- The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
- So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him
- and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."
- Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story:
- "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was.
- I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds.
- Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'
- "I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
- "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'
- This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
- "Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.
- The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.
- He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
- He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'
- "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.
- Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
- So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?"
- When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life."