Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Amplified Bible

Acts 11:4

But Peter began [at the beginning] and explained [the events] to them step by step, saying,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gentiles;   Peter;   Scofield Reference Index - Holy Spirit;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Apostle;   Peter;   Vision;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Baptism ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Clean;   Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Paul;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   1 Peter;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Galatians, Epistle to the;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Law;   Peter;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ministry;   Order;   Rehearse;   Teach;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Christianity in Its Relation to Judaism;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Peter began to explain to them step by step:
King James Version (1611)
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order vnto them, saying,
King James Version
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
English Standard Version
But Peter began and explained it to them in order:
New American Standard Bible
But Peter began and explained at length to them in an orderly sequence, saying,
New Century Version
So Peter explained the whole story to them.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,
Legacy Standard Bible
But Peter began speaking and proceeded to explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,
Berean Standard Bible
But Peter began and explained to them the whole sequence of events:
Contemporary English Version
Then Peter told them exactly what had happened:
Complete Jewish Bible
In reply, Kefa began explaining in detail what had actually happened:
Darby Translation
But Peter began and set forth [the matter] to them in order, saying,
Easy-to-Read Version
So Peter explained the whole story to them.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Peter beganne, and expounded the thing in order to them, saying,
George Lamsa Translation
Then Simon began to recite the facts one after another, saying,
Good News Translation
So Peter gave them a complete account of what had happened from the very beginning:
Lexham English Bible
But Peter began and explained it to them in an orderly sequence, saying,
Literal Translation
But beginning, Peter set out to them in order, saying,
American Standard Version
But Peter began, and expounded the matter unto them in order, saying,
Bible in Basic English
But Peter gave them an account of it all in order, saying to them,
Hebrew Names Version
But Kefa began, and explained to them in order, saying,
International Standard Version
Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said,Luke 1:3;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And Shemun put forth in order to say to them,
Murdock Translation
And Simon began to address them methodically:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But Peter rehearsed the matter from the begynnyng, and expounded it by order vnto them, saying:
English Revised Version
But Peter began, and expounded the matter unto them in order, saying,
World English Bible
But Peter began, and explained to them in order, saying,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then Peter beginning, laid all things before them in order, saying, I was praying in the city of Joppa,
Weymouth's New Testament
Peter, however, explained the whole matter to them from the beginning.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Petre bigan, and expownede to hem bi ordre,
Update Bible Version
But Peter began, and expounded [the matter] to them in order, saying,
Webster's Bible Translation
But Peter rehearsed [the matter] from the beginning, and expounded [it] by order to them, saying,
New English Translation
But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, saying,
New King James Version
But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying:
New Living Translation
Then Peter told them exactly what had happened.
New Life Bible
Then Peter began to tell all that had happened from the beginning to the end. He said,
New Revised Standard
Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Peter, making a beginning, went on to set forth the matter unto them in order, saying -
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Peter began and declared to them the matter in order, saying:
Revised Standard Version
But Peter began and explained to them in order:
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then Peter began and expounded ye thinge in order to the sayinge:
Young's Literal Translation
And Peter having begun, did expound to them in order saying,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Peter beganne, and expounded the thinge in order vnto the and sayde:
Mace New Testament (1729)
but Peter represented the whole affair to them,
THE MESSAGE
So Peter, starting from the beginning, laid it out for them step-by-step: "Recently I was in the town of Joppa praying. I fell into a trance and saw a vision: Something like a huge blanket, lowered by ropes at its four corners, came down out of heaven and settled on the ground in front of me. Milling around on the blanket were farm animals, wild animals, reptiles, birds—you name it, it was there. Fascinated, I took it all in.
Simplified Cowboy Version
Pete was upfront with them about what had happened.

Contextual Overview

1Now the apostles and the believers who were throughout Judea heard [with astonishment] that the Gentiles also had received and accepted the word of God [the message concerning salvation through Christ]. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision [certain Jewish believers who followed the Law] took issue with him [for violating Jewish customs], 3saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and [even] ate with them!" 4But Peter began [at the beginning] and explained [the events] to them step by step, saying,5"I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision of an object coming down from heaven, like a huge sheet being lowered by the four corners; and [it descended until] it came right down to me, 6and looking closely at it, I saw all kinds of the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air [both clean and unclean according to the Law], 7and I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' 8"But I said, 'Not at all, Lord; for nothing common (unholy) or [ceremonially] unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9"But the voice from heaven answered a second time, 'What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, no longer consider common (unholy).' 10"This happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Acts 14:27, Joshua 22:21-31, Proverbs 15:1, Luke 1:3

Reciprocal: Acts 21:19 - he declared

Cross-References

Genesis 6:4
There were Nephilim (men of stature, notorious men) on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God lived with the daughters of men, and they gave birth to their children. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown (great reputation, fame).
Genesis 11:8
So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the entire earth; and they stopped building the city.
Genesis 11:9
Therefore the name of the city was Babel—because there the LORD confused the language of the entire earth; and from that place the LORD scattered and dispersed them over the surface of all the earth.
Genesis 11:11
And Shem lived five hundred years after Arpachshad was born, and he had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:13
Arpachshad lived four hundred and three years after Shelah was born, and he had other sons and daughters.
Deuteronomy 1:28
'Where can we go up? Our brothers (spies) have made our hearts melt [in fear] and demoralized us by saying, "The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large, and fortified [all the way up] to heaven. And besides, we saw the [giant-like] sons of the Anakim there."'
Deuteronomy 4:27
"The LORD will scatter and disperse you among the peoples (pagan nations), and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you.
Deuteronomy 9:1
"Hear, O Israel! You are crossing the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and more powerful than you, great cities fortified to heaven,
2 Samuel 8:13
So David made a name for himself when he returned from killing 18,000 Arameans (Syrians) in the Valley of Salt.
Psalms 92:9
For behold, Your enemies, O LORD, For behold, Your enemies will perish; All who do evil will be scattered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning,.... Of the vision at Joppa;

and expounded it by order unto them; or related every particular, in a very methodical and orderly manner: he did not insist upon his authority as an apostle, and much less pretended to a primacy to the rest of the apostles; but submitted to have his case heard, examined, and judged of by the body of the brethren.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But Peter rehearsed - Greek: Peter beginning, explained it to them in order; that is, he began with the vision which he saw, and gave a narrative of the various events in order, as they actually occurred. A simple and unvarnished statement of facts is usually the best way of disarming prejudice and silencing opposition. Opposition most commonly arises from prejudice, or from false and exaggerated statements, and such opposition can be best removed, not by angry contention, but by an unvarnished relation of facts. In most cases prejudice will thus be disarmed, and opposition will die away, as was the case in regard to the admission of the Gentiles to the church.

And expounded it - Explained it; stated it as it actually occurred.

In order - One event after another, as they happened. He thus showed that his own mind had been as much biased as theirs, and stated in what manner his prejudices had been removed. It often happens that those who become most zealous and devoted in any new measures for the advancement of religion were as much opposed to them at first as others. They are led from one circumstance to another, until their prejudices die away, and the providence and Spirit of God indicate clearly their duty.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 11:4. But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order] εξετιθετο αυτοις καθεξης. This is the very style of St. Luke; see his Gospel, Luke 1:3. To remove their prejudice, and to give them the fullest reasons for his conduct, he thought it best to give them a simple relation of the whole affair; which he does, as we have seen in the preceding chapter, with a few additional circumstances here. See the notes before.


 
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