Acts 11:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

NIV: This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

NASB: This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

CSB: "Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven.

NLT: This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

KJV: And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

NKJV: Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Peter is in Jerusalem, explaining to the church leaders why he ate with a houseful of Gentiles. He begins by describing a vision God gave him. He had been on a rooftop of the home of a friend, praying. He fell into a trance and saw a sheet lowering from heaven. On the sheet were all kinds of animals. God's voice told him to kill and eat; Peter refused as some of the animals were not allowed as food according to the Mosaic law. God responded that He had made them clean and His judgments were not Peter's to question (Acts 10:9–16). Perhaps in an homage to Peter's three denials of Jesus (Mark 14:66–72) and the three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him (John 21:15–19), the vision occurs three times before the sheet is lifted to heaven (Acts 10:16).

That the sheet came from heaven and returned to heaven may be significant. The lesson Peter is learning is very difficult for a devout Jew—to set aside an important section of the Mosaic law (Leviticus 11). Peter still considers himself a Jew, albeit one who has met the Messiah. That the food comes from and returns to heaven may give evidence that God is providing it. Peter quickly realizes that while God is declaring all foods clean, He's also declaring all people clean: devout Jews, as well as Gentiles who accept Jesus as their Savior. After all, the Mosaic law never saved, it just pointed to the fact that we all need a Savior (Hebrews 9:13–15).

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.