Gentiles Are So In
- Back in Judea, word reaches the apostles and Jewish followers of Jesus that Peter has been baptizing Gentiles. The horror!
- Later, when Peter comes back into town, he has some 'splaining to do.
- Peter tells them all about the vision and that God said unclean things are now a-okay.
- He explains that it was God who let the Holy Spirit fall on the Gentiles while he was speaking. What was Peter supposed to do? Stop
- God from giving out his gifts? Good luck with that.
- The other apostles are speechless, but then they realize this is actually a great thing. God wants to save everyone.
Spreading The Word In Antioch
- Lots of disciples are still traveling around. Some only preach the good news to fellow Jews, but others started telling Gentiles, too.
- And it's working!
- The church in Jerusalem sends Barnabas to Antioch to check out the new Gentile converts.
- Things looks good, so Barnabas heads to Tarsus to pick up Saul and bring him to Antioch. The two men stay there for a year and help the church get up and running.
- This is the first place that the disciples were called "Christians." Memories. Awww.
- Around the same time, a prophet named Agabus comes to Antioch and says that there's gonna be a really terrible famine soon.
- The disciples decide it's up to them to make sure that fellow believers are cared for if this happens, so they send supplies with Barnabas and Saul. Way to think ahead, guys.