Acts of the Apostles 10
10
Peter, Cornelius, and the Gentiles
1There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion in the Italian Company.#10.1 Or cohort(approximately six hundred soldiers) 2He and his whole household were pious, Gentile God-worshippers. He gave generously to those in need among the Jewish people and prayed to God constantly. 3One day at nearly three o’clock in the afternoon, he clearly saw an angel from God in a vision. The angel came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4Startled, he stared at the angel and replied, “What is it, Lord?”
The angel said, “Your prayers and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to God. 5Send messengers to Joppa at once and summon a certain Simon, the one known as Peter. 6He is a guest of Simon the tanner, whose house is near the seacoast.” 7When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants along with a pious soldier from his personal staff. 8He explained everything to them, then sent them to Joppa.
9At noon on the following day, as their journey brought them close to the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted to eat. While others were preparing the meal, he had a visionary experience. 11He saw heaven opened up and something like a large linen sheet being lowered to the earth by its four corners. 12Inside the sheet were all kinds of four-legged animals, reptiles, and wild birds.#10.12 Or birds in the sky 13A voice told him, “Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!”
14Peter exclaimed, “Absolutely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15The voice spoke a second time, “Never consider unclean what God has made pure.” 16This happened three times, then the object was suddenly pulled back into heaven.
17Peter was bewildered about the meaning of the vision. Just then, the messengers sent by Cornelius discovered the whereabouts of Simon’s house and arrived at the gate. 18Calling out, they inquired whether the Simon known as Peter was a guest there.
19While Peter was brooding over the vision, the Spirit interrupted him, “Look! Three people are looking for you. 20Go downstairs. Don’t ask questions; just go with them because I have sent them.”
21So Peter went downstairs and told them, “I’m the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22They replied, “We’ve come on behalf of Cornelius, a centurion and righteous man, a God-worshipper who is well-respected by all Jewish people. A holy angel directed him to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23Peter invited them into the house as his guests.
The next day he got up and went with them, together with some of the believers from Joppa. 24They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Anticipating their arrival, Cornelius had gathered his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in order to honor him. 26But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Get up! Like you, I’m just a human.” 27As they continued to talk, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them, “You all realize that it is forbidden for a Jew to associate or visit with outsiders. However, God has shown me that I should never call a person impure or unclean. 29For this reason, when you sent for me, I came without objection. I want to know, then, why you sent for me.”
30Cornelius answered, “Four days ago at this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me. 31He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to him. 32Therefore, send someone to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, located near the seacoast.’ 33I sent for you right away, and you were kind enough to come. Now, here we are, gathered in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has directed you to say.”
34Peter said, “I really am learning that God doesn’t show partiality to one group of people over another. 35Rather, in every nation, whoever worships him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36This is the message of peace he sent to the Israelites by proclaiming the good news through Jesus Christ: He is Lord of all! 37You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism John preached. 38You know about Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and endowed with power. Jesus traveled around doing good and healing everyone oppressed by the devil because God was with him. 39We are witnesses of everything he did, both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him up on the third day and allowed him to be seen, 41not by everyone but by us. We are witnesses whom God chose beforehand, who ate and drank with him after God raised him from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46They heard them speaking in other languages and praising God. Peter asked, 47“These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Surely no one can stop them from being baptized with water, can they?” 48He directed that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited Peter to stay for several days.
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Acts of the Apostles 10: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
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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