Acts 11:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

NIV: The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

NASB: Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

CSB: The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

NLT: Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.

KJV: And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

NKJV: Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.

Jesus told the disciples they would bear Him witness in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost, thousands of Jews from all over the Roman empire heard Jesus' story and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). After a mob murdered Stephen and Saul began his persecution, the Jesus-followers fled Jerusalem and took Jesus' story into Judea, Samaria, and parts far north (Acts 7:54—8:4).

It has been perhaps ten years since Jesus' ascension, and the church was still comprised of almost only those of Jewish ethnicity—until a Roman centurion received instruction from an angel to call for Peter to explain how to receive approval from God. As Peter shared Jesus' story, the Holy Spirit fell on the centurion and his friends and family.

Word has gotten out. Peter may be the foremost of Jesus' closest twelve followers, but the division between Jew and Gentile is hundreds of years old and not easily breached. He will have to answer to the home church in Jerusalem for what he did (1 Peter 3:15–16).

"Word" is from the Greek root word logos which means an idea, a doctrine, or a message. John 1:1 identifies Jesus as the Word of God. Here, before the New Testament books had been widely spread, the "word of God" does not explicitly imply written Scripture; it refers to the total message God means to give mankind. This includes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the Savior, that He resurrected after His death, and that He is the core of salvation.

Acts 11:1–18 describes Peter defending his actions in Acts 10. The Holy Spirit led him to share Jesus' story with a house filled with Gentiles. As he had barely started, the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles and Peter had them baptized into the church. Now, he has returned to the church in Jerusalem and has some explaining to do. Despite Peter being the most prominent of Jesus' twelve disciples, the legalistic Jews have already gained significant influence in the church. It's a good reminder we must always follow God and be ready to defend our response to His leading.

Acts 11 accelerates the journey of the message of Jesus into the Gentile world. Peter returns to Jerusalem and explains to the church leaders how the Holy Spirit has fallen on a group of Gentiles in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 11:1–18). Then the church hears how Gentiles are coming to faith far north in Syrian Antioch; they send Barnabas to investigate and Barnabas brings in Saul (Acts 11:19–26). Finally, prophets travel from Jerusalem to Antioch to request aid for the Jerusalem church (Acts 11:27–30). The scene is almost set for Paul's extensive evangelism career to begin.

Until the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), the story of Jesus' followers remained mostly in Jerusalem. Saul started persecuting the church and the members fled, taking Jesus' story with them. This included Philip who shared Jesus' story with Samaritans and an Ethiopian official (Acts 8). Saul's persecution even led to his own conversion (Acts 9). And Peter brought the gospel to a group of Gentiles (Acts 10). After one more story about Peter and rising persecution by the Roman government, the book of Acts will turn to Saul, who will use the Greek variation of his name, Paul, and his missionary journeys to southeast Europe.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.