Chapter 11
Peter Defends the Gentile Mission
1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him,
3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 But 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,
6 and 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 sky.
7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’
10 This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
11 And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
12 The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.
13 And 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;
14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as he did upon us at the beginning.
16 And 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.’
17 Therefore 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?”
18 When 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.”
Translator’s Notes — vv. 1–18:
οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς (hoi ek peritomēs) — v.2: “Those who were circumcised” — the phrase οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς (hoi ek peritomēs, “those of the circumcision”) identifies a specific faction within the Jerusalem church: Jewish believers who considered circumcision and Torah observance essential to the faith. They are not outsiders; they are members of the church who hold that Gentile converts must become Jews. This group will reappear as the central opposition at the Jerusalem Council (15:1, 5) and will trouble the Galatian churches (Galatians 2:12). The issue is not whether Gentiles can be saved — the question is whether they can be saved as Gentiles, without becoming Jewish.
v.3: The accusation is not about theology but about table fellowship: “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Eating together was the most intimate form of social bonding in the ancient world. Shared meals implied shared identity. For a Jew to eat with Gentiles was to dissolve the boundary that defined Jewish distinctiveness. The circumcision party is not primarily upset that Cornelius heard the gospel; they are upset that Peter sat at a Gentile table. The theological revolution of chapter 10 has immediate social consequences, and it is the social consequences that provoke the confrontation.
v.4: Peter’s defense is a retelling of the chapter 10 narrative, and Luke reproduces it nearly in full. This double narration — the event in chapter 10 and the retelling in chapter 11 — is Luke’s strongest emphasis technique. The repetition signals supreme importance: this is the story the church cannot hear too many times. Peter tells it “in orderly sequence” (καθεξῆς, kathexēs), the same word Luke uses to describe his own method in Luke 1:3. Peter narrates like a historian, laying out the evidence step by step.
v.12: Peter adds a detail not in chapter 10: “These six brothers also went with me.” He brought six Jewish witnesses from Joppa (cf. 10:23), and presumably they are present now in Jerusalem to corroborate his account. Peter is building a legal case: the witnesses are in the room. Everything he says can be verified.
v.14: Peter’s retelling adds another detail absent from chapter 10: the angel told Cornelius that Peter “will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” The angel promised salvation through Peter’s message. The word σωθήσῃ (sōthēsē, “you will be saved”) makes the stakes explicit: this was not a courtesy visit but a salvation event.
ὥσπερ καὶ ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀρχῇ (hōsper kai eph’ hēmas en archē) — v.15: “Just as he did upon us at the beginning” — Peter links the Cornelius event directly to Pentecost. The phrase “at the beginning” (ἐν ἀρχῇ, en archē) reaches all the way back to Acts 2. The same Spirit who fell on the Jewish believers in the upper room fell on the Gentile believers in Cornelius’s house. The identity between the two events is Peter’s decisive argument: you cannot deny that Pentecost was God’s work; this was the same thing.
v.16: Peter now recalls Jesus’s own words from Acts 1:5: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Peter had originally heard this as a promise for Jewish believers. Now he realizes it applies to Gentiles too. Jesus said “you” without specifying ethnicity. The promise was always universal; Peter just hadn’t understood it yet.
τίς ήμην ἐγὼ δυνατὸς κωλῦσαι τὸν θεόν (tis ēmēn egō dynatos kōlysai ton theon) — v.17: “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” — literally “who was I, able to hinder God?” The verb κωλύω (kōlyō, “to prevent,” “to hinder”) echoes once more through the narrative — the same word from the eunuch’s question (8:36) and Peter’s question about baptismal water (10:47). The running question of Acts is: what prevents? What barrier remains? Peter’s final argument is not theological but personal: given what God did, I had no right to stand in his way. To refuse the Gentiles would have been to oppose God himself.
ἄρα καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ θεὸς τὴν μετάνοιαν εἰς ζωὴν ἔδωκεν (ara kai tois ethnesin ho theos tēn metanoian eis zōēn edōken) — v.18: “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” The Jerusalem church’s response is acceptance — surprised, perhaps reluctant, but genuine. They “quieted down” (ἡσύχασαν, hēsychasan — the objections ceased) and “glorified God.” The word “also” (καί) again: the Gentiles also. The conclusion is stated in terms of gift: God “granted” (ἔδωκεν, edōken) repentance. Even the ability to repent is not a human achievement; it is something God gives. Repentance itself is grace. The circumcision party accepts the verdict for now — but the quiet will not last. The issue will explode again in chapters 15 and in Galatians.
The Church at Antioch
19 So 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.
20 But 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.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.
23 Then 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;
24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.
25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;
26 and 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.
Translator’s Notes — vv. 19–26:
v.19: Luke reaches back to the scattering of 8:1–4 and traces a different thread of the diaspora. The persecution that followed Stephen’s death scattered believers northward along the Mediterranean coast to Phoenicia (modern Lebanon), to the island of Cyprus, and to Antioch. These scattered Hellenistic believers initially spoke “to no one except to Jews alone” — the Jewish-only assumption was still the default. The Cornelius precedent had not yet become general practice.
Ἑλληνιστάς (Hellēnistas) — v.20: “Speaking to the Greeks also” — some manuscripts read Ἑλληνιστάς (Hellēnistas, “Hellenists” — Greek-speaking Jews) while others read Ἕλληνας (Hellēnas, “Greeks” — ethnic Gentiles). The latter reading is almost certainly correct: the contrast with “Jews alone” in v.19 requires that v.20 describe a new, non-Jewish audience. Some unnamed believers from Cyprus and Cyrene broke the pattern and began preaching to Gentiles directly. This is a pivotal moment narrated in a single verse: anonymous Hellenistic Jewish believers, scattered by persecution, spontaneously began evangelizing Gentiles in Antioch. No apostle authorized it. No council approved it. No vision prompted it (as far as we know). They simply did it. The Gentile mission was not only launched from the top (Peter and Cornelius) but from the bottom (unnamed refugees in Antioch). The two streams converge: God worked through institutional channels and through grassroots initiative simultaneously.
v.20: Antioch on the Orontes (modern Antakya, Turkey) was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria, with a population of perhaps 250,000–500,000. It was cosmopolitan, diverse, and had a large Jewish community alongside Greek, Syrian, and Roman populations. It was the capital of the Roman province of Syria and the administrative center for the eastern empire. Antioch will become the base of operations for the Gentile mission, displacing Jerusalem as the church’s effective center. Paul’s missionary journeys will all launch from Antioch. The shift from Jerusalem to Antioch is one of the most significant geographic transitions in Christian history.
v.22: Jerusalem sends Barnabas to Antioch — exactly as they sent Peter and John to Samaria (8:14). The pattern is consistent: when the gospel crosses a major boundary, the mother church dispatches an emissary to verify and validate. Barnabas is the perfect choice: a Hellenistic Jew from Cyprus (4:36), he shares the cultural background of the Antioch pioneers. He speaks their language, literally and figuratively.
v.23: Barnabas arrives and “witnessed the grace of God.” He does not see a program or a strategy; he sees grace. His response is joy and encouragement — living up to his name, the Son of Encouragement (4:36). The phrase “with resolute heart” (τῇ προθέσει τῆς καρδίας, tē prothesei tēs kardias, “with the purpose of the heart”) implies a deep, settled intention — not emotional enthusiasm but committed devotion.
v.24: Luke’s editorial comment on Barnabas is one of the warmest in Acts: “he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” The simple adjective “good” (ἀγαθός, agathos) is rare in the New Testament as a description of a person. It is the word Jesus used in the parable of the talents: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Barnabas is good. Not brilliant, not visionary, not charismatic in the dramatic sense — good. Full of the Spirit and faith. The description explains why he keeps appearing at the crucial moments: he is the kind of person who sees grace where others see problems, who encourages where others criticize, who takes risks on people others have written off.
v.25: Barnabas goes to Tarsus to find Saul. The verb ἀναζητῆσαι (anazētēsai, “to search for,” “to look for”) implies effort — it is a compound verb suggesting a thorough search. Saul has been in Tarsus for roughly a decade (the “silent years” since 9:30). We know almost nothing about what he did during this period. Barnabas goes looking for him because he recognizes that the Antioch church needs Saul’s particular gifts: his training, his intellect, his calling to the Gentiles. This is the second time Barnabas has intervened on Saul’s behalf (the first was in 9:27). Without Barnabas, Saul might have remained in Tarsus indefinitely. Barnabas is the person who keeps pulling Paul into the story.
Χριστιανούς (Christianous) — v.26: “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The name Χριστιανός (Christianos) follows the Latin pattern for naming a political faction or party: Caesariani (partisans of Caesar), Herodiani (partisans of Herod). “Christians” means “partisans of Christ,” “Christ’s people.” The name was almost certainly coined by outsiders — the Antiochenes had a reputation for sharp, witty nicknames. The believers did not call themselves this initially; the New Testament uses the word only three times (here, 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16). The internal self-designations were “disciples,” “brothers,” “saints,” and “those of the Way.” The fact that the name was coined in Antioch is significant: it was here, where Jews and Gentiles first worshipped together as equals, that outsiders could see the movement was something new — not a sect of Judaism, not a Gentile philosophy, but a distinct identity centered on Christ.
The Famine Relief Collection
27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 One 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.
29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brothers living in Judea.
30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.
Translator’s Notes — vv. 27–30:
v.27: Prophets are mentioned for the first time in Acts as a recognized role in the church. They appear alongside teachers, apostles, and other functionaries as part of the developing institutional structure. The fact that they travel from Jerusalem to Antioch indicates an active connection between the two churches — the relationship is not merely administrative but spiritual, with prophetic figures moving between communities.
Ἄγαβος (Agabos) — v.28: Agabus appears here and again in 21:10–11, where he will prophesy Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem. His prophecy of a “great famine all over the world” (λιμὸν μεγάλην μέλλειν ἔσεσθαι ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην) is confirmed by Luke’s editorial note: “this took place in the reign of Claudius.” The Roman historians Suetonius, Tacitus, and Dio Cassius all record food shortages during Claudius’s reign (AD 41–54). Josephus describes a severe famine in Judea around AD 46–47, during which Queen Helena of Adiabene purchased grain from Egypt and figs from Cyprus for relief. Luke’s account aligns well with the external evidence.
v.28: The phrase “all over the world” (ἐφ’ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην, eph’ holēn tēn oikoumenēn) means “over the whole inhabited world” — the oikoumenē being the standard term for the Roman Empire. Luke is not claiming a global famine but widespread food shortages across the empire, which is historically attested.
vv.29–30: The Antioch church’s response to the famine prophecy is immediate and practical: they organize a relief collection for the Judean believers. Each gives “in proportion to their means” (καθὼς εὐπορεῖτό τις, kathōs euporeto tis, “as each was able”). This is the first instance of a pattern that will become central to Paul’s ministry: Gentile churches sending financial aid to the Jewish mother church in Jerusalem (cf. Romans 15:25–27, 1 Corinthians 16:1–4, 2 Corinthians 8–9). The collection has profound theological significance: it is a tangible expression of the unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. The Gentile church demonstrates its connection to the Jewish church through material generosity. The money flows from Antioch to Jerusalem, embodying the gratitude Paul will articulate in Romans 15:27: “If the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.”
v.30: The collection is sent “to the elders” (πρὸς τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους, pros tous presbyterous) — the first mention of “elders” as a leadership structure in the Jerusalem church. Until now, the apostles have been the sole named leaders. The emergence of elders indicates institutional development: the church is maturing into a more structured organization. The collection is entrusted to Barnabas and Saul, who carry it to Jerusalem — this visit may correspond to the visit Paul mentions in Galatians 2:1–10, though the chronology is debated. What is clear is that Barnabas and Saul are already functioning as representatives of the Antioch church, the official link between the new Gentile community and the Jewish mother church.
General Notes on the Chapter
Acts 11 has two major movements, and together they chart the decisive shift in the center of gravity of the early church. The first movement (vv.1–18) looks backward: Peter defends what happened at Caesarea before the Jerusalem church. The second movement (vv.19–30) looks forward: the church at Antioch emerges as the new center of the Gentile mission. By the end of the chapter, the future of Christianity has been decided — not in Jerusalem but in Antioch, not by apostles but by unnamed refugees, not through deliberation but through spontaneous obedience.
Peter’s defense (vv.1–18) is a masterclass in persuasion through narrative. He does not argue theology; he tells a story. He does not make abstract claims about God’s impartiality; he describes what happened: I saw a vision, the Spirit spoke to me, I went to the man’s house, the Spirit fell on them. The logic is experiential: I am not presenting a theory; I am reporting what God did. His closing question — “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” — makes the objectors’ position untenable. To reject Peter’s actions is to claim that Peter should have resisted God. The circumcision party accepts the argument, at least temporarily. Their concluding statement — “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” — is spoken with wonder, even astonishment. The word “also” (καί) carries all the surprise: the Gentiles too? Even them?
The emergence of Antioch (vv.19–26) is one of the most important passages in Acts because it shows the Gentile mission arising not only from divine visions (chapter 10) but from anonymous grassroots initiative (v.20). The men from Cyprus and Cyrene who preached to Greeks in Antioch are never named. They had no apostolic commission, no divine vision, no angelic direction. They simply spoke. And “the hand of the Lord was with them” (v.21). God confirmed what they did. The pattern is striking: the most consequential developments in Acts often originate with unnamed, uncredentialed believers acting on their own initiative — the scattered believers of 8:4, the Cypriot and Cyrenian preachers here. The Spirit works through institutions and through improvisation, through Peter’s vision and through refugees’ courage.
The naming of the disciples as “Christians” (v.26) marks a moment of identity formation. In Antioch, where Jews and Gentiles worship together for the first time, outsiders see something they haven’t seen before: a community that is neither Jewish nor Gentile in the traditional sense but organized around a figure called “Christ.” The name captures the outsiders’ perception: whatever these people are, they are defined by their attachment to Christ. The early believers did not choose this name for themselves, but they eventually adopted it. It became the word the world used, and the word stuck.
The famine relief collection (vv.27–30) anticipates what will become one of Paul’s most important projects. The collection from Gentile churches for the Jerusalem poor is not merely charity; it is ecclesiology made tangible. It says: we are one body. The Gentiles share with the Jews because they are siblings, not strangers. The money is the physical evidence that the wall between Jew and Gentile has truly fallen. When Paul later spends years organizing a massive collection from his churches for Jerusalem (Romans 15:25–27), he is continuing what Antioch started here: the practical demonstration that the new community is real, that Gentile and Jewish believers belong to one another, and that spiritual unity must be expressed in material solidarity.
Barnabas’s decision to retrieve Saul from Tarsus (v.25) is the third and perhaps greatest of his interventions. He vouched for Saul in Jerusalem (9:27). He was sent to validate the Antioch church and did so with joy (v.23). Now he recognizes that this mixed community of Jews and Gentiles needs a teacher with Saul’s particular gifts — a man trained in the Law, called to the Gentiles, and commissioned by the risen Christ. Barnabas goes looking for Saul and brings him to the community where his calling will finally be activated. For an entire year they teach together. This is the incubation period: the theology that will fill Paul’s letters is being forged in the daily life of a mixed Jewish-Gentile community. When Paul and Barnabas are finally sent out on the first missionary journey in chapter 13, they will carry Antioch’s DNA with them: the conviction that the gospel is for everyone, worked out in lived experience over a year of shared meals, shared worship, and shared teaching.