Acts 11
1 And the apostles and the brothers who are in Judea heard that the nations also received the word of God,
The apostles and [other] believers who lived in various towns in Judea [province] heard people say that [some] non-Jewish people had believed the message [from] God [about Jesus].
2 and when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of circumcision were contending with him,
So when Peter [and the six other believers] returned [from Caesarea] to Jerusalem, [some] Jewish believers criticized Peter, [because they thought that Jews should not associate with non-Jews] [MTY].
3 saying, “You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!”
They said to him, “Not only was it wrong for you(sg) to visit non-Jewish people, you [even] ate with them!”
4 And Peter having begun, set [it] forth to them in order, saying,
So Peter began to explain exactly [what had happened concerning Cornelius].
5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel coming down, as a great sheet by four corners being let down out of Heaven, and it came to me;
He said, “I was praying [by myself] in Joppa [town], and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw that something like a large sheet was being lowered from heaven. [It was tied with ropes] at its four corners, and it came down to where I was.
6 at which having looked steadfastly, I was considering, and I saw the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky;
As I was looking intently into it, I saw some tame animals [but also animals that our laws forbid us to eat, including] wild animals, snakes, and wild birds.
7 and I heard a voice saying to me, Having risen, Peter, slay and eat;
Then I heard God [MTY] commanding me, ‘Peter, get up, kill [some of these], and [cook and] eat [their meat]!’
8 and I said, Not so, Lord, because anything common or unclean has at no time entered into my mouth;
But I replied, ‘Lord, [you(sg)] surely do not [really want me to do that], because I have never eaten [MTY] meat [from any animal] that [our laws say] that we [(exc)] must not eat [SYN]!’
9 and a voice answered me a second time out of Heaven, What God cleansed, you do not declare common.
God spoke from heaven [to me] a second time, ‘[I am] God, [so] if I have made something acceptable [to eat], do not say that it is not acceptable [to eat]!’
10 And this happened three times, and again was all drawn up to Heaven,
Then [after that happened three times, the sheet with] all [those animals and birds] was pulled up into heaven again.”
11 and behold, immediately, three men stood at the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me,
“At that exact moment, three men who had been {whom [Cornelius] had} sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying.
12 and the Spirit said to me to go with them, doubting nothing, and these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man,
[God’s] Spirit told me that I should be willing to go with them [even though they were not Jews]. These six [Jewish] believers [from Joppa] went with me [to Caesarea], and then we [(exc)] went into that [non-Jewish] man’s house.
13 he also declared to us how he saw the messenger standing in his house, and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter,
He told us that he had seen an angel standing in his house. The angel told him, ‘Tell some [men] to go to Joppa and bring back Simon whose other name is Peter.
14 who will speak sayings by which you will be saved, you and all your house.
He will tell you [(sg)] how you and everyone [MTY] else in your house will be saved {how [God] will save you and everyone [MTY] else in your house}.’
15 And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as also on us in the beginning,
After I started to speak, the Holy Spirit [suddenly] came down on them, just like he had first [MTY] come on us [during the Pentecost festival].
16 and I remembered the saying of the LORD, how He said, John indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit;
Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John caused people to be baptized in water, but [God] will cause the Holy Spirit [to enter you and change your lives.’]
17 if then God gave to them the equal gift as also to us, having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, I—how was I able to withstand God?”
God gave those non-Jews the same Holy Spirit that he had given to us [(inc)] after we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So, ([I] could not [possibly] tell God that he did wrong [when he gave them the Holy Spirit!]/how could I [tell] God that he did wrong [when he gave them the Holy Spirit]?) [RHQ] [He was showing that he had received them]!”
18 And they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, “Then, indeed, God also gave conversion to life to the nations.”
After [those Jewish believers] heard what Peter said, they stopped criticizing [him. Instead], they praised God, saying, “Then it is [clear to us that] God has also accepted the non-Jews so that they will have eternal life, if they turn from their sinful behavior [and believe in Jesus]!”
19 Those, indeed, therefore, having been scattered abroad, from the tribulation that came after Stephen, went through to Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none except to Jews only;
After [people had killed] Stephen, many of the believers left [Jerusalem and went] to other places, because people were causing them to suffer [there in Jerusalem. Some of] them went to Phoenicia [region], some went to Cyprus [Island], and others went to Antioch [city in Syria province. In those places] they were continually telling people the message [about Jesus], but they told only other Jewish people.
20 and there were certain of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having entered into Antioch, were speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming good news—the Lord Jesus,
Some of the believers were men from Cyprus and from Cyrene [city in north Africa]. They went to Antioch, and [although they told other Jews about] the Lord Jesus, they also told non-Jewish people [there].
21 and the hand of the LORD was with them, a great number also, having believed, turned to the LORD.
The Lord [God] [MTY] was powerfully enabling those [believers to preach effectively. As a result], very many [non-Jewish] people believed [their message and] trusted in the Lord [Jesus].
22 And the account was heard in the ears of the assembly that [is] in Jerusalem concerning them, and they sent forth Barnabas to go through to Antioch,
The group of believers in Jerusalem heard [MTY] [people say that many people in Antioch were believing in Jesus. So] the [leaders] of the congregation in [Jerusalem] asked Barnabas to go to Antioch.
23 who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, was glad, and was exhorting all with purpose of heart to cleave to the LORD,
When he got [there], he realized that God had acted kindly toward [the believers. So] he was very happy, and he continually encouraged all of the [believers] to continue to trust completely in the Lord [Jesus].
24 because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, and a great multitude was added to the LORD.
Barnabas was a good man [whom] the Holy Spirit completely controlled, one who trusted [God] completely. [Because of what Barnabas did], many people [there] believed in the Lord [Jesus].
25 And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul,
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus [in Cilicia province to try] to find Saul.
26 and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they assembled together a whole year in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
After he found him, Barnabas brought him [back to] Antioch [to help teach the believers. So during] a whole year [Barnabas and Saul] met [regularly] with the congregation [there] and taught many of them [about Jesus. It was] at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians {[that people] first called the believers Christians}.
27 And in those days there came from Jerusalem prophets to Antioch,
During the time [that Barnabas and Saul were] at Antioch, some [believers who were] prophets arrived there from Jerusalem.
28 and one of them, by name Agabus, having stood up, signified through the Spirit a great scarcity is about to be throughout all the world—which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar—
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 famine in many countries/that [people] in many countries [HYP] would soon [suffer because they] would not have enough [food] to eat). (That famine happened when Claudius was the [Roman Emperor].)
29 and the disciples, according as anyone was prospering, determined each of them to send for ministry to the brothers dwelling in Judea,
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].
30 which also they did, having sent to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
They sent [the money] with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders of the congregation [in Jerusalem].
