Saul’s Conversion

9:1–19pp—Ac 22:3–16; 26:9–18

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.f He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,g so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,h whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.i 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voicej say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”k

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the soundl but did not see anyone.m 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.n So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,o “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusp named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands onq him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy peopler in Jerusalem.s 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priestst to arrest all who call on your name.”u

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrumentv to proclaim my name to the Gentilesw and their kingsx and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”y

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands onz Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”a 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,b 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciplesc in Damascus.d 20 At once he began to preach in the synagoguese that Jesus is the Son of God.f 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?g And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”h 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.i

23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him,j 24 but Saul learned of their plan.k Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.l

26 When he came to Jerusalem,m he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabasn took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him,o and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.p 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,a q but they tried to kill him.r 30 When the believerss learned of this, they took him down to Caesareat and sent him off to Tarsus.u

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samariav enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.w

Aeneas and Dorcas

32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s peoplex who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you.y Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharonz saw him and turned to the Lord.a

36 In Joppab there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing goodc and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.d 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciplese heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widowsf stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room;g then he got down on his kneesh and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.”i She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.j 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.k

Cornelius Calls for Peter

10 At Caesareal there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;m he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoonn he had a vision.o He distinctly saw an angelp of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offeringq before God.r 5 Now send men to Joppas to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner,t whose house is by the sea.”

7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.u

Peter’s Vision

10:9–32Ref—Ac 11:5–14

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roofv to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.w 11 He saw heaven openedx and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

14 “Surely not, Lord!”y Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”z

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”a

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,b the men sent by Corneliusc found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision,d the Spirit saide to him, “Simon, threea men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”f

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,g who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”h 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believersi from Joppa went along.j 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea.k Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”l

27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.m 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.n But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.o 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothesp stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritismq 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.r 36 You know the messages God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good newst of peaceu through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.v 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—38 how God anointedw Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healingx all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.y

39 “We are witnessesz of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,a 40 but God raised him from the deadb on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people,c but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ated and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the peoplee and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.f 43 All the prophets testify about himg that everyoneh who believesi in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”j

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came onk all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peterl were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured outm even on Gentiles.n 46 For they heard them speaking in tonguesb o and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.p They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”q 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.r Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Peter Explains His Actions

11 The apostles and the believerss throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.t 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believersu criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”v

4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.w I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’x 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesareay stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit toldz me to have no hesitation about going with them.a These six brothersb also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angelc appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a messaged through which you and all your householde will be saved.’

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came onf them as he had come on us at the beginning.g 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized witha water,h but you will be baptized withb the Holy Spirit.’i 17 So if God gave them the same giftj he gave usk who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 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.”l

The Church in Antioch

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killedm traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch,n spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cypruso and Cyrene,p went to Antiochq and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good newsr about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them,s and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.t

22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabasu to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,v he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.w 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spiritx and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.y

25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsusz to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciplesa were called Christians firstb at Antioch.

27 During this time some prophetsc came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus,d stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.e (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)f 29 The disciples,g as each one was able, decided to provide helph for the brothers and sistersi living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the eldersj by Barnabask and Saul.l