The Early Church

but God raised him up on the third day and let him be seen,

not by all the people, but by witnesses God had previously chosen, that is, by us, who ate and drank with him after he had risen again from the dead.

“Then he commanded us to proclaim and attest to the Jewish people that this man has been appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.

All the prophets bear witness to him, that everyone who puts his trust in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Kefa was still saying these things when the Ruach HaKodesh fell on all who were hearing the message.

All the believers from the Circumcision faction who had accompanied Kefa were amazed that the gift of the Ruach HaKodesh was also being poured out

on the Goyim, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Kefa’s response was,

“Is anyone prepared to prohibit these people from being immersed in water? After all, they have received the Ruach HaKodesh, just as we did.”

And he ordered that they be immersed in the name of Yeshua the Messiah. Then they asked Kefa to stay on with them for a few days.

The emissaries and the brothers throughout Y’hudah heard that the Goyim had received the word of God;

but when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, the members of the Circumcision faction criticized him,

saying, “You went into the homes of uncircumcised men and even ate with them!”

In reply, Kefa began explaining in detail what had actually happened:

“I was in the city of Yafo, praying; and in a trance I had a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came down to me.

I looked inside and saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, crawling creatures and wild birds.

Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Kefa, slaughter and eat!’

I said, ‘No, sir! Absolutely not! Nothing unclean or treif has ever entered my mouth!’

But the voice spoke again from heaven: ‘Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.’

This happened three times, and then everything was pulled back up into heaven.

“At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying;

and the Spirit told me to have no misgivings about going back with them. These six brothers also came with me, and we went into the man’s house.

He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Yafo and bring back Shim‘on, known as Kefa.

He has a message for you which will enable you and your whole household to be saved.’

“But I had hardly begun speaking when the Ruach HaKodesh fell on them, just as on us at the beginning!

And I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘Yochanan used to immerse people in water, but you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh.’