Peter's Report to the Church at Jerusalem

111 The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard about it - heard that the non-Jewish "outsiders" were now "in." 2 When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: 3 "What do you think you're doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?" 4 So Peter, starting from the beginning, laid it out for them step-by-step: 5 "Recently I was in the town of Joppa praying. I fell into a trance and saw a vision: Something like a huge blanket, lowered by ropes at its four corners, came down out of heaven and settled on the ground in front of me. 6 Milling around on the blanket were farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds - you name it, it was there. Fascinated, I took it all in. 7 "Then I heard a voice: 'Go to it, Peter - kill and eat.' 8 I said, 'Oh, no, Master. I've never so much as tasted food that wasn't kosher.' 9 The voice spoke again: 'If God says it's okay, it's okay.' 10 This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the sky. 11 "Just then three men showed up at the house where I was staying, sent from Caesarea to get me. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them, no questions asked. So I went with them, I and six friends, to the man who had sent for me. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel right in his own house, real as his next-door neighbor, saying, 'Send to Joppa and get Simon, the one they call Peter. 14 He'll tell you something that will save your life - in fact, you and everyone you care for.' 15 "So I started in, talking. Before I'd spoken half a dozen sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. 16 I remembered Jesus' words: 'John baptized with water; you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to God?" 18 Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then, as it sank in, they started praising God. "It's really happened! God has broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!"

The Church at Antioch

19 Those who had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and dealing with their fellow Jews. 20 Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of the Master Jesus. 21 God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it - quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master. 22 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check on things. 23 As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging them to stay with it the rest of their lives. 24 He was a good man that way, enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit's ways. The community grew large and strong in the Master. 25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year, meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

27 It was about this same time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during the rule of Claudius.) 29 So the disciples decided that each of them would send whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. 30 They sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem.

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 One day at three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. 2 At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. 4 Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." 5 He looked up, expecting to get something from them. 6 Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" 7 He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. 8 He jumped to his feet and walked. 9 Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. 10 They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves.

12 When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people: 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. 14 You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. 15 You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead - and we're the witnesses. 16 Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet - yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes. 17 "And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. 18 But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans. 19 "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, 20 and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. 21 For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. 22 Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. 23 Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.' 24 "All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. 25 These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: 'By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' 26 But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways."