul;

and when he had found him, he brought him to ^(al)Antioch. And for an entire year they ^[ac]met with the church and taught considerable ^[ad]numbers; and ^(am)the disciples were first called ^(an)Christians in ^(ao)Antioch.

Now ^[ae]at this time ^(ap)some prophets came down from Jerusalem to ^(aq)Antioch.

One of them named ^(ar)Agabus stood up and began to indicate ^[af]by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine ^(as)all over the ^[ag]world. ^[ah]And this took place in the reign of ^(at)Claudius.

And in the proportion that any of ^(au)the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the ^[ai]relief of ^(av)the brethren living in Judea.

^(aw)And this they did, sending it ^[aj]in charge of ^(ax)Barnabas and Saul to the ^(ay)elders.