1 Apustuļi un brāļi Jūdejā dzirdēja, ka arī pagāni pieņēmuši Dieva vārdu. 2 Kad Pēteris nonāca Jeruzālemē, apgraizītie viņam pārmeta, 3 sacīdami: "Tu esi gājis pie neapgraizītajiem un ar tiem ēdis." 4 Bet Pēteris sāka tiem pēc kārtas stāstīt, sacīdams: 5 "Jopes pilsētā būdams, es lūdzu Dievu un garā aizrauts redzēju parādību: kādu ietvaru nonākam, kā lielu palagu aiz četriem stūriem nolaistu no debesīm, un tas nonāca pie manis. 6 To aplūkodams un vērodams, es redzēju četrkājainus dzīvniekus, zvērus un rāpuļus virs zemes un putnus zem debess. 7 Es dzirdēju arī balsi man sakām: celies, Pēteri, kauj un ēd! 8 Bet es sacīju: nemūžam, Kungs, jo nekas aizliegts vai nešķīsts nekad nav nācis manā mutē. 9 Balss no debesīm otrreiz man atbildēja: ko Dievs šķīstījis, to neturi par nešķīstu. 10 Tas notika trīs reizes, un viss atkal tika uzvilkts debesīs. 11 Un redzi, tai pašā brīdī trīs vīri, no Cezarejas pie manis sūtīti, stāvēja nama priekšā, kurā mēs bijām. 12 Gars man sacīja, lai es nešaubīdamies tiem ejot līdzi. Arī šie seši brāļi man nāca līdzi, un mēs iegājām šī vīra namā. 13 Tas mums stāstīja, kā viņš redzējis eņģeli savā namā stāvam un sakām: sūti uz Jopi un ataicini Sīmani, kam pievārds Pēteris. 14 Tas tev sacīs vārdus, ar ko tu un viss tavs nams tiksit pestīti. 15 Kad es sāku runāt, Svētais Gars nāca pār tiem, tāpat kā sākumā pār mums. 16 Es atcerējos Tā Kunga vārdu, ko viņš ir sacījis: Jānis kristīja ar ūdeni, bet jūs tiksit kristīti ar Svēto Garu. 17 Ja nu Dievs viņiem devis tādu pašu dāvanu kā mums, kas esam ticējuši Kungam Jēzum Kristum, kas tad es esmu, ka es būtu spējis Dievam pretoties?" 18 To dzirdējuši, viņi nomierinājās un teica Dievu, sacīdami: "Tātad Dievs arī pagāniem devis atgriešanos no grēkiem dzīvībā." 19 Bet tie, kas bija izklīduši vajāšanās, kuras cēlās Stefana dēļ, aizgāja līdz Feniķijai, Kiprai un Antiohijai, nesludinādami šo vārdu nevienam kā tikai jūdiem. 20 Viņu starpā bija daži kiprieši un kirēnieši, kas, nonākuši Antiohijā, runāja arī uz grieķiem, sludinādami Kungu Jēzu. 21 Tā Kunga roka bija ar tiem, un liels skaits ticēja un atgriezās pie Tā Kunga. 22 Bet vēsts par viņiem kļuva zināma Jeruzālemes draudzei, un tā sūtīja Barnabu uz Antiohiju. 23 Tas, nonācis un Dieva žēlastību redzēdams, priecājās un visus pamācīja ar visu sirdi palikt pie Tā Kunga. 24 Jo viņš bija krietns vīrs, pilns Svētā Gara un ticības. Un liels ļaužu pulks tika mantots Tam Kungam. 25 Barnaba devās uz Tarsu meklēt Saulu un, to atradis, veda uz Antiohiju. 26 Veselu gadu viņi pulcināja draudzi un daudzus mācīja; un Antiohijā vispirms mācekļus sauca par kristiešiem. 27 Tanīs dienās pravieši nāca no Jeruzālemes uz Antiohiju. 28 Viens no tiem, vārdā Agabs, cēlās un Gara spēkā sludināja, ka liels bads nākšot pār visu pasauli. Tas notika Klaudija laikā. 29 Un mācekļi apņēmās, kurš spēja, sūtīt pabalstu brāļiem, kas dzīvoja Jūdejā. 30 To viņi arī darīja un sūtīja to vecajiem ar Barnabas un Saula roku.
Peter Reports to the Church in Jerusalem
1 The apostles and the followers in Judea heard that Gentiles had accepted God's message. 2 So when Peter came to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish followers started arguing with him. They wanted Gentile followers to be circumcised, and 3 they said, “You stayed in the homes of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!”
4 Then Peter told them exactly what had happened:
5 I was in the town of Joppa and was praying when I fell sound asleep and had a vision. I saw heaven open, and something like a huge sheet held by its four corners came down to me. 6 When I looked in it, I saw animals, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. 7 I heard a voice saying to me, “Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them.”
8 But I said, “Lord, I can't do that! I've never taken a bite of anything that is unclean and not fit to eat.”
9 The voice from heaven spoke to me again, “When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't fit to eat.” 10 This happened three times before it was all taken back into heaven.
11 Suddenly three men from Caesarea stood in front of the house where I was staying. 12 The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry. Then six of the Lord's followers went with me to the home of a man 13 who told us that an angel had appeared to him. The angel had ordered him to send to Joppa for someone named Simon Peter. 14 Then Peter would tell him how he and everyone in his house could be saved.
15 After I started speaking, the Holy Spirit was given to them, just as the Spirit had been given to us at the beginning. 16 I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 17 God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So how could I have gone against God?
18 When they heard Peter say this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They said, “God has now let Gentiles turn to him, and he has given life to them!”
The Church in Antioch
19 Some of the Lord's followers had been scattered because of the terrible trouble that started when Stephen was killed. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they told the message only to the Jews.
20 Some of the followers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and started telling Gentiles the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord's power was with them, and many people turned to the Lord and put their faith in him. 22 News of what was happening reached the church in Jerusalem. Then they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When Barnabas got there and saw how God had blessed them with undeserved grace, he was very glad. So he begged them to remain faithful to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 Barnabas was a good man of great faith, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many more people turned to the Lord.
25 Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord's followers were first called Christians.
27 During this time some prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch. 28 One of them was Agabus. Then with the help of the Spirit, he told that there would be a terrible famine everywhere in the world. And it happened when Claudius was Emperor. 29 The followers in Antioch decided to send whatever help they could to the followers in Judea. 30 So they appointed Barnabas and Saul to take their gifts to the church leaders in Jerusalem.
