Acts 11:9 Made Simple

KJV ORIGINAL

But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

Close to the original. Clear modern English.

✦ MADE SIMPLE

But the voice from heaven came back and said to me, 'Don't call something ordinary or unclean when God has already made it pure.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

When God says something is good, don't argue with him about it.

📚 Historical Context

In the book of Acts, Peter is recounting a vision he received from God, where a sheet filled with various animals was lowered from heaven, challenging his adherence to Jewish dietary laws. This vision occurred in a context where Jewish Christians viewed Gentiles as unclean and separate, reflecting long-standing cultural and religious barriers in ancient Israel. The response from heaven in this verse directly addresses Peter's hesitation, emphasizing that God's declaration of cleanliness overrides human judgments and opens the door for the gospel to reach non-Jews.

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Matthew 15:20

These are the things that actually make you unclean on the inside, but eating without washing your hands first? That's not what makes you impure.

Haggai 2:13

Then Haggai asked, 'If someone who's ceremonially unclean because they touched a dead body comes and touches any of these holy things, does that make them unclean too?' The priests answered, 'Yes, it becomes unclean.'

Numbers 19:15

And every open container that doesn't have a covering tied securely on it is unclean.

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