How does Peter answer the contention, and how does Antioch send relief?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Peter’s ordered report ends in praise; Antioch teaching and Agabus’s warning precede proportionate relief.

Chapter breakdown

The apostles and brethren in Judea hear that the Gentiles received God’s word. At Jerusalem those of the circumcision challenge Peter for entering uncircumcised men’s home and eating with them. He recounts the events in order: prayer and ecstasy at Joppe, the great sheet descending with creatures, the command to rise, kill and eat, his refusal and the voice telling him not to call common what God cleansed. After three repetitions it returned to heaven. Three men arrived from Cæsarea, and the Spirit told him to go without doubt. Six brethren accompanied him into the man’s house. Their host reported an angel’s command to summon Peter for words saving him and his household. As Peter began speaking, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on the disciples in the beginning. He recalled the Lord’s distinction between John’s water baptism and baptism with the Holy Ghost. Given the same grace as believers in Jesus, how could Peter withstand God? His hearers hold their peace and glorify God for granting Gentiles repentance unto life.

Those dispersed by the persecution on Stephen’s occasion travel to Phenice, Cyprus and Antioch, speaking only to Jews. Some from Cyprus and Cyrene preach Jesus also to Greeks at Antioch. The Lord’s hand is with them, and many believe and turn to him. Jerusalem’s church sends Barnabas. Seeing God’s grace, he rejoices and urges them to remain in the Lord with purpose of heart. He is good and full of the Holy Ghost and faith, and a great multitude is added. He finds Saul in Tarsus and brings him to Antioch. For a whole year they converse in the church and teach many. The disciples are first named Christians there.

Prophets arrive from Jerusalem. Agabus signifies through the Spirit a great famine over the whole world, which the narrator says occurred under Claudius. Each disciple purposes relief according to ability for the Judean brethren. They send it to the ancients through Barnabas and Saul.

The story inside

The objection concerns association and eating. Peter recounts vision, instruction, six companions and Holy Ghost’s reception. The later relief is purposed according to ability and actually delivered by Barnabas and Saul.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Common or unclean does not mean unwashed.
2
The named Christians statement does not explain the name’s universal etymology.
3
Relief’s amount and form are not specified.

Test your recall

By whose hands is relief sent?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 125047–125066
11:4. But Peter began and declared to them the matter in order, saying: 11:5. I was in the city of Joppe praying: and I saw in an ecstasy of mind a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. And it came even unto me. 11:6. Into which looking, I considered and saw fourfooted creatures of the earth and beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air. 11:7. And I heard also a voice saying to me: Arise, Peter. Kill and eat. 11:8. And I said: Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth. 11:9. And the voice answered again from heaven: What God hath made clean, do not thou call common. 11:10. And this was done three times. And all were taken up again into heaven.
Lines 125082–125094
11:15. And when I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell upon them, as upon us also in the beginning. 11:16. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said: John indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 11:17. If then God gave them the same grace as to us also who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ: who was I, that could withstand God? 11:18. Having heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying: God then hath also to the Gentiles given repentance, unto life.
Lines 125111–125122
11:23. Who, when he was come and had seen the grace of God, rejoiced. And he exhorted them all with purpose of heart to continue in the Lord. 11:24. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord. 11:25. And Barnabas went to Tarsus to seek Saul: whom, when he had found, he brought to Antioch. 11:26. And they conversed there in the church a whole year: and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians.
Lines 125126–125134
11:28. And one of them named Agabus, rising up, signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over the whole world, which came to pass under Claudius. 11:29. And the disciples, every man according to his ability, purposed to send relief to the brethren who dwelt in Judea. 11:30. Which also they did, sending it to the ancients, by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.