Peter's Report to the Church at Jerusalem

111 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God . 2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem , those who were circumcised took issue with him, 3 saying , " You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." 4 But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence , saying , 5 " I was in the city of Joppa praying ; and in a trance I saw a vision , an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky ; and it came right down to me, 6 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air . 7 "I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter ; kill and eat .' 8 "But I said , 'By no means , Lord , for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth .' 9 "But a voice from heaven answered a second time , ' What God has cleansed , no longer consider unholy .' 10 "This happened three times , and everything was drawn back up into the sky . 11 "And behold , at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea . 12 " The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings . These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house . 13 "And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house , and saying , 'Send to Joppa and have Simon , who is also called Peter , brought here ; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved , you and all your household .' 15 "And as I began to speak , the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning . 16 "And I remembered the word of the Lord , how He used to say , ' John baptized with water , but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit .' 17 "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ , who was I that I could stand in God's way ?" 18 When they heard this , they quieted down and glorified God , saying , "Well then , God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life ."

The Church at Antioch

19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch , speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone . 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene , who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also , preaching the Lord Jesus . 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord . 22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem , and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch . 23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God , he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord ; 24 for he was a good man , and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith . And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord . 25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul ; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch . And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers ; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch .

27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch . 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world . And this took place in the reign of Claudius . 29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means , each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea . 30 And this they did , sending it in charge e of Barnabas and Saul to the elders .

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer . 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful , in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple . 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple , he began asking to receive alms . 4 But Peter , along with John , fixed his gaze on him and said , "Look at us!" 5 And he began to give them his attention , expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said , "I do not possess silver and gold , but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -walk !" 7 And seizing him by the right hand , he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened . 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk ; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God . 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God ; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms , and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 While he was clinging to Peter and John , all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon , full of amazement .

12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people , "Men of Israel , why are you amazed at this , or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk ? 13 " The God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob , the God of our fathers , has glorified His servant Jesus , the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate , when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life , the one whom God raised from the dead , a fact to which we are witnesses . 16 "And on the basis of faith in His name , it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know ; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all . 17 "And now , brethren , I know that you acted in ignorance , just as your rulers did also . 18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets , that His Christ would suffer , He has thus fulfilled . 19 "Therefore repent and return , so that your sins may be wiped away , in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord ; 20 and that He may send Jesus , the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time . 22 "Moses said , ' THE Lord GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN ; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23 ' And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people .' 24 "And likewise , all the prophets who have spoken , from Samuel and his successors onward , also announced these days . 25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers , saying to Abraham , ' AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED .' 26 "For you first , God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways ."