Act 11:1 ¶ And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. COMMENT: Judaea is the land from Jerusalem south where Rehoboam ruled after Israel in the north split away under Jeroboam. The tribes of Judah and Benjamin were represented in Judaea (Judah) with the other ten tribes represented in Northern Israel. Civil wars followed. The history of Israel is evidence that a divided house will fall. She has not yet regained the glory and power of Israel united under the anointed King David.

Act 11:2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, COMMENT: So Judean believers in Christ contended with Peter.

Act 11:3 Saying, You went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them. COMMENT: But their contention was not evil but good. They were calling for accountability to the laws they had observed for centuries as a people.

Act 11:4 But Peter rehearsed [the matter] from the beginning, and expounded [it] by order unto them, saying,

Act 11:5 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:

Act 11:6 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. COMMENT: There you see again this mystery of the anointing, that when in the anointing; one must willfully fasten their eyes on the object of consideration that they might see it through the eye of Christ in singleness of mind, and "WHEN THE EYE IS SINGLE, THE WHOLE BODY IS FULL OF LIGHT."

Act 11:7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, "Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

Act 11:8 But I said, "Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.

Act 11:9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, "What God has cleansed, [that] call not thou common.

Act 11:10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Act 11:11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

Act 11:12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

Act 11:13 And he showed 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;

Act 11:14 Who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved.

Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

Act 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Act 11:17 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? COMMENT: Please note how Cornelius and the Gentiles with him received "the like gift" but they were not trained like the hundred and twenty who accompanied the Lord Jesus during much or all of his three years of spiritual warfare before his crucifixion. They were already set apart unto God and experienced in spiritual warfare when the Holy Ghost baptized them. So for Gentiles in the churches throughout America to compare their baptism with that of the hundred and twenty and say it was equal is folly. The baptism may be the same but vessels not prepared the same are hardly able to go about any city speaking in tongues everyone will understand in their own language, and this reasoning expands to all spiritual warfare; for the power of God to operate in the hundred and twenty in tongues on Pentecost works on the same laws of the Spirit in all spiritual warfare as well. So please cease to say you are Spirit filled when there is no such perpetual promise to anyone including the hundred and twenty. Everyone Jewish or Gentile must die to self daily to enter into the fullness of the Spirit in that day, then get up and do it again.

Act 11:18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then has God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. COMMENT: You see the path provided by the receiving of the Holy Ghost is "REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE." Every believer must repent regularly as their sins are revealed to them, and that repentance must be of a sincere heart seeking forgiveness from God; and in that process they can expect to overcome their sin nature in growing glory to glory.

Act 11:19 ¶ Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. They were Jews preaching to Jews. COMMENT: Here is a historical sketch of what was taking place after Stephen was martyred which is now some time past, and they preached the Worde to no-one but the Jewish people.

Act 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. COMMENT: And some were Gentiles who went preaching to Gentiles.

Act 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. COMMENT: And both the Jewish and the Gentile preachers prospered in turning "a great number" to the Lord.

Act 11:22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. COMMENT: Barnabus is the Levite believer in Christ who we first heard of when he sold his possession and laid the money from it at the Apostles' feet. Then we heard of him again when Saul was not believed, and it was Barnabus who gained him entrance to the Apostles who approved of him. Now Barnabus is sent by the Jewish brethren to look in on the Gentile work prospering at Antioch, for the Jews are a very diligent people in all things particularly when it comes to rulership.

Act 11:23/24 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. COMMENT: Barnabus was pleased with the harvest taking place in Antioch and being "full of the Holy Ghost and of faith" in the anointing as he died daily to self to enter in; he was used of the Spirit of the Lord to win many.

Act 11:25/26 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. COMMENT: Disciples are not ordinary believers. They are set apart unto God and if they do well in offering up the sacrifice of praise continually and praying without ceasing, they do shine in the anointing. There in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians because they were Christ'like or Christ'ian. The name Christian has degenerated to just anyone who claims Christ as their Saviour and as such it is better to discreetly avoid identifying yourself as a Christian when you can say, "I am a believer in Christ."

Act 11:27 ¶ And in these days came Prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. COMMENT: There are many words we do not find in the sacred King James 1611 Version, one of them is famine. The Prophet Agabus said there would be a "great dearth" meaning a great famine throughout the Roman Empire and perhaps beyond into those Asian nations that were not well known in those days.

Act 11:29/30 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelled in Judaea: Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.