Acts 11 (NET)

Peter Defends His Actions to the Jerusalem Church

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted1 the word of God.2 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem,3 the circumcised believers4 took issue with5 him, 3 saying, “You went to6 uncircumcised men and shared a meal with7 them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point,8 saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision,9 an object something like a large sheet descending,10 being let down from heaven11 by its four corners, and it came to me. 6 As I stared12 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles,13 and wild birds.14 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter15 and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean16 has ever entered my mouth!’ 9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider17 ritually unclean!’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11 At that very moment,18 three men sent to me from Caesarea19 approached20 the house where we were staying.21 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers22 also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 14 who will speak a message23 to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on24 them just as he did25 on us at the beginning.26 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord,27 as he used to say,28 ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’29 17 Therefore if God30 gave them the same gift31 as he also gave us after believing32 in the Lord Jesus Christ,33 who was I to hinder34 God?” 18 When they heard this,35 they ceased their objections36 and praised37 God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance38 that leads to life even to the Gentiles.”39

Activity in the Church at Antioch

19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen40 went as far as41 Phoenicia,42 Cyprus,43 and Antioch,44 speaking the message45 to no one but Jews. 20 But there were some men from Cyprus46 and Cyrene47 among them who came48 to Antioch49 and began to speak to the Greeks50 too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 The51 hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed52 turned53 to the Lord. 22 A report54 about them came to the attention55 of the church in Jerusalem,56 and they sent Barnabas57 to Antioch.58 23 When59 he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true60 to the Lord with devoted hearts,61 24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people62 were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.63 So64 for a whole year Barnabas and Saul65 met with the church and taught a significant number of people.66 Now it was in Antioch67 that the disciples were first called Christians.68

Famine Relief for Judea

27 At that time69 some70 prophets71 came down72 from Jerusalem73 to Antioch.74 28 One of them, named Agabus, got up75 and predicted76 by the Spirit that a severe77 famine78 was about to come over the whole inhabited world.79 (This80 took place during the reign of Claudius.)81 29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability,82 decided83 to send relief84 to the brothers living in Judea. 30 They did so,85 sending their financial aid86 to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

111:1tn See BDAG 221 s.v. δέχομαι 5 for this translation of ἐδέξαντο (edexanto) here. 211:1tn Here the phrase “word of God” is another way to describe the gospel (note the preceding verb ἐδέξαντο, edexanto, “accepted”). The phrase could also be translated “the word [message] from God.” 311:2map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 411:2tn Or “the Jewish Christians”; Grk “those of the circumcision.” Within the larger group of Christians were some whose loyalties ran along ethnic-religious lines. 511:2tn Or “believers disputed with,” “believers criticized” (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 5.b). 611:3tn Or “You were a guest in the home of” (according to L&N 23.12). 711:3tn Or “and ate with.” It was table fellowship and the possibility of eating unclean food that disturbed them. 811:4tn Or “to them in logical sequence,” “to them in order.” BDAG 490 s.v. καθεξῆς has “explain to someone point by point” for this phrase. This is the same term used in Luke 1:3. 911:5tn This term describes a supernatural vision and reflects a clear distinction from something imagined (BDAG 718 s.v. ὅραμα 1). Peter repeated the story virtually word for word through v. 13. The repetition with this degree of detail shows the event’s importance. 1011:5tn Or “coming down.” 1111:5tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”). 1211:6tn Grk “Staring I looked into it.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 1311:6tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. 1411:6tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν). 1511:7tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate. 1611:8tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. The sentiment Peter expressed is like Ezek 4:14. 1711:9tn Or “declare.” The wording matches Acts 10:15. 1811:11tn Grk “And behold.” 1911:11sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.map For location see Map2-C1; Map4-B3; Map5-F2; Map7-A1; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 2011:11tn See BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 for this meaning for ἐπέστησαν (epesthsan) here. 2111:11tn The word “staying” is not in the Greek text but is implied. 2211:12sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter. 2311:14tn Grk “words” (ῥήματα, rJhmata), but in this context the overall message is meant rather than the individual words. 2411:15tn Or “came down on.” 2511:15tn The words “he did” are not in the Greek text but are implied. They form an ellipsis which must be supplied for the modern English reader. Some modern translations supply “it” rather than “he” because the gender of πνεῦμα (pneuma) in Greek is neuter, but there are sufficient NT contexts that use masculine pronouns to refer to the Spirit to justify the use of a masculine pronoun here in the translation. 2611:15sn At the beginning is an allusion to Acts 2 and Pentecost. The beginning is a way to refer to the start of the period of the realization of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. Peter was arguing that God gave Gentiles the same benefits he gave the Jews at the start of their mission. 2711:16sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said. 2811:16tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect. 2911:16sn John…Spirit. This remark repeats Acts 1:5. 3011:17tc Codex Bezae (D) and {a few other Western witnesses} here lack ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”), perhaps because these scribes considered the Holy Spirit to be the gift of Christ rather than the gift of God; thus leaving the subject implicit would naturally draw the reader back to v. 16 to see the Lord Jesus as the bestower of the Spirit. 3111:17sn That is, the same gift of the Holy Spirit. 3211:17tn Or “gave us when we believed”; or “gave us after we believed”; or “gave us who believed”; or “gave them when they believed the same gift as he also gave us.” The aorist dative plural participle πιστεύσασιν (pisteusasin) can be understood in several different ways: (1) It could modify ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “us”) or αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”). Proximity (it immediately follows ἡμῖν) would suggest that it belongs with ἡμῖν, so the last option (“gave them when they believed the same gift he also gave us”) is less likely. (2) The participle could be either adverbial or adjectival, modifying ἡμῖν. This decision is primarily a contextual one. The point Peter made is not whether or not the Gentiles believed, since both groups (“us” and “they”) had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The point was whether or not the Gentiles received the Spirit when they believed, just as Jewish Christians had received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost when they believed. Translated as an adjectival participle, πιστεύσασιν only affirms the fact of belief, however, and raises somewhat of a theological problem if one realizes, “Would God have given the Gentiles the Spirit if they had not believed?” (In other words, belief in itself is a theological prerequisite for receiving the Spirit. As such, in the case of the Gentiles, it is assumed.) Thus in context it makes more sense to understand the participle πιστεύσασιν as adverbial, related to the time of belief in connection with the giving of the Spirit. (3) The participle πιστεύσασιν as a temporal participle can refer to action antecedent to the action of the main verb ἔδωκεν (edwken) or contemporaneous with it. Logically, at least, the gift of the Spirit followed belief in the case of the original Christians, who had believed before the day of Pentecost. In the case of Cornelius and his household, belief and the reception of the Spirit were virtually simultaneous. One can argue that Peter is “summarizing” the experience of Jewish Christians, and therefore the actions of belief and reception of the Spirit, while historically separate, have been “telescoped” into one (“gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed”), but to be technically accurate the participle πιστεύσασιν should be translated “gave them the same gift as he also gave us after we believed.” A number of these problems can be avoided, however, by using a translation in English that maintains some of the ambiguity of the Greek original. Thus “if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing” is used, where the phrase “after believing” can refer either to “them” or to “us,” or both. 3311:17tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” 3411:17tn Or “prevent,” “forbid” (BDAG 580 s.v. κωλύω 1.a). Peter’s point is that he will not stand in the way of God. 3511:18tn Grk “these things.” 3611:18tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done. 3711:18tn Or “glorified.” 3811:18sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39). 3911:18sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position. 4011:19sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3. 4111:19tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17. 4211:19sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine. 4311:19tn Grk “and Cyprus,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor. 4411:19sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.map For location see JP1-F2; JP2-F2; JP3-F2; JP4-F2. 4511:19tn Grk “word.” 4611:20sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor. 4711:20sn Cyrene was a city on the northern African coast west of Egypt. 4811:20tn Grk “among them, coming to Antioch began to speak.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 4911:20sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. 5011:20sn The statement that some men from Cyprus and Cyrene…began to speak to the Greeks shows that Peter’s experience of reaching out to the Gentiles was not unique. 5111:21tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. 5211:21tn The participle πιστεύσας (pisteusa") is articular and thus cannot be adverbial. It is adjectival, modifying ἀριθμός (ariqmo"), but has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who believed”). 5311:21sn Again, the expression turned is a summary term for responding to the gospel. 5411:22tn Grk “Word.” 5511:22tn Grk “was heard in the ears,” an idiom. L&N 24.67 states that the idiom means “to hear in secret” (which it certainly does in Matt 10:27), but secrecy does not seem to be part of the context here, and there is no particular reason to suggest the report was made in secret. 5611:22map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 5711:22tc ‡ Most mss read the infinitive “to travel” after “Barnabas.” διελθεῖν (dielqein) is found before ἕως (Jews) in D E Ψ 33 Ï and some versional mss. It is lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A B 81 1739 pc and some versional mss. Although the infinitive with ἕως fits Lukan style, it has the appearance of a scribal clarification. The infinitive has the earmarks of a Western expansion on the text and thus is unlikely to be original. NA²⁷ has the infinitive in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity. 5811:22sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. Again the Jerusalem church exercised an oversight role. 5911:23tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. 6011:23tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.sn He…encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord. The call to faithfulness is frequent in Acts (2:40; 14:22; 15:32; 16:39; 20:1-2). 6111:23tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here. 6211:24tn Grk “a significant crowd.” 6311:26sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. 6411:26tn Grk “So it happened that” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. 6511:26tn Grk “year they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity. 6611:26tn Grk “a significant crowd.” 6711:26sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. 6811:26sn The term Christians appears only here, in Acts 26:28, and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT. 6911:27tn Grk “In these days,” but the dative generally indicates a specific time. 7011:27tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text, but is usually used in English when an unspecified number is mentioned. 7111:27sn Prophets are mentioned only here and in 13:1 and 21:10 in Acts. 7211:27sn Came down from Jerusalem. Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude). 7311:27map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 7411:27sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.map For location see JP1-F2; JP2-F2; JP3-F2; JP4-F2 7511:28tn Grk “getting up, predicted.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 7611:28tn Or “made clear”; Grk “indicated beforehand” (BDAG 920 s.v. σημαίνω 2). 7711:28tn Grk “great.” 7811:28sn This famine is one of the firmly fixed dates in Acts. It took place from a.d. 45-48. The events described in chap. 11 of Acts occurred during the early part of that period. 7911:28tn Or “whole Roman Empire.” While the word οἰκουμένη (oikoumenh) does occasionally refer specifically to the Roman Empire, BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουνένη 2 does not list this passage (only Acts 24:5 and 17:6). 8011:28tn Grk “world, which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “this” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. 8111:28sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Claudius was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. 8211:29tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω. 8311:29tn Or “determined,” “resolved.” 8411:29tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.sn The financial relief reflects the oneness of the church, meeting the needs of another (even racially distinct) community. Jerusalem, having ministered to them, now received ministry back. A later collection from Greece is noted in Rom 15:25-27, but it reflects the same spirit as this gift. 8511:30tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. 8611:30tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.