Written by Yahusha's Student: LUKE (the Doctor) ...
1 And Yahusha’s Followers and the believers in Judea heard that the Gentiles (NATIONS) had accepted YAHUSHA'S teaching too. 2 But when Peter came to Jerusalem, some Jewish believers argued with him, 3 saying, “You went into the homes of people who are not Jews and are not circumcised, and you even ate with them!”
(MAKING HIM RITUALLY IMPURE ACCORDING TO THEIR LAWS)
4 So Peter explained the whole story to them. 5 He said, “I was in the city of Joppa. While I was praying, I had a vision. I saw something coming down from Heaven. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners. It came down close to me, 6 and I looked inside. I saw all kinds of animals, including wild ones, as well as reptiles and birds. 7 I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill anything here and eat it!’ 8 But I said, ‘I can’t do that, Master! I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ 9 But the voice from Heaven answered again, 'What I've cleansed you don't call common!”
10 This happened three times, before the whole thing was taken back into Heaven. 11Suddenly there were three men from Caesarea standing outside the house where I was staying. They'd been sent to get me. 12 YAHUSHA’S Spirit told me to go with them without doubting or wondering if it was right or not. These six brothers here also went with me, and we went to the house of Cornelius. 13 He told us about the Angel he had seen standing in his house. The Angel had told him, ‘Send some men to Joppa to get Simon, the one who is also called Peter. 14 He will speak to you, and what he tells you will deliver you and everyone living in your house.’
15 After I began speaking to them, YAHUSHA’S Set-Apart Spirit rushed down upon them just as He came on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered the words of the Master YAHUSHA: ‘John immersed people in water, but you will be immersed in the Set-Apart Spirit.’ 17So if Alahim gave these people the same gift He gave us who believe in the Master YAHUSHA Messiah, how could I object and stand in the way of what Alahim wanted to do?”
18 And when the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped arguing and praised YAHUSHA, saying, “WOW! Alahim has also allowed all the nations to change their hearts through repentance, for the Eternal Life He gives!”
THIS DID NOT MEAN THAT THE ISSUE OF RITUAL PURITY BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES (THE FACT THAT JEWS WERE CLEAN AND EVERYONE ELSE IS UNCLEAN) WAS NOW RESOLVED. LUKE INFORMS US OF A SUB-GROUP WITHIN `THE WAY’ THAT (ON THE SURFACE) GRUDGINGLY ACCEPTED THAT GENTILES COULD RECEIVE DELIVERANCE, BUT ONLY IF THE NEXT STEP WAS FOR THESE NEW GENTILE BELIEVERS TO BE CIRCUMCISED AND OFFICIALLY BECOME JEWS TO FORMALISE THEIR CONVERSION !?! . . . but don't worry, this ridiculous issue will be dealt with by Yahusha's Followers at the Jerusalem Council in a few chapters !
19 The believers were scattered by the great pressure and persecution that had begun when Stephen was stoned to death. Some of them went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They told the Good News of YAHUSHA in these places, but only to Jews! 20 Some of these believers were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, and when these men came to Antioch, they began speaking to people who were not Jews, but Hellenists (JEWISH BELIEVERS INFLUENCED BY THE GREEK CULTURE). They told them the Good News about the Master YAHUSHA. 21 And the Master was helping these men, and a large number of people believed and decided to follow the Master YAHUSHA.
HAD THEY HEARD ABOUT PETER’S SHEET VISION AND HIS ADVENTURE WITH CORNELIUS ALREADY? NOT LIKELY! THEY FIGURED OUT FOR THEMSELVES THAT IF GENTILES IN LARGE NUMBERS WERE ACCEPTING THE ALAHIM OF THE OLD COVENANT SCRIPTURES, THAT THEY JUST MIGHT ALSO BE OPEN TO ACCEPTING YAHUSHA (THE MESSIAH PROPHESIED IN THR SAME TEXT).
22 When the Fellowship in Jerusalem heard about this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23-24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Set-Apart Spirit and belief. When he went to Antioch and saw how Alahim had blessed the believers there, he was very happy and glad, and he encouraged them all, saying, “Always cling to the Master and serve Him with all your heart.” And many more people became followers of the Master YAHUSHA. 25 Then Barnabas went to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul. 26 When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. They stayed there a whole year. Every time the Fellowship came together, Barnabas and Saul met with them and taught many people. It was in Antioch that the followers of the Master YAHUSHA were first called 'christianous'. [ THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD CHRISTIAN/CRETIN;
DULL, IDIOT, UNEDUCATED - A TERM OF SCORN & INSULT ] !!!
27 About that same time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and spoke with the help of the Spirit. He said, “A very bad time is coming to the whole world, where there will be no food for people to eat.” (This time of famine happened when Claudius was emperor.)
29 The Master’s followers decided that they would each send as much as they could to help their Brothers and Sisters who lived in Judea. 30 They gathered the food-supplies and relief and gave it to Barnabas and Saul, who took it to the elders in Judea.
THIS TEXT IS OFTEN HELD UP AS A REASON TO PAY MONEY TO ORGANISATIONS, HOWEVER FOOD SUPPLIES IS THE CONTEXT HERE, NOT TITHES AND OFFERINGS.
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