Acts 10
10
Cornelius Calls for Peter
1A man named Cornelius lived in Caesarea. He was a Roman commander in the Italian Regiment. 2Cornelius and all his family were faithful and worshiped God. He gave freely to people who were in need. He prayed to God regularly. 3One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. He saw clearly an angel of God. The angel came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4Cornelius was afraid. He stared at the angel. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to poor people are like an offering to God. So he has remembered you. 5Now send men to Joppa. Have them bring back a man named Simon. He is also called Peter. 6He is staying with another Simon, a man who works with leather. His house is by the sea.”
7The angel who spoke to him left. Then Cornelius called two of his servants. He also called a godly soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa.
Peter Has a Vision
9It was about noon the next day. The men were on their journey and were approaching the city. Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry. He wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, Peter had a vision. 11He saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet. It was being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it. It also had reptiles and birds in it. 13Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14“No, Lord! I will not!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything that is not pure and ‘clean.’ ”
15The voice spoke to him a second time. It said, “Do not say anything is not pure that God has made ‘clean.’ ”
16This happened three times. Right away the sheet was taken back up to heaven.
17Peter was wondering what the vision meant. At that very moment the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. They stopped at the gate 18and called out. They asked if Simon Peter was staying there.
19Peter was still thinking about the vision. The Holy Spirit spoke to him. “Simon,” he said, “three men are looking for you. 20Get up and go downstairs. Don’t let anything keep you from going with them. I have sent them.”
21Peter went down and spoke to the men. “I’m the one you’re looking for,” he said. “Why have you come?”
22The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius, the Roman commander. He is a good man who worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to invite you to his house. Then Cornelius can hear what you have to say.” 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter Goes to the House of Cornelius
The next day Peter went with the three men. Some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them. He had called together his relatives and close friends. 25When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. As a sign of respect, he fell at Peter’s feet. 26But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said. “I am only a man myself.”
27As he was talking with Cornelius, Peter went inside. There he found a large group of people. 28He said to them, “You know that it is against our law for a Jew to enter a Gentile home. A Jew shouldn’t have any close contact with a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not say anyone is not pure and ‘clean.’ 29So when you sent for me, I came without asking any questions. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30Cornelius answered, “Three days ago at this very hour I was in my house praying. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me. 31He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has remembered your gifts to poor people. 32Send someone to Joppa to get Simon Peter. He is a guest in the home of another Simon, who works with leather. He lives by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you right away. It was good of you to come. Now we are all here. And God is here with us. We are ready to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34Then Peter began to speak. “I now realize how true it is that God treats everyone the same,” he said. 35“He accepts people from every nation. He accepts anyone who has respect for him and does what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel. It is the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened all through the area of Judea. It started in Galilee after John preached about baptism. 38You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.
39“We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by nailing him to a cross. 40But on the third day God raised him from the dead. God allowed Jesus to be seen. 41But he wasn’t seen by all the people. He was seen only by us. We are witnesses whom God had already chosen. We ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people. He told us to tell people that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. 43All the prophets tell about him. They say that all who believe in him have their sins forgiven through his name.”
44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45Some Jewish believers had come with Peter. They were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46They heard them speaking in languages they had not known before. They also heard them praising God.
Then Peter said, 47“Surely no one can keep these people from being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
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Acts 10: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Acts 10
10
1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort which is called Italian,
2 a devout man, fearing God with all his house, giving many alms to the people, and praying to God continually.
3 This man saw in a vision clearly, at about the ninth hour of the day, the Angel of God entering to him and saying to him: "Cornelius!"
4 And he, gazing at him, was seized by fear, and he said, "What is it, lord?" And he said to him: "Your prayers and your almsgiving have ascended as a memorial in the sight of God.
5 And now, send men to Joppa and summon a certain Simon, who is surnamed Peter.
6 This man is a guest with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is beside the sea. He will tell you what you must do."
7 And when the Angel who was speaking to him had departed, he called, out of those who were subject to him, two of his household servants and a soldier who feared the Lord.
8 And when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 Then, on the following day, while they were making the journey and approaching the city, Peter ascended to the upper rooms, so that he might pray, at about the sixth hour.
10 And since he was hungry, he wanted to enjoy some food. Then, as they were preparing it, an ecstasy of mind fell over him.
11 And he saw heaven opened, and a certain container descending, as if a great linen sheet were let down, by its four corners, from heaven to earth,
12 on which were all four-footed beasts, and the crawling things of the earth and the flying things of the air.
13 And a voice came to him: "Rise up, Peter! Kill and eat."
14 But Peter said: "Far be it from me, lord. For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."
15 And the voice, again a second time to him: "What God has purified, you shall not call common."
16 Now this was done three times. And immediately the container was taken up to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was still hesitant within himself as to what the vision, which he had seen, might mean, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius stood at the gate, inquiring about Simon's house.
18 And when they had called out, they asked if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, was a guest in that place.
19 Then, as Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men seek you.
20 And so, rise up, descend, and go with them, doubting nothing. For I have sent them."
21 Then Peter, descending to the men, said: "Behold, I am the one whom you seek. What is the reason for which you have arrived?"
22 And they said: "Cornelius, a centurion, a just and God-fearing man, who has good testimony from the entire nation of the Jews, received a message from a holy Angel to summon you to his house and to listen to words from you."
23 Therefore, leading them in, he received them as guests. Then, on following the day, rising up, he set out with them. And some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And on the next day, he entered Caesarea. And truly, Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his family and closest friends.
25 And it happened that, when Peter had entered, Cornelius went to meet him. And falling before his feet, he reverenced.
26 Yet truly, Peter, lifting him up, said: "Rise up, for I also am only a man."
27 And speaking with him, he entered, and he found many who had gathered together.
28 And he said to them: "You know how abominable it would be for a Jewish man to be joined with, or to be added to, a foreign people. But God has revealed to me to call no man common or unclean.
29 Because of this and without doubt, I came when summoned. Therefore, I ask you, for what reason have you summoned me?"
30 And Cornelius said: "It is now the fourth day, to this very hour, since I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in a white vestment, and he said:
31 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving has been remembered in the sight of God.
32 Therefore, send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. This man is a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, near the sea.'
33 And so, I promptly sent for you. And you have done well in coming here. Therefore, all of us are now present in your sight to hear all the things that were taught to you by the Lord."
34 Then, Peter, opening his mouth, said: "I have concluded in truth that God is not a respecter of persons.
35 But within every nation, whoever fears him and works justice is acceptable to him.
36 God sent the Word to the sons of Israel, announcing the peace through Jesus Christ, for he is the Lord of all.
37 You know that the Word has been made known throughout all Judea. For beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached,
38 Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, traveled around doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil. For God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all that he did in the region of Judea and in Jerusalem, he whom they killed by hanging him on a tree.
40 God raised him up on the third day and permitted him to be made manifest,
41 not to all the people, but to the witnesses preordained by God, to those of us who ate and drank with him after he rose again from the dead.
42 And he instructed us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the One who was appointed by God to be the judge of the living and of the dead.
43 To him all the Prophets offer testimony that through his name all who believe in him receive the remission of sins."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell over all of those who were listening to the Word.
45 And the faithful of the circumcision, who had arrived with Peter, were astonished that the grace of the Holy Spirit was also poured out upon the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God.
47 Then Peter responded, "How could anyone prohibit water, so that those who have received the Holy Spirit would not be baptized, just as we also have been?"
48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for some days.
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