Acts 11:1-18

New Century Version

Peter Returns to Jerusalem

11 The apostles and the believers in Judea heard that some who were not Jewish had accepted God’s teaching too. ² But when Peter came to Jerusalem, some people argued with him. ³ They said, “You went into the homes of people who are not circumcised and ate with them!”

⁴ So Peter explained the whole story to them. ⁵ He said, “I was in the city of Joppa, and while I was praying, I had a vision. I saw something that looked like a big sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came very close to me. ⁶ I looked inside it and saw animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. ⁷ I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘No, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is unholy or unclean.’ ⁹ But the voice from heaven spoke again, ‘God has made these things clean, so don’t call them unholy.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back to heaven. ¹¹ Right then three men who were sent to me from Caesarea came to the house where I was staying. ¹² The Spirit told me to go with them without doubting. These six believers here also went with me, and we entered the house of Cornelius. ¹³ He told us about the angel he saw standing in his house. The angel said to him, ‘Send some men to Joppa and invite Simon Peter to come. ¹⁴ By the words he will say to you, you and all your family will be saved.’ ¹⁵ When I began my speech, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he came on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered the words of the Lord. He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ Since God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stop the work of God?”

¹⁸ When the believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing even other nations to turn to him and live.”