The Word Made Fresh
1The apostles and other believers who were in Judea heard that Gentiles had also accepted God’s word. 2So, when Peter went to Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 3They said, “Why did you go and dine with uncircumcised men?”
4Peter told them in detail what had happened. He said, 5“I was in Joppa praying when I entered a trance and saw a vision. Something that looked like a large sheet came down from above, lowered by its four corners. It came directly to me. 6I looked at what was in it, and saw four-legged animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds. 7I heard a voice saying, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’ 8But I said, ‘No, Lord! I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’ 9The voice said, ‘Don’t call anything unclean that God has made.’ 10This happened three times, and then it was all taken up above. 11At that moment three men arrived at the house were I was staying, saying they were sent from Caesarea. 12The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitating. These six brothers also went with me, and we went into the house of the man who sent them. 13He told us he had seen an angel standing before him, who said, ‘Send some men to Joppa to bring Simon, who is called Peter. 14He will tell you how you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15When I began to speak to them the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had fallen upon us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered how the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17So, if God gave them the same gift that was given to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand against God?”
18Hearing this, they were silenced, and began praising God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles repentance that leads to life.”
19Those followers who had scattered during the persecution that took place when Stephen was stoned traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, and they gave their witness only to Jews. 20But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene who also came to Antioch and proclaimed the Lord Jesus to the Greeks as well. 21The Lord was with them, and a number of the Greeks became believers and turned to the Lord. 22The church in Jerusalem heard about it and sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he saw the grace of God at work there he was delighted, and encouraged all of them to remain steadfast and faithful to the Lord. 24He was a good man who was obviously faithful and filled with the Holy Spirit, and a great number of people became believers.
25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul, 26and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were with the church and taught the people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians.
27During that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, Agabus, predicted a world-wide famine. It took place during the reign of Claudius. 29The disciples decided that they would send relief, as much as they could, to the followers who lived in Judea. 30They sent it with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders there.
Commentary
1-18: Peter must give an account of his activities to the other apostles in Jerusalem. He tells the story of the vision and the ensuing encounter he had with Cornelius and others in Joppa which we read about in chapter 10, without embellishment. The others rejoice to hear it and accept the fact that God has decided that Gentiles must be included in “the repentance that leads to life.”
19-26: The faith continues to spread because of, not in spite of, the persecutions; north to Phoenicia and Antioch, and out to the island of Cyprus at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It had also spread to the coast of Africa where Cyrene of Libya is located (remember Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus’ cross — see Mark 15:21). Some believers have come to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene and begin telling the story of Jesus to non-Jews with great success. The folks down in Jerusalem got wind of it and sent Barnabas to investigate. Barnabas, you will recall, was first mentioned as one of those who sold his property and gave the proceeds to the apostles soon after the Day of Pentecost (see 4:36-37). He also was the one who introduced Saul to the apostles in Jerusalem (see 9:27). Barnabas is an encourager, not an investigator, and he tells them to keep up the good work, then goes to Tarsus to look for Saul (who had been sent there because of the opposition he had stirred up in Jerusalem (see 9:30), and brings him back to Antioch where they will stay for a year teaching and making converts. The tag “Christian” is first used in Antioch, and it stuck.
27-30: Agabus is mentioned only here and at 21:10-11. It is by no means certain that they are the same person although many scholars believe that they must be. In any case, in both passages he predicts something that is about to happen; in this case a famine which will afflict the whole (Mediterranean) world during the reign of Claudius (41-54 A.D.). An offering is gathered, and Barnabas and Saul are designated as couriers to carry it to Jerusalem.
Takeaway
God did an extraordinary thing by sending Jesus to teach us and to die for us and to rise for us. God is still doing extraordinary things by using ordinary people like you and me to continue to tell the story and live the life of a disciple.