The Acts of the Apostles 10

Peter’s vision

1In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion with the cohort called “the Italian.” 2He was devout, and he and all his household revered God. He gave alms generously to the people, and constantly prayed to God.

3He had a vision. Around three o’clock in the afternoon he saw, quite clearly, one of God’s angels coming to him.

“Cornelius!” said the angel.

4He looked hard at him, terrified.

“What is it, Sir?” he said.

“Your prayers and your alms have come to God’s notice,” said the angel. 5“What you must do is this. Send men to Joppa, and ask for someone called Simon, surnamed Peter. 6He is staying with a man called Simon, a tanner, whose house is beside the sea.”

7When the angel who had spoken with him went away, he called two of his household and a devout soldier from among his retinue. 8He explained everything to them, and sent them off to Joppa.

9The next day, as they were on their journey and getting near the town, Peter went up onto the roof of the house to pray. It was around midday; 10he was hungry, and asked for something to eat. While they were preparing it, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sail coming down towards the earth, suspended by its four corners. 12In the sail there was every kind of four-footed creature, reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then he heard a voice: “Get up, Peter!” said the voice. “Kill and eat!”

14“Certainly not, Master!” said Peter. “I’ve never eaten anything common or unclean!”

15“What God has made clean,” said the voice, coming now for a second time, “you must not regard as common.”

16This all happened three times, and then suddenly the sail was whisked back up to heaven.

Peter goes to Cornelius

17When Peter came to himself, he was puzzled as to what the vision he had seen was all about. Then, suddenly, the men sent by Cornelius appeared, standing by the gate. They had been asking for Simon’s house, 18inquiring if someone by the name of Simon called Peter was staying there. 19Peter was still pondering the vision, when the spirit spoke to him.

“Look,” said the spirit. “There are three men searching for you. 20It’s all right; get up, go down and go with them. Don’t be prejudiced; I have sent them.”

21So Peter went down to the men.

“Here I am,” he said. “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22“There is a man called Cornelius,” they replied. “He is a centurion, and he is a righteous and God-fearing man. The whole people of the Jews will testify to him. A holy angel told him in a vision to send for you to come to his house, so that he can hear any words you may have to say.”

23So he invited them in and put them up for the night.

In the morning he got up and went with them. Some of the believers from Joppa went with him. 24They reached Caesarea the following day. Cornelius had summoned his relatives and close friends and was waiting for him.

25When Peter came in, Cornelius went to meet him. He fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

26“Get up!” said Peter, lifting him up. “I’m just a man, too.”

27So they talked together, and Peter came in and found lots of people assembled.

28“You must know,” he said to them, “that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to mix with or visit a Gentile. But God showed me that I should call nobody ‘common’ or ‘unclean.’ 29So I came when I was asked, and raised no objections. Do tell me, then, the reason why you sent for me.”

30“Four days ago,” answered Cornelius, “I was praying in my house at around this time, about three o’clock, and suddenly a man stood beside me in shining clothes. 31‘Cornelius,’ he said, ‘your prayer has been heard, and your almsgiving has been remembered by God. 32So send someone to Joppa and call Simon, who is named Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner, beside the sea.’ 33So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. So now we are all here, in God’s presence, to listen to everything which the Lord has told you to say.”

Telling the Gentiles about Jesus

34Peter took a deep breath and began.

“It’s become clear to me,” he said, “that God really does show no favoritism. 35No: in every race, people who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him. 36He sent his word to the children of Israel, announcing peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all! 37You know all about this, and how the word spread through all Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

38“God anointed this man, Jesus of Nazareth, with the holy spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were overpowered by the devil, since God was with him. 39We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of Judaea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree; 40but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen, 41not indeed by all the people, but by those of us whom God had appointed beforehand. We ate and drank with him after he had been raised from the dead. 42And he commanded us to announce to the people, and to bear testimony, that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets give their witness: he is the one! Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his Name.”

44While Peter was still saying all this, the holy spirit fell on everyone who was listening to the word. 45The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished, because the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too. 46They heard them speaking with tongues and praising God.

Then Peter spoke up.

47“Nobody can deny these people water to be baptized, can they?” he said. “They have received the holy spirit, just like we did!” 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah.

Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

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The Acts of the Apostles 10: NTFE

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a. The New Testament for Everyone, Third Edition. Copyright © 2011, 2018, 2019 by Nicholas Thomas Wright, The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. All rights reserved. Published by Zondervan, 2023.

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