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Acts 11

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Peter Defends Ministry to Gentiles 1–18

1
Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judæa heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ​
2
And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, ​
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saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. ​
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But Peter began, and expounded the matter unto them in order, saying, ​
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I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even unto me:
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upon which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw the fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of the heaven.
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And I heard also a voice saying unto me, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.
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But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth.
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But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.
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And this was done thrice: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
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And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we were, having been sent from Cæsarea unto me.
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And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man’s house: ​
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and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, Send to Joppa, and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter;
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who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house.
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And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning. ​
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And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit. ​
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If then God gave unto them the like gift as he did also unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God? ​
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And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. ​

The Gospel Spreads to Antioch 19–26

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They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only to Jews. ​
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But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ​
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And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord. ​
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And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch: ​
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who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and he exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord: ​
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for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
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And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul; ​
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and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. ​

Famine Relief Sent to Judea 27–30

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Now in these days there came down prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. ​
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And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius. ​
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And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judæa: ​
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which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 11

Verse 1

the Gentiles had also received the word of God — The news is of Cornelius's household (10:44–48). 'Received' is the verb used of Samaria in 8:14, 'Samaria had received the word of God', which likewise brought word to the apostles at Jerusalem. 'Also' sets the Gentiles beside the Jews and Samaritans who had already received it.

Verse 2

they that were of the circumcision — Jewish believers, as in 10:45, 'they of the circumcision which believed'. 'Contended' is diakrino, to make a distinction or dispute; the same verb is 'nothing doubting' in v.12 and 'put no difference' in 15:9. The dispute is over whether a difference is to be kept between Jew and Gentile.

Verse 3

didst eat with them — The charge concerns the table, not the preaching. Sunesthio, to eat together, is the verb of the complaint against Christ, 'This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them' (Luke 15:2), and of Peter's later withdrawal (Gal 2:12). The reason Peter went in is given in 10:28: God 'hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean'.

Verse 4

rehearsed the matter from the beginning — 'Rehearsed' is archomai, to begin: Peter starts at the start. 'By order' is kathexes, in sequence, the word Luke uses of his own Gospel, 'to write unto thee in order' (Luke 1:3). 'Expounded' (ektithemi) is to set out openly, and Peter brings witnesses to the account (v.12).

Verse 12

nothing doubting — Peter repeats the Spirit's word of 10:20, 'doubting nothing'. The verb is diakrino, to make a distinction, the same as 'contended' in v.2. 'These six brethren' came from Joppa (10:23); with Peter they make seven witnesses, where 'two witnesses, or… three witnesses' establish a matter (Deut 19:15).

Verse 15

as on us at the beginning — 'Fell on' is epipipto, the verb of 10:44, 'the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word'. 'The beginning' (arche) is Pentecost (2:1–4), when the Spirit first came on the believers. Peter sets the household's experience beside that day, with the same gift and no lesser one.

Verse 16

Then remembered I the word of the Lord — The saying is the Lord's promise before his ascension, 'ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence' (Acts 1:5), set against John's baptism with water. Peter reads the household's experience as that promise reaching the Gentiles.

Verse 17

what was I, that I could withstand God? — 'Like gift' is isos, equal: the same dorea as 'the gift of the Holy Ghost' (2:38), 'poured out' on the Gentiles in 10:45. 'Withstand' is koluo, to hinder, the verb of 10:47, 'Can any man forbid water', and of the eunuch's 'what doth hinder me to be baptized?' (8:36).

Verse 18

repentance unto life — 'Granted' is the verb of 'gave' in v.17 (didomi): the gift and the repentance are both God's giving. In 5:31 God exalted Christ 'to give repentance to Israel'; now it is given 'also to the Gentiles'. 'Held their peace' (hesuchazo) is to fall quiet; they 'glorified God'.

Verse 19

scattered abroad — Diaspeiro, to scatter throughout, occurs only here and in 8:1 and 8:4. The persecution after Stephen's death (8:1) sent the disciples out, and they 'went every where preaching the word' (8:4). Phenice, Cyprus and Antioch mark the road the word then took, still 'to none but unto the Jews only'.

Verse 20

spake unto the Grecians — Hellenistes, a Greek-speaking person, the word for the 'Grecians' of 6:1 and 9:29. Set against 'the Jews only' (v.19), men of Cyprus and Cyrene now bring them the news of 'the Lord Jesus' (euangelizo, to bring good tidings). Lucius of Cyrene is later named among the teachers at Antioch (13:1).

Verse 21

the hand of the Lord was with them — The same words are used of the child John in Luke 1:66, 'the hand of the Lord was with him', for the Lord's power at work. 'Turned' is epistrepho, as in 9:35, where the people of Lydda and Saron 'turned to the Lord'. The growth is credited to him, not to the speakers.

Verse 22

sent forth Barnabas — As the apostles had sent Peter and John when Samaria received the word (8:14), the church at Jerusalem now sends Barnabas. Exapostello is to send out. He had brought Saul to the apostles (9:27), and his name means 'The son of consolation' (4:36).

Verse 23

the grace of God — Barnabas 'had seen' it with his own eyes. 'Exhorted' is parakaleo, from the same root as paraklesis, 'consolation', in his name (4:36). 'Cleave unto' is prosmeno, to stay with, and 'purpose of heart' (prothesis) a settled resolve: the call is to continue in the Lord.

Verse 25

to seek Saul — Anazeteo, to search out, occurs elsewhere only in Luke 2:44, where the parents 'sought him' among kinsfolk. Saul had been sent to Tarsus (9:30) and had gone to the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Gal 1:21). Tarsus, 'a city in Cilicia' (21:39), was his home, and Barnabas goes there for him.

Verse 26

called Christians first in Antioch — Christianos, one belonging to Christ, occurs only here, in Agrippa's words (26:28) and in 1 Pet 4:16, 'if any man suffer as a Christian'. It follows 'a whole year' in which Barnabas and Saul 'taught much people'. The disciples are now named for the one they follow.

Verse 27

prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch — Prophets are among Christ's gifts to the church (Eph 4:11), set 'secondarily' after apostles (1 Cor 12:28). Antioch had its own prophets and teachers (13:1), and later Judas and Silas, 'prophets also themselves', exhorted the brethren there (15:32). The visit leads at once to Agabus (v.28).

Verse 28

signified by the Spirit — Semaino, to give a sign, is the verb of John 12:33, 'signifying what death he should die'. The Spirit speaks through Agabus, who appears again in 21:10–11 binding his own hands and feet with Paul's girdle. 'Dearth' (limos) is famine, and 'all the world' (oikoumene) is the inhabited world, as in Luke 2:1. Claudius is also named in 18:2.

Verse 29

every man according to his ability — Euporeo, to have means, occurs only here. 'Relief' is diakonia, service or ministry, the word for the daily ministration of 6:1. The standard is the one Paul gives in 2 Cor 8:12, 'according to that a man hath'; the Gentiles repay in 'carnal things' what they received in spiritual (Rom 15:27).

Verse 30

the elders — Presbuteros; this is the first time Acts names the elders of the Christian church (earlier ones are the Jewish elders of 4:5), and they appear again in 15:2 and 15:6. Paul and Barnabas later 'ordained them elders in every church' (14:23). The gift goes to them 'by the hands of Barnabas and Saul'.