Tag: Acts

Posted on

The Whole Earth

Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

(Daniel 2:35) KJV

When we consider the similarities between the 3rd day and the Millennial Kingdom we should realize that, if flat earth is Biblical, then maps of the supposed flat earth should have Jerusalem at the center. They don’t.

Read more…

Posted on

The Multitude Kept Silence

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 40 – 15:12-21

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

( Acts 15:12-21 ) KJV
  1. Silence
  2. Seek
  3. Sentence

1. Silence

Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

( Psalms 46:10 ) KJV

2. Seek

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

( Matthew 6:31-33 ) KJV

What does the Word of God say?

11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

( Amos 9:11-12 ) KJV

3. Sentence

Back to the basics.

  • pollutions: ἀλισγημάτων – alisgéma
  • fornication: πορνείας  – porneia
  • things strangled: πνικτοῦ  – pniktos
  • blood: αἵματος  – haima

But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

( Genesis 9:4 ) KJV

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. 12 Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. 13 And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten; he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust.
14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

( Leviticus 17:10-14 ) KJV
Posted on

The Sect of the Pharisees

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 39 – Acts 15:1-11

1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

( Acts 15:1-11 ) KJV

Two steps forward and one step back. There is more discussion of this event, referred to as the Council at Jerusalem, in Galatians chapter 2.

  1. Inertia
  2. Inquiry
  3. Impetus

1. Inertia

  1. a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
  2. a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force.

Pharisees got saved. That’s great, but evidently they saw the coming of Jesus Christ as not only the fulfillment of prophecy, but as the sign that they should continue just as they had been doing.

2. Inquiry

What should be done about this? How is it to be handled?

WWJD?

We have a clue in v. 10 when Peter refers to something that Jesus said.

Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

( Acts 15:10 ) KJV

This points us to Matthew 23.

For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

( Matthew 23:4 ) KJV
  1. (13). for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
  2. (14). for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
  3. (15). for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
  4. (16). which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!
  5. (23). for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
  6. (25). for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
  7. (27). for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.
  8. (29). because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

3. Impetus

  1. the force or energy with which a body moves.
  2. the force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.

There is a new impetus towards the law of grace, but the inertia of the Law of Moses has to be overcome.

This is what Paul had to deal with in the letter to the Galatians.

6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

( Galatians 1:6-7 ) KJV

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,

( Galatians 2:16a ) KJV

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

( Ephesians 2:8-9 ) KJV
Posted on

Supposing Him to be Dead

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 37

The Visit to Lystra and Derbe

8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. 14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: 16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

( Acts 14:8-20 ) KJV

Paul is revered as an idol and then makes the ultimate sacrifice, or at least is willing to, but God isn’t done with him yet.

  1. Deified
  2. Disillusioned
  3. Destroyed

1. Deified

When Paul and Barnabas performed a miracle the people wanted to lift them up as idols, gods or deities. The people of the region were so accustomed to idolatry that they would worship anything or anybody. They think that Paul and Barnabas are people who they can relate to. In their rush to judgment they conclude that Paul and Barnabas fit the template that they want to believe in.

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

( John 5:19 ) KJV

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

( James 4:4 ) KJV

2. Disillusioned

Paul is careful to correct their misunderstanding. He makes it clear that he was not the one who had the power to make the miracle happen, the power is that of the God of heaven through the name of Jesus Christ. Now he is going to show them that their idols are worthless.

Remember Stephen? They accused him of trying to oppose Moses. He retaliated by recounting the history of the Jews opposition to Moses.

Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.

For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.

( Acts 6:11, 14 ) KJV

Stephen gives at least 10 examples of the Jews opposing Moses in a short history of the Children of Israel, then he says:

51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

( Acts 7:51-53 ) KJV

3. Destroyed

Paul wasn’t the person that the people wanted him to be. They wanted to worship him as a god, he wanted to point them to a knowledge of the one true God. In their disillusionment it was easy for people to convince then that they should destroy Paul.

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

( 1 John 3:13 ) KJV

But Paul’s work was not done.

But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

( Acts 9:15 ) KJV

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

( Romans 11:29 ) KJV

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

( Philippians 1:6 ) KJV

Having God’s call upon our lives doesn’t make us indestructible or immune to the dangers of this world (as Paul found out). However it does mean that it may be a bumpy ride until we get finished.

Posted on

They Were Ware

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 36

1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4 But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, 6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: 7 And there they preached the gospel.

( Acts 14:1-7 ) KJV
They Were Ware

Commemorate 9/11

Ask for testimonies.

FILE – In this Sept. 11, 2001 file photo the twin towers of the World Trade Center burn behind the Empire State Building in New York after terrorists crashed two planes into the towers causing both to collapse. The government is preparing to release a once-classified chapter of a congressional report about the attacks of Sept. 11, that questions whether Saudi nationals who helped the hijackers with things like finding apartments and opening bank accounts knew what they were planning. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday July 15, 2016, that the release of the 28-page chapter is “imminent.” (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)

They Were Aware That They Were in Danger

Thanks to 9/11 we are much more aware of this than we ever were.

There are physical dangers, but there are spiritual dangers.

  1. Resist
  2. Reflect
  3. Run

1. Resist

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

( 1 Peter 5:8-9 ) KJV

2. Reflect

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

( Ephesians 5:15-21 ) KJV

3. Run

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

( hebrews 12:1-2 ) KJV

Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

( Philippians 2:16 ) KJV

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

( 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ) KJV
Posted on

Making Things Happen

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 35

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

47* For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51* But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

( Acts 13:42-52 ) KJV
Making Things Happen

Making Things Happen

  1. Progress
  2. Persecution
  3. Perseverence

1. Progress

Paul states their mission and calling.

5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

( Isaiah 42:5-7 ) KJV

The people respond.

So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

( 1 Corinthians 3:7 ) KJV

2. Persecution

The establishment is jealous.

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

( John 15:18-19 ) KJV

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

( Matthew 10:23 ) KJV

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

( Matthew 10:14-15 ) KJV

And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.

( Luke 9:5 ) KJV

3. Perseverence

Persevere for the work:

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

( Psalms 126:5-6 ) KJV

Persevere for yourself:

God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

( Romans 2:5b-7 ) KJV
Posted on

Eaten by Worms

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 32

20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country. 21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

( Acts 12:20-25 ) KJV
Eaten by Worms

23.

eaten by worms: σκωληκόβρωτος – skólékobrótos

  • eaten by worms.

There is another place where the word skoleks is used to refer to worms:

42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45 And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

( Mark 9:42-28 ) KJV

a worm: σκώληξ – skóléx

  • a gnawing worm; gnawing anguish.

Thanks to my biology background I know that the word scolex is used to refer to part of a worm.

The adult tapeworm has a scolex, or head, a short neck, and a strobila, or segmented body formed of proglottids. Tapeworms anchor themselves to the inside of the intestine of their host using their scolex, which typically has hooks, suckers, or both. They have no mouth, but absorb nutrients directly from the host’s gut. The neck continually produces proglottids, each one containing a reproductive tract; mature proglottids are full of eggs, and fall off to leave the host, either passively in the feces or actively moving. All tapeworms are hermaphrodites, with each individual having both male and female reproductive organs.

Wikipedia

If we connect skolex with scolex then we may conclude that Herod has tapeworms, but what happened to him? The translations are variable but they can be generalized along the following lines:

  1. Herod was immediately struck by an angel of the Lord,
  2. he later died consumed by worms.

However, we need to look more closely at the Greek and look at how the phrase eaten by worms is placed.

Having been is the key.

to come into being: γενόμενος – ginomai

  • to come into being, to happen, to become
  • I come into being, am born, become, come about, happen.
  • properly, to emerge, become, transitioning from one point (realm, condition) to another. 1096 (gínomai) fundamentally means “become” (becoming, became) so it is not an exact equivalent to the ordinary equative verb “to be” (is, was, will be) as with 1510/eimí (1511/eínai, 2258/ēn).
  • “to become, and signifies a change of condition, state or place” (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 109).
  • to come into being/manifestation implying motion, movement, or growth” (at 2 Pet 1:4). Thus it is used for God’s actions as emerging from eternity and becoming (showing themselves) in time (physical space).

Herod may have been infested by tapeworms for quite a while. An angel of the Lord caused the worms to immediately grow so fast that he burst open and they spilled out.

Posted on

Now About That Time

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 31

1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

( Acts 12:1-4 ) KJV
Now About That Time

James was called at the beginning;

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

( Matthew 4:18-22 ) KJV

Peter Rescued

( Acts 12:5-19 ) KJV
Posted on

The Gift of the Holy Ghost

Open Door Baptist Church

Acts # 30.

Finishing up Acts Chapter 10 and moving on through chapter 11.

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

( Acts 10:44-48 ) KJV
The Gift of the Holy Ghost

The first part of Acts Chapter 11 is a recounting of Chapter 10.

1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, 5 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: 6 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. 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. 12 And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house: 13 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; 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 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. 17 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? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

( Acts 11:1-18 ) KJV