Acts 11King James Version (KJV)
11 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the LordJesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Commentary
Reaction of the Jerusalem church (11:1-18)
Many in the Jerusalem church criticized Peter for what had happened in the house of Cornelius. Their minds were so moulded by Jewish thinking that they could think of Christianity only as an improved form of Judaism. They were pleased when Gentile proselytes or God-fearers accepted Jewish ways, but they were not pleased when people of any nationality entered the community of God’s people without any thought for the Jewish laws concerning foods, cleansing and circumcision (11:1-3).
Peter therefore explained to his critics how God had corrected his prejudice against the Gentiles (4- 14) and how the Gentiles had received all God’s blessings on the same basis as the Jews (15-17).
Although they accepted Peter’s explanation and praised God (18), they were not fully convinced, and soon trouble broke out again (see 15:1,5).
A new work in Antioch (11:19-26)
While the apostles and others were spreading the gospel in various places, an interesting work grew up in Antioch in Syria. Some Christians who had been scattered from Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s death preached among the Greek population of Antioch and many believed (19-21). When the leaders of the Jerusalem church heard this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. This was a wise choice, for Barnabas was from nearby Cyprus and had a much broader outlook than those Jews who had never been outside Judea. He had the ability to understand and help the new converts, and under his wise guidance the church grew rapidly (22-24).
Within a short time there was more work than Barnabas himself could manage. He wanted a helper, but the person had to be of the right sort. Therefore, he did not go back to Jerusalem to look for help, but went to Tarsus to get Saul. The last mention of Saul in the story was ten years earlier (see note following 11:30), and now he returned with Barnabas to help the Antioch church. For the next year they preached and taught, among Christians and non-Christians, with the result that the church grew even more (25-26).
The language spoken in Antioch was Greek. Consequently, when the disciples spoke about Jesus, instead of using the Hebrew word ‘Messiah’ they used the equivalent Greek word ‘Christ’. The local citizens heard the disciples use this word continually and, although it had no significance for them, it gave them an easy name by which to identify this group of religious people – ‘Christ’s people’ or ‘Christians’. Elsewhere in Acts, Christians are called believers, disciples, followers, brothers and saints (or God’s holy people) (see 5:14; 9:1,32; 11:1). To the Jews they were known as Nazarenes (see 24:5).
Fellowship between churches (11:27-30)
Towards the end of Barnabas and Saul’s year in Antioch, some prophets from Jerusalem visited the Antioch church. One of them warned of a coming famine that would bring much suffering to the believers
in Jerusalem. The Antioch believers (who were Gentiles) demonstrated the meaning of true fellowship by sacrificing their own money and goods to help their troubled Jewish brothers (27-29). The offering was taken to Jerusalem by Barnabas, Saul and Titus (30; Gal 2:1).
This was only Saul’s second visit to Jerusalem since he had become a Christian fourteen years earlier. His first visit was three years after his conversion (Gal 1:18; Acts 9:26-30). The only certain knowledge we have of the other eleven years concerns the last year, which he spent with Barnabas in Antioch (v. 26). Now, with Barnabas, he went from Antioch to Jerusalem (v. 30; see Gal 2:1). While in Jerusalem they met the leading apostles, Peter, John and James the Lord’s brother, who reassured them that their work among the Gentiles had the full support of the Jerusalem leaders (Gal 2:9-10). Barnabas and Saul then returned to Antioch (Acts 12:25).
Prophets
In biblical language, prophets were spokesmen for God, preachers who brought God’s message to the people of their time (Ezek 3:4,27; Hag 1:13). They were not primarily predictors (which is the usual meaning in everyday speech today), though in urging people to turn from sin they may have foretold the blessings or judgments that would follow their obedience or disobedience (Isa 1:18-20; Jer 17:7-10). In Old Testament times the prophets were Israel’s great preachers, and John the Baptist continued the line of prophet-preachers into the New Testament era (Matt 11:13-14; Luke 3:3-7,16-18).
When Jesus established the new community of God’s people, the Christian church, he appointed that prophets have a part to play in the church’s life. Like apostles, they were one of his gifts to help the growth of the church (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). Also, like apostles, they became less necessary as the authoritative Christian teaching became increasingly available in written form. It seems that they were not needed after the first century. They were Christ’s special provision to ensure that the early church was built on a proper foundation and in accordance with God’s plan (Eph 2:20; 3:4-6).
Prophets sometimes gave special directions in particular situations (Acts 11:27-30; 13:1; 21:9-11), though their main ministry was the steady teaching of God’s message to build up the believers (Acts 15:32; 1 Cor 14:3-5,31). They may have received messages direct from God (1 Cor 14:6; Rev 1:1-3) and may have preached without preparation (1 Cor 14:29-31). But they were still responsible for what they said and for the control they exercised over themselves (1 Cor 14:32). Likewise the hearers were responsible to examine what was said and not to accept anything without testing it first (1 Cor 14:29;
1 Thess 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1; 2 John 10).
In exceptional circumstances, people who were not recognized prophets in the church may have prophesied (Acts 19:6). Because this increased the possibility of false prophets, God gave to certain Christians the ability to discern more readily the difference between the true and the false (Matt 7:15; 24:24; 1 Cor 12:10; Rev 2:20).