⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^(A) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^(B) even on Gentiles.^(C)

Peter Explains His Actions

11 The apostles and the believers^(A) throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.^{(B) 2} So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers^(C) criticized him ³ and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”^(D)

⁴ Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.^(E) I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. ⁶ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. ⁷ Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

⁸ “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

⁹ “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’^{(F) 10} This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

¹¹ “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea^(G) stopped at the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told^(H) me to have no hesitation about going with them.^(I) These six brothers^(J) also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel^(K) appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. ¹⁴ He will bring you a message^(L) through which you and all your household^(M) will be saved.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on^(N) them as he had come on us at the beginning.^{(O) 16} Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with^[a] water,^(P) but you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.’^{(Q) 17} So if God gave them the same gift^(R) he gave us^(S) who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”^(T)

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,^(A) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work^(B) to which I have called them.”^(C)

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first.^(A) Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^{(B) 47} For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord;^(E) and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

²⁷ On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them^(A) and how he had opened a door^(B) of faith to the Gentiles.

⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.^{(A) 8} God, who knows the heart,^(B) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,^(C) just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them,^(D) for he purified their hearts by faith.^(E)

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders^(A) God had done among the Gentiles through them.^{(B) 13} When they finished, James^(C) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.