Acts 11 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The apostles and brothers in Judea heard that foreigners had also accepted the word of God.
1 Ἤκουσαν δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ οἱ ὄντες κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ὅτι καὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἐδέξαντο τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.
2 When Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, those who believed circumcision was still essential argued with him.
2 καὶ ὅτε ἀνέβη Πέτρος εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, διεκρίνοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς
3 “You went into the homes of uncircumcised men, and ate with them,” they said.
3 λέγοντες ὅτι πρὸς ἄνδρας ἀκροβυστίαν ἔχοντας εἰσῆλθες καὶ συνέφαγες αὐτοῖς.
4 Peter began to explain to them everything that had happened.
4 ἀρξάμενος δὲ ὁ Πέτρος ἐξετίθετο αὐτοῖς καθεξῆς λέγων·
5 “While I was in the town of Joppa I was praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. Something that looked like a large sheet was being let down by its four corners from heaven, and it came down to me.
5 ἐγὼ ἤμην ἐν πόλει Ἰόππῃ προσευχόμενος, καὶ εἶδον ἐν ἐκστάσει ὅραμα, καταβαῖνον σκεῦός τι ὡς ὀθόνην μεγάλην τέσσαρσιν ἀρχαῖς καθιεμένην ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἦλθεν ἄχρις ἐμοῦ·
6 When I looked inside I saw animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds.
6 εἰς ἣν ἀτενίσας κατενόουν, καὶ εἶδον τὰ τετράποδα τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰ θηρία καὶ τὰ ἑρπετὰ καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
7 Then I heard a voice that told me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’
7 ἤκουσα δὲ φωνῆς λεγούσης μοι· ἀναστάς, Πέτρε, θῦσον καὶ φάγε.
8 But I replied, ‘Absolutely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth!’
8 εἶπον δέ· μηδαμῶς, Κύριε· ὅτι πᾶν κοινὸν ἢ ἀκάθαρτον οὐδέποτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου.
9 The voice from heaven spoke again, and said, ‘Don't you call unclean what God has made clean!’
9 ἀπεκρίθη δέ μοι φωνὴ ἐκ δευτέρου ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· ἃ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκαθάρισε σὺ μὴ κοίνου.
10 This happened three times, and then it was all taken back into heaven.
10 τοῦτο δὲ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ τρίς, καὶ πάλιν ἀνεσπάσθη ἅπαντα εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν.
11 At that very moment three men were standing in front of the house where we were staying. They had been sent from Caesarea to see me.
11 καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐξαυτῆς τρεῖς ἄνδρες ἐπέστησαν ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐν ᾗ ἤμην, ἀπεσταλμένοι ἀπὸ Καισαρείας πρός με.
12 The Spirit told me to go with them, and not to worry about who they were. These six brothers here also went with me, and we went into the man's house.
12 εἶπε δέ μοι τὸ Πνεῦμα συνελθεῖν αὐτοῖς μηδὲν διακρινόμενον. ἦλθον δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ καὶ οἱ ἓξ ἀδελφοὶ οὗτοι, καὶ εἰσήλθομεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀνδρός.
13 He explained to us how an angel had appeared to him in his house, who told him, ‘Send someone to Joppa, and fetch Simon, also called Peter,
13 ἀπήγγειλέ τε ἡμῖν πῶς εἶδε τὸν ἄγγελον ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ σταθέντα καὶ εἰπόντα αὐτῷ· ἀπόστειλον εἰς Ἰόππην ἄνδρας καὶ μετάπεμψαι Σίμωνα τὸν ἐπικαλούμενον Πέτρον,
14 who will tell you what you need to hear so you can be saved—you and your whole household.’
14 ὃς λαλήσει ῥήματα πρός σε, ἐν οἷς σωθήσῃ σὺ καὶ πᾶς ὁ οἶκός σου.
15 When I started speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as happened to us in the beginning.
15 ἐν δὲ τῷ ἄρξασθαί με λαλεῖν ἐπέπεσε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀρχῇ.
16 Then I remembered what the Lord said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
16 ἐμνήσθην δὲ τοῦ ῥήματος Κυρίου ὡς ἔλεγεν· Ἰωάννης μὲν ἐβάπτισεν ὕδατι, ὑμεῖς δὲ βαπτισθήσεσθε ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ.
17 Since God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, what power did I have to oppose God?”
17 εἰ οὖν τὴν ἴσην δωρεὰν ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ὡς καὶ ἡμῖν πιστεύσασιν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, ἐγὼ δὲ τίς ἤμην δυνατὸς κωλῦσαι τὸν Θεόν;
18 After they had heard this explanation, they didn't argue with him anymore, and praised God, saying, “Now God has granted the opportunity to repent and have eternal life to foreigners as well.”
18 ἀκούσαντες δὲ ταῦτα ἡσύχασαν καὶ ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν λέγοντες· ἄρα γε καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν ἔδωκεν εἰς ζωήν.
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that happened when Stephen was killed, traveled all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They only spread the good news among the Jews.
19 Οἱ μὲν οὖν διασπαρέντες ἀπὸ τῆς θλίψεως τῆς γενομένης ἐπὶ Στεφάνῳ διῆλθον ἕως Φοινίκης καὶ Κύπρου καὶ Ἀντιοχείας, μηδενὶ λαλοῦντες τὸν λόγον εἰ μὴ μόνον Ἰουδαίοις.
20 But when some of them who were from Cyprus and Cyrene arrived in Antioch, they shared the good news with the Greeks too, telling them about the Lord Jesus.
20 Ἦσαν δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες Κύπριοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι, οἵτινες εἰσελθόντες εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν ἐλάλουν πρὸς τοὺς Ἑλληνιστάς, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν.
21 The power of the Lord was with them and a large number trusted in the Lord and turned to him.
21 καὶ ἦν χεὶρ Κυρίου μετ᾽ αὐτῶν, πολύς τε ἀριθμὸς πιστεύσας ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον.
22 News about what had happened reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
22 Ἠκούσθη δὲ ὁ λόγος εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις περὶ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν Βαρνάβαν διελθεῖν ἕως Ἀντιοχείας·
23 When he arrived and saw for himself how God's grace was working, he was delighted. He encouraged all of them to completely dedicate themselves to God and to stay true.
23 ὃς παραγενόμενος καὶ ἰδὼν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐχάρη, καὶ παρεκάλει πάντας τῇ προθέσει τῆς καρδίας προσμένειν τῷ Κυρίῳ,
24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit, who put his whole trust in God. Many people were brought to the Lord.
24 ὅτι ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς καὶ πλήρης Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ πίστεως· καὶ προσετέθη ὄχλος ἱκανὸς τῷ Κυρίῳ.
25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul,
25 ἐξῆλθε δὲ εἰς Ταρσὸν ὁ Βαρνάβας ἀναζητῆσαι Σαῦλον, καὶ εὑρὼν αὐτὸν ἤγαγεν [αὐτὸν] εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν.
26 and when he found him, he took Saul back with him to Antioch. Over the course of the next year they worked together with the church, teaching the message to crowds of people. It was in Antioch that the believers were first called “Christians.”
26 ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐνιαυτὸν ὅλον συναχθῆναι [ἐν] τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ διδάξαι ὄχλον ἱκανόν, χρηματίσαι τε πρῶτον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ τοὺς μαθητὰς Χριστιανούς.
27 It was during this time that some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch.
27 Ἐν ταύταις δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις κατῆλθον ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων προφῆται εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν·
28 One of them called Agabus stood up and gave a prophetic warning by the Spirit that there would be a terrible famine that would affect the known world. (This came true in the reign of Emperor Claudius.)
28 ἀναστὰς δὲ εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν ὀνόματι Ἄγαβος ἐσήμανε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος λιμὸν μέγαν μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην· ὅστις καὶ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ Κλαυδίου Καίσαρος.
29 The believers decided to send funds to help the brothers that lived in Judea, with everyone giving according to what they had.
29 τῶν δὲ μαθητῶν καθὼς ηὐπορεῖτό τις, ὥρισαν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν εἰς διακονίαν πέμψαι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ἀδελφοῖς·
30 So they did this and sent the money with Barnabas and Saul to the church leaders there.
30 ὃ καὶ ἐποίησαν ἀποστείλαντες πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους διὰ χειρὸς Βαρνάβα καὶ Σαύλου.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Agabus
A prophet who foretold a great famine in the days of Claudius and later bound his feet and hands with Paul's belt to predict Paul's arrest at Jerusalem.
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:28; Acts 21:10
Barnabas
A Levite from Cyprus named Joseph and nicknamed Barnabas, 'son of encouragement,' who sold a field for the church, brought Saul to the apostles, and traveled with him as a…
Cited in the guide: Acts 4:36; Acts 9:27; Acts 11:22
Claudius
The emperor in whose reign the great famine predicted by Agabus occurred; he ordered all Jews to leave Rome, which brought Aquila and Priscilla to Corinth.
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:28; Acts 18:2
Places
Antioch (Syrian)
The empire's third-largest city and the first major Gentile church — the launching base for Paul's journeys. (Distinct from Pisidian Antioch.)
Cited in the guide: Acts 11:26; Acts 13:1-3; Galatians 2:11
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 22:27; Malachi 1:11; Romans 15:7–12; Isaiah 32:15; Acts 14:27
- 2 Acts 10:45; Acts 15:1; Galatians 2:12–14; Acts 21:20–23; Acts 10:9
- 3 Acts 10:28; Galatians 2:12; Luke 15:2; Acts 10:23; 1 Corinthians 5:11
- 4 Luke 1:3; Acts 14:27; Joshua 22:21–31; Proverbs 15:1
- 5 Acts 10:9–32; Amos 8:2; Acts 22:17; Amos 7:4–7; Acts 9:10
- 6 Luke 4:20; Acts 3:4
- 8 Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Hosea 9:3; Leviticus 10:10; Leviticus 11:47
- 9 Acts 15:9; Hebrews 9:13–14; Acts 10:34–35; Acts 10:28; 1 Timothy 4:5
- 10 John 13:38; John 21:17; Numbers 24:10; 2 Corinthians 12:8
- 11 Acts 9:10–12; Exodus 4:27; Exodus 4:14; Acts 10:17–18
- 12 Acts 8:29; Romans 3:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; Acts 10:23; Acts 10:45
- 13 Acts 10:30–32; Acts 10:22; Acts 9:43; Acts 10:3–6; Acts 12:11
- 14 Acts 16:15; Acts 10:22; Acts 16:31–34; Acts 10:2; Genesis 17:7
- 15 Acts 19:6; Acts 10:34–46; Acts 2:2–12; Acts 4:31
- 16 Acts 1:5; Mark 1:8; Proverbs 1:23; Luke 3:16; Matthew 3:11
- 17 Acts 10:47; Romans 9:20–26; Romans 11:34–36; Job 33:13; Acts 15:8–9
- 18 Romans 10:12–13; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Acts 20:21
- 19 Acts 15:35; Acts 15:3; Acts 21:2; Acts 4:36; Acts 15:22
- 20 Acts 13:1; Matthew 27:32; Ephesians 3:8; Acts 6:9; Acts 2:10
- 21 Acts 2:47; Luke 1:66; Acts 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Acts 9:35
- 22 Acts 9:27; Acts 15:22; Acts 8:14; Acts 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 3:6
- 23 1 Corinthians 15:58; Acts 14:22; 1 John 2:28; Acts 13:43; 2 Timothy 3:10
- 24 Acts 5:14; Acts 11:21; Psalm 112:5; Acts 9:31; Acts 6:5
- 25 Acts 9:11; Acts 9:30; Acts 9:27; Acts 21:39
- 26 1 Peter 4:16; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:14; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12
- 27 Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11; Matthew 23:34; Acts 15:32
- 28 Acts 21:10; Acts 18:2; Luke 2:1; Luke 3:1; 1 Kings 17:1–16
- 29 2 Corinthians 8:12–14; 2 Corinthians 8:2–4; Galatians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; Romans 15:25–27
- 30 Acts 12:25; Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:17; Acts 15:6; Acts 15:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The persecution turned out to be no slight benefit as "to them that love God all things work together for good." (Rom. viii. 28.) If they had made it their express study how best to establish the Church, they would have done no other thing than this--they dispersed the teachers. Mark in what quarters the preaching was extended.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
Then the disciples, every one according to his ability, determined to send relief to the elders for the brethren which dwelt in Judæa, which also they did by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." And in the case of the necessaries presented to him, wherewith the same Apostle Paul when setting sail was laden, food seems to have been furnished …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
And ye, when there is a question of precedence, claim to take place of the whole word, forasmuch as our city first crowned itself with the name of Christian; but in the competition of chastity, ye are not ashamed to be behind the rudest cities.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians after the Lord's ascension, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: and certain houses were afterwards called by the new names of hospices and monasteries; but the things themselves existed prior to their names, and are confirmed by religious truth, which also forms their defense against …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
For although the disciples of Christ were not yet called by such a name,--because it was after His ascension, in Antioch, first that the disciples began to be called Christians, --yet the thing itself, that afterwards assumed such a name, already existed, those who were afterwards called Christians were already disciples; and this common name, like the common faith, they …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)