Acts 11

Acts 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Book of Acts. In Acts 10, Peter preached the gospel at the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, and the Gentiles there received the Holy Spirit. This chapter continues the narrative after news of that event reaches the church in Jerusalem.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 News spreads through Judea that the Gentiles have also received the word of God. When Peter comes to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contend with him because he went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them.
• Verses 4–10 Peter recounts in order the vision he saw in Joppa. A great sheet containing animals was let down, and a voice said, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This happened three times.
• Verses 11–17 Three men arrived from Caesarea, and at the Spirit's bidding Peter went with them, accompanied by six brethren. He says that as he began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on his hearers "as on us at the beginning," and he concludes, "What was I, that I could withstand God?"
• Verse 18 His listeners hold their peace and glorify God.
• Verses 19–21 Among those scattered abroad because of the persecution that arose about Stephen, some men of Cyprus and Cyrene preach in Antioch to the Greeks as well, and a great number believe.
• Verses 22–26 The church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas. Barnabas brings Saul from Tarsus, and the two teach together for a whole year. The disciples are first called Christians in Antioch.
• Verses 27–30 The prophet Agabus foretells a great famine, which comes to pass in the days of Claudius. The disciples, each according to his ability, gather relief and send it to the elders in Judea by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Key Verses

• Acts 11:18 "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" — the point at which the Jerusalem church accepts the salvation of the Gentiles.
• Acts 11:26 "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" — the first appearance of the name "Christian" in the Bible.

People and Places

• Peter, Cornelius (the "he" of verse 13), Barnabas, and Saul (later Paul)
• Agabus: a prophet who came from Jerusalem; he appears again in Acts 21.
• Claudius: refers to the Roman emperor Claudius.
• Jerusalem, Joppa, Caesarea, Tarsus
• Phenice: the region along the eastern Mediterranean coast (Phoenicia).
• Cyprus: an island in the Mediterranean.
• Cyrene: a city in North Africa.
• Antioch: Antioch in Syria.

Points for Reflection

• The timing of Spirit baptism: Verse 16 speaks of baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Pentecostal tradition generally associates this with an experience received separately after conversion. The Reformed tradition, citing verse 17 ("the like gift as he did unto us, who believed"), holds that it is given at conversion.
• "Greeks" in verse 20: Some manuscripts read "Hellenists" (Greek-speaking Jews) at this point. Many interpreters, however, take the context to mean that the message was preached to non-Jews.
• The visit in verse 30: Scholars are divided over whether this visit to Jerusalem is the same as Paul's visit described in Galatians 2.

In the Korean Church

Verse 26 is frequently used as a sermon text on living a life worthy of a Christian. Barnabas, as portrayed in verses 23–24, is often presented as a model for caring for new believers and raising up others. Many churches also include "Antioch" in their names.