ACT 11:1-18

Peterʼs Report at Jerusalem

1Now the apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. [11:2] When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were contending with him, [11:3] saying, "You went in to men who are uncircumcised and ate with them." [11:4] Peter, beginning from the start, was setting it out for them in order, saying: [11:5] "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision — something like a great sheet descending, being let down by four corners from heaven, and it came to me. [11:6] Looking intently into it, I was observing, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the reptiles and the birds of the sky. [11:7] I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.' [11:8] I said, 'Certainly not, Lord, for nothing ritually impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' [11:9] A voice answered from heaven a second time: 'What God has cleansed, do not call ritually impure.' [11:10] This happened three times, and everything was pulled back up again into heaven. [11:11] And at that moment three men stood at the house in which we were, sent from Caesarea to me. [11:12] The Spirit told me to go with them without making any distinction. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. [11:13] He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter, [11:14] who will speak declarations to you by which you and all your household will be saved.' [11:15] As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as on us at the beginning. [11:16] I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' [11:17] Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus the Anointed, who was I to be able to hinder God?" [11:18] When they heard these things they were silenced, and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance that leads to life."

In the world it was spoken into

In Acts 11:1-18, Peter recounts his vision and subsequent interaction with Gentiles to the apostles and believers in Jerusalem. For Jewish followers of Jesus, this was a contentious issue. Circumcision was a defining marker of Jewish identity, rooted in the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-14). To associate with the uncircumcised was to risk ritual impurity , a serious concern in Second Temple Judaism, where purity laws governed daily life. Peter’s vision of the sheet with unclean animals challenged these deeply held boundaries, as it symbolized the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s people without requiring adherence to Jewish customs. The term (were contending) reflects the tension between preserving Jewish identity and embracing the universal scope of the gospel. Peter’s report emphasizes divine intervention—God’s declaration that what He has cleansed must not be called common. This narrative reflects the early church’s struggle to reconcile its Jewish roots with its mission to the Gentiles, a pivotal moment in the expansion of the Jesus movement.

›See the receipts

How other translations render this

ACT 11:1

KJV: And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
BSB: The apostles and brothers throughout Judea soon heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
Koinōnos: Now the apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

ACT 11:2

KJV: And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him,
BSB: So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him
Koinōnos: When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision were contending with him,

ACT 11:3

KJV: Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
BSB: and said, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
Koinōnos: saying, "You went in to men who are uncircumcised and ate with them.

ACT 11:4

KJV: But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
BSB: But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events:
Koinōnos: Peter, beginning from the start, was setting it out for them in order, saying:

ACT 11:5

KJV: I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:
BSB: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision of something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came right down to me.
Koinōnos: I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision — something like a great sheet descending, being let down by four corners from heaven, and it came to me.

ACT 11:6

KJV: Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
BSB: I looked at it closely and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air.
Koinōnos: Looking intently into it, I was observing, and I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the reptiles and the birds of the sky.

ACT 11:7

KJV: And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.
BSB: Then I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill and eat.’
Koinōnos: I heard a voice saying to me, 'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.

ACT 11:8

KJV: But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.
BSB: ‘No, Lord,’ I said, ‘for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
Koinōnos: I said, 'Certainly not, Lord, for nothing ritually impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.

ACT 11:9

KJV: But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
BSB: But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
Koinōnos: A voice answered from heaven a second time: 'What God has cleansed, do not call ritually impure.

ACT 11:10

KJV: And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.
BSB: This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven.
Koinōnos: This happened three times, and everything was pulled back up again into heaven.

ACT 11:11

KJV: And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
BSB: Just then three men sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying.
Koinōnos: And at that moment three men stood at the house in which we were, sent from Caesarea to me.

ACT 11:12

KJV: And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
BSB: The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the manʼs home.
Koinōnos: The Spirit told me to go with them without making any distinction. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.

ACT 11:13

KJV: And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
BSB: He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
Koinōnos: He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter,

ACT 11:14

KJV: Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.
BSB: He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
Koinōnos: who will speak declarations to you by which you and all your household will be saved.

ACT 11:15

KJV: And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
BSB: As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He had fallen upon us at the beginning.
Koinōnos: As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as on us at the beginning.

ACT 11:16

KJV: Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.
BSB: Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
Koinōnos: I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

ACT 11:17

KJV: Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
BSB: So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder the work of God?”
Koinōnos: Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus the Anointed, who was I to be able to hinder God?

ACT 11:18

KJV: When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
BSB: When they heard this, they had not further objections, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Koinōnos: When they heard these things they were silenced, and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance that leads to life.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

ACT 11:2

Jerusalem,:The word translated 'disputed' or 'quarreled' here carries the sense of separating or making distinctions, often leading to contention or doubt. It implies a process of critical examination that can result in disagreement.

ACT 11:3

uncircumcision:The term 'uncircumcision' was not merely a physical description but also a cultural and religious marker, often used to refer to Gentiles as distinct from Jews.

ACT 11:8

every:The word translated 'common' here means something ritually impure or defiled, not just something ordinary or shared by many.

ACT 11:14

declarations:The word translated 'declarations' refers to spoken words or utterances, often with the implication of a divine message or a significant statement.