15. When I began my speech, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he came on us at the beginning.
16. Then I remembered the words of the Lord. He said, ‘John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit!’
17. God gave to them the same gift that he gave to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So could I stop the work of God? No!”
18. When the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, “So God is allowing the non-Jewish people also to turn to him and live.”
19. Many of the believers were scattered by the terrible things that happened after Stephen was killed. Some of them went to places as far away as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They were telling the message to others, but only to Jews.
20. Some of these believers were men from Cyprus and Cyrene. When they came to Antioch, they spoke also to Greeks, telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus.
21. The Lord was helping the believers. And a large group of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22. The church in Jerusalem heard about all of this, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch.