Actschapter 11

A.Peter Explains Himself to Jerusalemvv. 1-18

1 The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him 3 and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me. 6 I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’ 8 ‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven. 11 Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, as He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?” 18 When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

B.Antioch: Where They Were First Called Christiansvv. 19-26

19 Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews. 20 But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.

C.Agabus Foretells Famine and Relief Is Sentvv. 27-30

27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.) 29 So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Peter's Jerusalem report.

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Peter's Jerusalem report. Controversy settled: 'then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.' The church at Antioch; the disciples first called Christians. Barnabas fetches Saul from Tarsus.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

History · Luke — Acts overview

A. 1–18 Peter Explains Himself to Jerusalem
B. 19–26 Antioch: Where They Were First Called Christians
C. 27–30 Agabus Foretells Famine and Relief Is Sent

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Acts 108 verses
- Acts 10:9The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
- Acts 10:17While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
- Acts 10:22“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
- Acts 10:28He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
- Acts 10:30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
- Acts 10:34Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
- Read Acts 10: 2 more there →
Acts 155 verses
- Acts 15:3Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
- Acts 15:8And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
- Acts 15:9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
- Acts 15:22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
- Acts 15:35But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
- Read Acts 15 →
Acts 94 verses
- Acts 9:10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
- Acts 9:11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.
- Acts 9:27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
- Acts 9:30When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
- Read Acts 9 →
Acts 23 verses
- Acts 2:2Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- Acts 2:10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,
- Acts 2:47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Read Acts 2 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Acts 132 verses
- Acts 13:1Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
- Acts 13:43After the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
- Read Acts 13 →
Galatians 22 verses
- Galatians 2:10They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
- Galatians 2:12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.
- Read Galatians 2 →
Luke 12 verses
- Luke 1:3Therefore, having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
- Luke 1:66And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
- Read Luke 1 →
Acts 162 verses
- Acts 16:15And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
- Acts 16:31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
- Read Acts 16 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.