Acts 11

÷÷ACTS 11

ACTS 11

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

UBS⁴	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Peter’s Report to the Church at Jerusalem	Peter Defends God’s Grace	Peter’s Defense	Peter’s Report to the Church at Jerusalem	Jerusalem: Peter Justifies His Conduct
11:1-18	11:1-18	11:1-18	11:1-4	11:1-10
			11:5-17
				11:11-14
				11:15-17
			11:18	11:18
The Church at Antioch	Barnabas and Saul at Antioch	Mission to the Greeks in Antioch	The Church at Antioch	Foundation of the Church of Antioch
11:19-26	11:19-26	11:19-26	11:19-26	11:19-21
				11:22-24
				11:25-26
	Relief to Judea	Famine Relief Sent to Jerusalem		Barnabas and Saul Sent as Deputies of Jerusalem
11:27-30	11:27-30	11:27-30	11:27-30	11:27-30

READING CYCLE THREE (see
“Bible
Interpretation Seminar”)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which
means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the
light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not
relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare
your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is
the key to following the original author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every
paragraph has one and only one subject.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

÷ACTS 11:1-18

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ACTS 11:1-18
¹Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ²And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, ³saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying, ⁵“I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, ⁶and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. ⁷I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ ⁸But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ ¹⁰This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky. ¹¹And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹²The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. ¹³And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; ¹⁴and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” ¹⁸When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

11:1 This verse implies that the church in Jerusalem’s leadership was surprised at this turn of
events. They were shocked and not fully supportive! They had not understood the Great Commission
(cf. Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8) to include pagans. This same phrase occurs in Acts 8:14 at
Samaritan’s receiving the gospel.

▣ “brethren” This is an early title for believers which emphasizes our corporate family
identify (cf. Acts 1:15; 6:3; 9:30; 10:23; 11:1,12, 29; 12:17; 14:2; 15:1,3,22,23,32-33,40; 16:2,40;
17:6,10,14; 18:18,27; 21:7, 17; 22:5; 28:14-15). To be a Christian is to be a part of a family
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11).

▣ “throughout Judea” This shows the geographical limitations of the church up to the time. Even
after many years the church had not moved beyond its cultural boundaries. Jesus’ command in Acts 1:8 had
not been obeyed! It is “almost” parallel to Genesis 10-11.

▣ “Gentiles also had received the word of God” This is AORIST MIDDLE (deponent)
INDICATIVE. It shows the necessity of a personal reception of the gospel message
(cf. John 1:12; 3:16; Rom. 10:9-13 Eph. 2:8-9).

The phrase “the word of God” is parallel to “the gospel.” The OT universal promises/prophecies
are being fulfilled.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE KERYGMA OF
THE EARLY CHURCH

SPECIAL TOPIC: RECEIVE

SPECIAL TOPIC: WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO “RECEIVE,” “BELIEVE,” “CONFESS/PROFESS,” “CALL UPON”?

11:2 “When Peter came up to Jerusalem” Apparently the problem with the Gentile mission which continues
in Acts 15 was a recurring problem for the Jerusalem leadership of the early church. Many of the converts to
Christianity were still very nationalistic (cf. Acts 15:5; 21:18-26).

NASB	”those who were circumcised”
NKJV	”those of the circumcision”
NRSV, NJB	”the circumcised believers”
TEV	”those who were in favor of circumcising Gentiles”
Williams	”the champions of circumcision”
REB	”those who were of Jewish birth”
Peshitta	”those who upheld the circumcision”

This phrase is used in several different senses:

in Acts 10:45 to describe Peter’s six Jewish companions
here, it refers to a group of believers in the church at Jerusalem (cf. Acts 11:18 or 15:5)
in Galatians it refers to believers from the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 2:12) as well as
Jewish unbelievers (cf. Acts 1:7; 2:4; 5:10,12)

There is no question about the sincerity of these believers, nor the logic of their position.
However, the radical nature of the gospel had opened the door to all people totally unconnected to the
Mosaic Law (i.e., Rom. 3:21-31) This is a message (grace, not performance, brings salvation) many modern
believers need to hear and heed!

See note at Acts 7:8 about circumcision.

NASB, REB	”took issue”
NKJV, Peshitta	”contended”
NRSV, TEV	”criticized”
NJB	”protested”

This is an IMPERFECT MIDDLE INDICATIVE. This grammatical form can denote
repeated action in past time or the beginning of an action. Notice these believing traditionalists took
issue with Peter, not with the gospel. They did not see that this was a gospel issue.

11:3 “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them” Obviously Peter is not the unchallenged leader.
Grammatically this verse can be a statement or a question (NRSV).

This issue of table fellowship was very important to Jewish people. This may be the very
issue behind the food laws of Leviticus 11. Jews were not to share any social event with Canaanites. Eating
in the Ancient Near East was a kind of covenant of fellowship. Jesus had been accused of a similar breach
of tradition in Matt. 9:11; 11:19; Luke 5:30; 15:2.

Peter struggled with this issue in his ministry (cf. Gal. 2:12). This was such a sensitive
issue for these first believers. It is so hard to rethink traditions, culture, and personal preferences,
but the gospel demands that we do (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:23-29; Col. 3:11). The Jew vs. Gentile model
of the OT has been totally replaced with the believer vs. unbeliever model!

SPECIAL TOPIC: WHY DO OT COVENANT
PROMISES SEEM SO DIFFERENT FROM NT COVENANT PROMISES?

11:4-18 Peter recounts his experience at Simon’s and Cornelius’ houses (Acts 10) for the Jewish
leaders at Jerusalem. This repetition (cf. the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15) is Luke’s way of showing how
important this issue (world evangelization) was for the life of the church. This was a theological
watershed moment!

11:4
NASB	”in orderly sequence”
NKJV	”in order from the beginning”
NRSV	”step by step”
TEV	”a complete account”
NJB	”the details point by point”
REB	”as they had happened”
Peshitta	”one after another”

The word kathexēs is used in the NT only by Luke (cf. Luke 1:3; 8:1;
Acts 3:24; 11:4; 18:23). It has the connotation of explaining something in a logical, temporal, or
sequential order. This fits Luke’s research method (cf. Luke 1:1-4), personality, and professional
training (physician).

11:6 “fixed my gaze on it” See note at Acts 1:10.

11:12
NASB	”without misgivings”
NKJV, Peshitta	”doubting nothing”
NRSV	”not to make a distinction”
TEV	”without hesitation”
NJB	”have no hesitation”

There are several Greek manuscript variants connected to the TENSE of
this PARTICIPLE (PRESENT MIDDLE from Acts 10:20 or AOARIST MIDDLE
in MSS P⁷⁴, אi², B).
It is even omitted in the Greek manuscripts P⁴⁵, D, and some Old Latin and one Syrian version.
Scribes tended to make parallels agree. As with most of the textual variants in the NT, these do not affect
the meaning of the phrase. The UBS⁴ put the AORIST MIDDLE PARTICIPLE in the text
but gives it a “C” rating (difficulty in deciding).

SPECIAL TOPIC: TEXTUAL
CRITICISM

11:14 “will be saved” Cornelius’ piety and generosity did not make him a Christian! He and his
family and friends are saved by faith in Christ!

SPECIAL TOPIC: GREEK
VERB TENSES USED FOR SALVATION

11:15 This verse is theologically crucial in seeing the purpose of the repeated Pentecostal experience
in Acts. God used the inaugurating experience in Jerusalem to show His acceptance of other racial,
geographical, and cultural groups (cf. Acts 11:17). The experience was not only for Cornelius, but for

Peter
the accompanying Jewish believers
the church in Jerusalem

11:16 “I remembered the word of the Lord” This is an allusion to Jesus’ words in Acts 1:5. This shows
the pattern of the early Apostles’ approach to theology:

quote Jesus
use Jesus’ example
quote the OT (cf. Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:5)

Peter is establishing that the Lord Himself foresaw this development (i.e., sign).

11:17 “if” This is a FIRST CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which is assumed to be true
from the author’s perspective or for his literary purposes.

▣ “God gave to them the same gift” This, like Acts 11:15, refers to the Pentecost experience
(cf. Acts 2:1-4; 8:15; 10:46; 15:8). Salvation, like the Spirit, is also a gift from God (cf. Rom. 3:24;
5:15-17: 6:23; Eph. 2:8).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPEAKING IN TONGUES

SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT (gift of. . .)

▣ “after believing in the Lord” It must be received (cf. Acts 11:1; John 1:12; Eph. 2:8-9).
Notice how Acts 11:17 asserts both the sovereignty of God and the mandated human response. There are
several PREPOSITIONS in the NT used to describe faith in Jesus:

epi = on (here)
eis = into
en = in
hoti = statement about Jesus
DATIVE CASE without PREPOSITION

This variety seems to imply that there was no specific grammatical form connected to
“believe” (pisteuō). Usually the personal, volitional aspect is emphasized (except
for hoti, which means the content of the gospel or doctrines). Jesus is a person to be welcomed!

SPECIAL TOPIC: FAITH, BELIEVE, or TRUST

11:18 “they quieted down and glorified God” Peter’s testimony not only stopped the negative atmosphere,
but it engendered praise! Most of these early leaders and believers were teachable and flexible. They were
willing to adjust their theology and follow God’s lead.

▣ “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” There are several
passages in the NT that imply that the sovereign God is the source of repentance as well as grace
(cf. Acts 5:31, 8:22; 2 Tim. 2:25).

The theological issue related to this phrase is, “how is the sovereignty of God related
to salvation versus the demanded response of humans?” Are faith and repentance (cf. Mark 1:15;
Acts 3:16,19; 20:21) human responses or gifts from God? There are texts which strongly imply that they
are a gift from God (cf. Acts 5:31; 11:18; Rom. 2:4; and 2 Tim. 2:25). Since I believe that all Scripture
is inspired (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16) then one must compare all texts related to any theological issue and not
succumb to a proof-text or denominational method. It is obvious that the one true God is in control of
all things! Acts emphasizes this over and over. However, He has chosen to relate to His highest creation
by means of covenant. God always takes the initiative and sets the agenda, but mankind must respond and
continue to respond. It is never an either/or question. It is always a both/and relationship.

Michael Magill, NT TransLine (p. 435, #24) has a good summary statement of what
the early believing Jews in Jerusalem thought would happen.

“The Jewish believers knew the message was for the world. But that
salvation was to come to the Gentiles apart from Judaism, with all the implications
that this has, was a new thought for them. They were assuming salvation would be
proclaimed to the world as part of and through a true, spiritual Judaism; that
Judaism would reign and all people would become Jews as part of finding life in
Christ; that Israel’s culture would gloriously become world culture.”

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (NT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: EASTERN
LITERATURE (biblical paradoxes)

÷ACTS 11:19-26

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ACTS 11:19-26
¹⁹So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. ²⁰But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord. ²²The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. ²³Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; ²⁴for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord. ²⁵And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; ²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

11:19-30 These verses seem to be a historical flashback and a theological summary. They connect to Acts 8:4.

11:19 “those who were scattered because of the persecution” We have several early examples of these
persecutions in Acts (cf. Acts 5:17ff; 6:8-15; 8:1-3; 9:1-2). Stephen’s understanding of the radical
implication of the gospel forced all the Jewish believers in Palestine to reassess their faith and the
purpose of the gospel (i.e., Acts 1:8; Luke 24:6-7; Matt. 28:19-20).

▣ “Antioch” Antioch was the third largest city of the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria, Egypt.
It was the capital of Syria and it had a large Jewish population. It was well known for its university
life and its sexual immorality. It was also famous worldwide for its chariot racing. It will become a
major center of Christianity!

▣ “speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone” This shows that the early church was not
certain whether preaching to the Gentiles was appropriate. The conservative believers would quote the words of Jesus
in Matt. 10:5, while the visionaries would quote Matt. 28:18-20 or Acts 1:8. This theological issue will
resurface in Acts 15.

11:20 “men of Cyprus and Cyrene” These are the same Greek-speaking Jewish believers as in Acts 6-8,
who began to preach the universal implications of the Christian gospel in Jerusalem. Barnabas was also from
this geographical area.

▣ “to Greeks” This word (Hellēn) normally refers to Gentiles (cf. Acts 14:1;
16:1,3; 18:4; 19:10,17; 20:21; 21:28). However, in Acts 17:4 it refers to Gentiles who were connected
to the synagogues (God-fearers), but not members (i.e., proselytes).

The question is, “Who is Luke referring to as being preached to.”

Greek-speaking Jews as in Acts 6:1 and 9:29 (Hellēnists)
Gentiles related to the synagogue (Hellēn)
full Gentiles (cf. TEV, NJB)

With all the commotion this caused, possibly the term refers to those who spoke Greek; some might
be Jews of the Diaspora, and others full Gentiles.

▣ “preaching the Lord Jesus” This is a PRESENT MIDDLE PARTICIPLE of the
VERB from which we get the English term “evangel” and evangelism.” Their message was
not about OT laws and procedures, but about Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah.

SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHRIST JESUS AS LORD

11:21 “the hand of the Lord was with them and a large number who believed turned to the Lord” This is
another summary statement of the great movement of God through evangelistic preaching. Finally Acts 1:8
was being fulfilled (cf. Acts 11:24b).

This is an OT idiom for the acknowledgment of YHWH’s presence and power for the accomplishing
of His purpose in human activity (cf. 2 Sam. 3:12).

It is interesting to note that the term “Lord” (Kurios) is used in the first of
this verse to refer to YHWH (cf. LXX Exod. 3:14; 2 Sam. 3:12; Isa. 59:1, see
SPECIAL TOPIC: LORD [kurios]).
However, in the latter part of the verse it is used to refer to Jesus Christ. This transference of titles
is a common literary technique of the NT authors to assert the deity of Jesus. Notice where Paul quotes
OT texts referring to YHWH and applies them to Jesus (i.e., Rom. 10:13; 1 Cor. 2:16; Phil. 2:10-11).

The “hand of the Lord” is an OT anthropomorphic idiom (see
SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD
DESCRIBED AS HUMAN). YHWH is an eternal spirit present through time and creation. He does not have a
physical body. However, the only vocabulary humans have to speak of anything personal is physical, human
terms. We must remember the limits of fallen, temporal, earth-bound human language. It speaks of the
spiritual realm in metaphors, analogies, and negations. It expresses truth, but in non-exhaustive ways.
God is far greater than our ability to know and express. He communicates truly to us, but not exhaustively.
We can trust the Bible as God’s self-revelation, but we must realize God is greater still! Human language
both reveals and limits!

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND

11:22 “Barnabas” Barnabas is a major figure in the book of Acts (cf. Acts 4:36-37; 9:27). His name
is used in the sense of encourager, which is obvious in Acts 11:23. The church in Jerusalem was still
uncomfortable about Gentile inclusion!

SPECIAL TOPIC: BARNABAS

11:23 It is interesting to notice that when Barnabas saw the active presence of God’s grace through
the Spirit, he encouraged all of them to remain in faith (cf. Acts 14:22). This clearly shows the need for
diligence on the part of God’s people for purposeful perseverance. The Jews and the church were very concerned
about the immoral cultural context of paganism. The gospel was not only a free gift of salvation, but a call
to godliness (cf. Matt. 5:48; Rom. 8:28-29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19; Eph. 4:1; 1 Thess. 3:13; 4:3; 1 Pet. 1:15).
God wants a people who reflect His character to a lost world. The goal of Christianity is not only heaven
when we die, but Christlikeness now so that others may come to faith in Christ!

SPECIAL TOPIC: PERSEVERANCE

11:24 “he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” This description is very similar to
the Greek-speaking Jewish believers (the seven) of Acts 6:3, 5. The early church was full of men like this!
Oh that it may be true of our day, our culture, our church! See full note at Acts 5:17.

SPECIAL TOPIC: FILLED

11:25 “And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul” This VERB in the Egyptian Koine papyri
(but not the LXX) implies that Saul was not easy to find. Only Luke uses this term in the NT
(cf. Luke 2:44,45; Acts 11:25).These silent years are apparently referred to in Gal. 1:21. The exact
time frame is uncertain, but it was approximately ten years.

11:26 “church” See
SPECIAL TOPIC: CHURCH (ekklēsia)

▣ “he brought him to Antioch. . .the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” At first
“Christian” was a derogatory reference to believers coined by pagans. Surprisingly this is a rare term in
the NT. The word’s formation (ending ianos) follows the pattern of the formation of a term for those
who support and follow; Herod (and his family) are called “Herodians” (cf. Mark 3:6; 12:13; Matt. 22:16). Its
use in this Hellenistic environment shows how the title for Messiah (Hebrew) translated Christ in Greek has
become a name for Jesus’ followers (Christians).

In this Hellenistic setting, it is possible that the term was given by governmental officials
to differentiate Jews from believers.

÷ACTS 11:27-30

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: ACTS 11:27-30
²⁷Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. ²⁹And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. ³⁰And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

11:27 “prophets” Prophets are mentioned several times in the NT (cf. Acts 13:1; 15:32; 21:10;
1 Cor. 12:28; 14:1-5, 29-33; Eph. 2:20; 4:10). It is not always certain whether their function is primarily
foretelling, as here, or forth-telling, as in 1 Corinthians 14 and Acts 2:17 (cf. Acts 13:6; 15:32;
1 Cor. 12:28; 14:1-5, 29-33; Eph. 2:20; 4:10).

In the OT prophets are seen as the spokesmen of God, explaining His revelation; however,
NT prophets are not the mediators of God’s revelation. This is reserved to NT authors, most of whom were
Apostles or those related to an Apostle (Mark, Luke) . The NT gift of prophecy must be limited. Inspired
revelation has ceased (cf. Jude 3 and 20).

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (NT)

11:28 “great famine all over the world. . .Claudius” This geographical phrase refers to the Roman
Empire (cf. Acts 17:6, 31; 19:27; 24:5). Claudius reigned from A.D. 41-54. He followed
Caligula and preceded Nero. There were several severe famines during his reign (cf. Suetonius, Life
of Caludius 18:2). The worst famine for Palestine was sometime between A.D. 44-48,
according to Josephus, Antiq. 20.5.2.

11:29 “in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a
contribution“ This is one of the major strategies of the Gentile churches, to promote fellowship
with their sister church in Jerusalem. This would set a pattern in Paul’s churches (cf. Acts 24:17;
Rom. 15:2-28; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 2:10).

SPECIAL TOPIC: WORSHIP

11:30 “sending it. . .to the elders” This is the first mention of church “elders” (cf. Acts 14:23;
15:2,4, 6, 22,23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18). The term “elders” is synonymous with the terms “overseers,” “bishops,”
and “pastors” (cf. Acts 20:17,28 and Titus 1:5,7). The term elder (presbuteros) has an OT tribal
background, while overseer (episkopos) has a Greek city-state governmental background. Apparently
this refers to a specific group of leaders in the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 15:2,6,22,23). The more Jewish
portions of the NT, like James and Hebrews, still use the Jewish understanding of older, local leaders, but
not necessarily pastors.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHURCH POLITY

SPECIAL TOPIC: BISHOPS/OVERSEERS

▣ “of Barnabas and Saul” There is much discussion as to whether the visit to Jerusalem mentioned
in Gal. 2:2,10 is referring to this visit or to the Jerusalem Council which is mentioned in Acts 15. We know
so little of Paul’s early life and ministry.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

Why was Gentiles receiving Christ such a theological problem?
Is repentance a gift of God (Acts 11:18) or a covenant requirement (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:16,19; 20:21)?
Why did Barnabas go and seek for Saul (Paul)?