BBE - Acts - 11

11:1  Now the Apostles and the brothers who were in Judaea had news that the word of God had been given to the Gentiles.

11:2  And when Peter came to Jerusalem, those who kept the rule of circumcision had an argument with him,

11:3  Saying, You went to men without circumcision, and took food with them.

11:4  But Peter gave them an account of it all in order, saying to them,

11:5  I was in the town of Joppa, at prayer: and falling into a deep sleep, I saw in a vision a vessel like a great cloth let down from heaven, and it came down to me:

11:6  And looking on it with attention I saw in it all sorts of beasts and birds.

11:7  And a voice came to my ears saying, Come, Peter; take them for food.

11:8  But I said, No, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever come into my mouth.

11:9  But the voice, coming a second time from heaven, said, What God has made clean, do not you make common.

11:10  And this was done three times, and they were all taken up again into heaven.

11:11  And at that minute, three men, sent from Caesarea, came to the house where we were.

11:12  And the Spirit gave me orders to go with them, doubting nothing. And these six brothers came with me; and we went into that man's house:

11:13  And he gave us an account of how he had seen the angel in his house, saying, Send to Joppa, and get Simon, named Peter, to come to you;

11:14  Who will say words to you through which you and all your family may get salvation.

11:15  And, while I was talking to them, the Holy Spirit came on them, as on us at first.

11:16  And the words of the Lord came into my mind, how he said, The baptism of John was with water, but you will have baptism with the Holy Spirit.

11:17  If then God gave them, when they had faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the same as he gave to us, who was I to go against God?

11:18  And hearing these things they said nothing more, but gave glory to God, saying, Then to the Gentiles as to us has God given a change of heart, so that they may have life.

11:19  Then those who had gone away at the time of the trouble about Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus, preaching to the Jews only.

11:20  But some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, when they came to Antioch, gave the good news about the Lord Jesus to the Greeks.

11:21  And the power of the Lord was with them, and a great number had faith and were turned to the Lord.

11:22  And news of them came to the ears of the church at Jerusalem: and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch:

11:23  Who, when he came and saw the grace of God, was glad; and he made clear to them the need of keeping near the Lord with all the strength of their hearts:

11:24  For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and a great number were joined to the Lord.

11:25  Then he went on to Tarsus, looking for Saul;

11:26  And when he had come across him, he took him to Antioch. And they were with the church there for a year, teaching the people; and the disciples were first given the name of Christians in Antioch.

11:27  Now in those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

11:28  And one of them, named Agabus, said publicly through the Spirit that there would be serious need of food all over the earth: which came about in the time of Claudius.

11:29  And the disciples, everyone as he was able, made a decision to send help to the brothers living in Judaea:

11:30  Which they did, sending it to the rulers of the church by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.