1 ARST The apostles and other believers who lived in various towns in the province of Judea heard that some non- Jewish people had also believed the message of God about Jesus. BSB BSB: The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
2 ARST But there were some Jewish believers in Jerusalem who{ followed the teaching of the Pharisees and} believed that Jews should not associate with non- Jews. When Peter came back from Caesarea to Jerusalem, they met with him and criticized him. BSB BSB: So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him
3 ARST They said to him,“Not only was it wrong for you to go into the home of someone who was not Jewish, you even ate there!” BSB BSB: and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 ARST So Peter told them exactly what had happened. BSB BSB: But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events:
5 ARST He said,“I was praying{ by myself} in the city of Joppa, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, suspended by its four corners. It came down to where I was. BSB BSB: “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 ARST As I was gazing at it, I looked closely and I saw some tame animals and also some wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds. BSB BSB: I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.
7 ARST Then I heard a voice commanding me,‘Go ahead, Peter, kill some and eat them!’ BSB BSB: Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’
8 ARST But I replied,‘Lord, surely not! I have never eaten anything that our laws say we must not eat!’ BSB BSB: ‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 ARST The voice spoke to me from heaven a second time:‘I am God, so if I have made something acceptable to eat, do not say it is unacceptable.’ BSB BSB: But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
10 ARST This same thing happened two more times. Then the sheet with all those animals and birds went back up into heaven. BSB BSB: This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.
11 ARST At that exact moment, three men arrived at the house where I was staying. Their master had sent them to bring me to Caesarea. BSB BSB: Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.
12 ARST God’ s Spirit told me that I should not hesitate to go with them even though they were not Jews. Six Jewish believers went with me to Caesarea. We went into the house of the man who had sent for me. BSB BSB: The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home.
14 ARST He will tell you how God will save you and everyone else in your house.’ BSB BSB: He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 ARST While I was speaking to them, the Holy Spirit suddenly came to them just as he came to us during the Pentecost festival. BSB BSB: As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.
16 ARST Then I remembered what Jesus had said:‘John baptized you with water, but God will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’ BSB BSB: Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
17 ARST God gave us the Holy Spirit when we believed in the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. God gave those non- Jews the same Holy Spirit. So I had to cooperate with what God was doing{ and baptize them}.” BSB BSB: 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 ARST After those Jewish believers heard what Peter said, they stopped criticizing him. Instead, they praised God. They said,“It is clear that God has accepted non- Jews so they too can have everlasting life if they turn from their sinful behavior.” BSB BSB: When they heard this, they had no further objections, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
19 ARST After Stephen died, people started persecuting the other believers in Jerusalem. So many of them left and went to other places. Some of them went to the land of Phoenicia. Some went to the island of Cyprus. Others went to the city of Antioch in Syria. In those places. they told people the good news about Jesus. But most of them told only other Jewish people. BSB BSB: Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.
21 ARST The Lord God was powerfully enabling those believers to preach effectively. As a result, very many non- Jewish people believed their message and trusted in Jesus. BSB BSB: The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 ARST The group of believers in Jerusalem learned that many people in Antioch were believing in Jesus. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch{ to teach and encourage the new believers}. BSB BSB: When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 ARST When Barnabas got to Antioch, he recognized that God had acted kindly toward the people there. This made him very happy. He encouraged all of the new believers to continue to trust in the Lord Jesus completely. BSB BSB: 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 ARST Barnabas was a good man whom the Holy Spirit completely controlled. He trusted God completely. Because of what Barnabas did, many more people in Antioch believed in Jesus. BSB BSB: Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
25 ARST Then Barnabas left Antioch and went to the city of Tarsus in the province of Cilicia to look for Saul. BSB BSB: Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 ARST After Barnabas found Saul, he brought him back to Antioch to help teach the believers there. Barnabas and Saul met regularly with the church there for a whole year. They taught large numbers of people about Jesus. The people of Antioch were the first people who called the disciples of Jesus“Christians.” BSB BSB: 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.
27 ARST During the time that Barnabas and Saul were in Antioch, some believers who were prophets came there from Jerusalem. BSB BSB: In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 ARST One of them whose name was Agabus stood up{ in order to speak}. God’ s Spirit enabled him to prophesy that there would soon be a severe shortage of food in many countries.(This shortage happened when Claudius was the Roman emperor.) BSB BSB: 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 ARST { When the believers there heard what Agabus said,} they decided that they would send money to help the believers who lived in Judea. Each of them decided to give as much money as he was able to give. BSB BSB: So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
30 ARST They sent the money with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders of the believers in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.