Acts 10
1 In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who
was a captain of the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout man who
feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household. He gave
generously to charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God. 3
One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw
an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said. 4
Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the
angel.And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor
have not gone unnoticed by God! 5 Now send some men down to Joppa
to find a man named Simon Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon, a
leatherworker who lives near the shore. Ask him to come and visit
you." 7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his
household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal
attendants. 8 He told them what had happened and sent them off to
Joppa.
9 The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city,
Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, 10 and
he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a
trance. 11 He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet
was let down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were all sorts of
animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him, "Get up,
Peter; kill and eat them." 14 "Never, Lord," Peter declared. "I
have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish
laws. F48 " 15 The voice spoke again, "If God says something is
acceptable, don't say it isn't." F49 16 The same vision was
repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven.
17 Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then
the men sent by Cornelius found the house and stood outside at the
gate. 18 They asked if this was the place where Simon Peter was
staying.
19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy
Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you. 20 Go
down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have
sent them." 21 So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are
looking for. Why have you come?" 22 They said, "We were sent by
Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout man who fears the God of
Israel and is well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel
instructed him to send for you so you can go to his house and give
him a message." 23 So Peter invited the men to be his guests for
the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some
other believers F50 from Joppa. 24 They arrived in Caesarea the
following day. Cornelius was waiting for him and had called
together his relatives and close friends to meet Peter. 25 As Peter
entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in
worship. 26 But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a
human being like you!" 27 So Cornelius got up, and they talked
together and went inside where the others were assembled. 28 Peter
told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come
into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should
never think of anyone as impure. 29 So I came as soon as I was sent
for. Now tell me why you sent for me." 30 Cornelius replied, "Four
days ago I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the
afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in
front of me. 31 He told me, 'Cornelius, your prayers have been
heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! 32 Now
send some men to Joppa and summon Simon Peter. He is staying in the
home of Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore.' 33 So I
sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now here we
are, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given
you."
34 Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show
partiality. 35 In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do
what is right. 36 I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for
the people of Israel that there is peace with God through Jesus
Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what happened all through
Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching.
38 And no doubt you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good
and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with
him. 39 "And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout
Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifying him,
40 but God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed
him to appear, 41 not to the general public, F51 but to us whom God
had chosen beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate
and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he ordered
us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is ordained of
God to be the judge of all the living and the dead. 43 He is the
one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who
believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his
name."
44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon
all who had heard the message. 45 The Jewish believers who came
with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been
poured out upon the Gentiles, too. 46 And there could be no doubt
about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising
God.Then Peter asked, 47 "Can anyone object to their being
baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we
did?" 48 So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for
several days.
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FOOTNOTES:
F48: Greek anything common and unclean.
F49: Greek "What God calls clean you must not call unclean."
F50: Greek brothers.
F51: Greek the people.
