Acts 11 10

Acts 11:10 kjv

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

Acts 11:10 nkjv

Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

Acts 11:10 niv

This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

Acts 11:10 esv

This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven.

Acts 11:10 nlt

This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.

Acts 11 verses

Acts 11 10 Meaning

This verse describes the emphatic conclusion of the visionary experience Peter had, emphasizing the repeated divine confirmation of God's message. The threefold repetition signifies an unquestionable divine declaration, assuring Peter of the absolute certainty and importance of the revelation concerning what God had cleansed. The subsequent withdrawal of the sheet into heaven underscored the supernatural origin and the authoritative finality of this instruction. The core message communicated to Peter was that God has broken down the barriers between clean and unclean, ultimately leading to the understanding that no person should be considered common or impure in God's eyes, thus opening the way for Gentile inclusion into the people of God.

Acts 11 10 Context

Acts 11:10 is embedded within Peter's defense before the Jewish Christian apostles and elders in Jerusalem. He is explaining why he associated with and baptized uncircumcised Gentiles from Cornelius's household. His entire argument rests upon this specific vision and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles, mirroring what happened to the Jewish believers at Pentecost. The "three times" emphasizes the indisputable nature of the divine command he received, directly addressing the deeply ingrained Jewish resistance to Gentile inclusion, particularly concerning fellowship and shared meals. This verse marks the completion of the vision itself, directly preceding Peter's account of the arrival of Cornelius's messengers and the events that immediately followed, confirming God's directive through their encounter.

Historically, this event marks a crucial turning point for the early Church. Jewish purity laws, particularly those concerning food, formed a distinct barrier between Jews and Gentiles. For a Jew to associate, much less eat, with a Gentile was an extreme breach of deeply held religious and cultural norms. Peter, a devout Jew, needed an undeniable divine revelation to overcome these prejudices. This vision directly challenged the long-standing understanding of who constituted God's clean and chosen people, laying the theological groundwork for the universal mission of Christianity.

Acts 11 10 Word Analysis

• And (καὶ - kai): A simple conjunction, connecting this verse to the preceding description of the vision. It shows a continuous flow of events within Peter's experience.
• this (τοῦτο - touto): Refers to the entire preceding action—the descending sheet containing various animals—that Peter recounted. It points to the whole visual display of divine instruction.
• was done (ἐγένετο - egeneto): A form of "to become" or "to happen." It indicates a definite, completed action in the past, confirming the event as a factual occurrence rather than a mere thought or feeling.
• three times (ἐπὶ τρὶς - epi tris):
  • Significance: This numerical emphasis is profoundly significant in biblical contexts. Repetition, especially three times, often signifies completeness, certainty, and divine solemnity. For Peter, it overcame his profound cultural and religious conditioning. His triple refusal to eat "unclean" animals was met with a triple divine command, leaving no room for doubt or misinterpretation. It confirms the divine origin and authoritative nature of the message, ensuring Peter understood it was an absolute directive from God.
• and (καὶ - kai): Connects the repetition of the action to its conclusion.
• all (πάντα - panta): Refers collectively to all the animals that were on the sheet—the "four-footed animals and wild beasts and reptiles and birds of the air" (Acts 11:6). It confirms that the entire representation of "unclean" was removed.
• were drawn up (ἀνεβλήθη - aneblethē): From a verb meaning "to be thrown up" or "to be taken up." This passive voice emphasizes that the action was performed by an outside, divine power, not by Peter. It denotes a supernatural ascent.
• again (πάλιν - palin): This adverb signifies a return to a previous state or location. The sheet went back to where it originated, confirming the completion of the communication cycle and reinforcing the divine source of the vision.
• into heaven (εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν - eis ton ouranon):
  • Significance: This phrase decisively points to the ultimate origin of the vision—God Himself. It signifies that the revelation was not an earthly hallucination or a demonic deception but a pure, unadulterated message directly from God's heavenly abode. The items' return to heaven after the communication highlights the divine authority and the spiritual nature of the truth being conveyed, separating it from the earthly elements used in the vision. It confirms that the command and new understanding were settled truths from God.

Acts 11 10 Bonus Section

• The "three times" motif connects profoundly with other pivotal moments in Peter's life, especially his threefold denial of Christ and Christ's subsequent threefold questioning and reinstatement of Peter's ministry (John 21:15-17). In each instance, the repetition highlights a critical learning experience or a definitive shift for Peter, underscoring its significance and unforgettability for him.
• This single vision and its resulting application directly enabled the breaking of the social, cultural, and religious "wall of partition" (Eph 2:14) that existed between Jews and Gentiles. Without this direct divine intervention, the early church would likely have remained a sect within Judaism, hindering the worldwide spread of the Gospel.
• The immediate recall of the sheet and its contents "into heaven" might also imply that the objects themselves were not the ultimate point, but rather the message conveyed through them. Once the lesson was absorbed, the physical manifestation was removed, leaving the spiritual truth to be acted upon.
• This event set a vital precedent for future expansion of the church beyond its Jewish origins, particularly for Paul's Gentile missions. It affirmed that the gospel of grace was indeed for all nations, dismantling centuries-old legal and ethnic boundaries for entry into God’s family.

Acts 11 10 Commentary

Acts 11:10 forms the undeniable climax of Peter’s vision, acting as God’s irrefutable confirmation of His transformative revelation. The meticulous repetition "three times" served a vital purpose: to definitively override Peter's ingrained Jewish precepts concerning dietary laws and the broader societal separation from Gentiles. These were not mere suggestions but divine commands, requiring the utmost certainty to penetrate centuries of tradition. Just as Peter himself thrice denied Jesus, so too did God, with patient resolve, three times reiterate His new inclusive command, countering Peter's thrice-stated resistance to "unclean" foods.

The sheet, with its symbolic menagerie, returning "into heaven" signifies the divine origin and finality of the message. The communication was complete; its truth immutable. It was God’s solemn proclamation that ceremonial distinctions, once vital for Israel’s identity and holiness, were now rendered obsolete by the redemptive work of Christ. The emphasis shifts from external rituals and food regulations to an inward purity and acceptance by faith in Jesus. This passage is foundational for understanding the transition of the early church from a primarily Jewish movement to a global fellowship, paving the way for the radical inclusion of all peoples, declaring them clean and acceptable through faith in Christ. It fundamentally underscores that what God declares clean and acceptable, no human should categorize as otherwise.