Acts 10

Peter and Cornelius

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of *Matt. 27:27;Mark 15:16;John 18:3,12what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man *ver. 22;ch. 13:16,26who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. 3 *See ch. 3:1About the ninth hour of the day*10:3 That is, 3 p.m.*ver. 17, 19he saw clearly in a vision *See ch. 8:26an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius." 4 And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms *Rev. 8:4;[Ps. 141:2;Dan. 10:12] have ascended *Matt. 26:13;Mark 14:9;[ver. 31; Heb. 6:10]as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is lodging *ch. 9:43with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Vision

9 The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, *For ver. 9-32, see ch. 11:5-14Peter went up *[2 Kgs. 23:12;Jer. 19:13;32:29;Zeph. 1:5]; See 1 Sam. 9:25on the housetop about *Ps. 55:17the sixth hour*10:9 That is, noon to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into *ch. 22:17a trance 11 and saw *See John 1:51the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; *Ezek. 4:14;Dan. 1:8for I have never eaten anything that is *ver. 28common or *Lev. 11:2-47;20:25;Deut. 14:4-20unclean." 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, *Rom. 14:2,14,20;1 Tim. 4:4;Titus 1:15;[Matt. 15:11;Mark 7:15,19;1 Cor. 10:25]"What God has made clean, do not call common."16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.

17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what *ver. 3the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, *ver. 7, 8the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering *[See ver. 17above] the vision, *See ch. 8:29the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down and *[ch. 15:7-9]accompany them without hesitation,*10:20 Or accompany them, making no distinction for I have sent them." 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?" 22 And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and *See ver. 2God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by *See Mark 8:38a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and *ch. 11:14to hear what you have to say." 23 So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and *ver. 45;[ch. 11:12] some of *See John 21:23the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and *ch. 16:29;Dan. 2:46fell down at his feet and *See Matt. 8:2worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, *Rev. 19:10;22:8,9;[ch. 14:15]"Stand up; I too am a man." 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew *[ch. 11:3;John 4:9;18:28;Gal. 2:12] to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but *[ver. 35]; See ver. 14, 15God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."

30 And Cornelius said, *ver. 9, 23, 24"Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at *See ch. 3:1the ninth hour,*10:30 That is, 3 p.m. and behold, *[ch. 1:10]a man stood before me in bright clothing 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, *See ver. 4your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that *[ver. 28; ch. 15:19;Deut. 1:17;Rom. 3:29]; See Deut. 10:17God *Prov. 24:23;James 2:1,9;[Jude 16]shows no partiality, 35 but *[See ver. 34above] in every nation anyone who fears him and *Isa. 64:5does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for *ch. 13:26;Ps. 107:20;147:18,19the word that he sent to Israel, *Isa. 52:7;Nah. 1:15;Eph. 2:17preaching good news of *See Luke 2:14peace through Jesus Christ (*Rom. 10:12;[Rev. 17:14;19:16]; See ch. 2:36;Matt. 28:18he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, *Luke 24:47beginning *Matt. 4:12;Mark 1:14from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how *[Matt. 3:16;John 1:32,33]; See ch. 4:26God anointed Jesus of Nazareth *[ch. 1:2;2:22;Matt. 12:28;Luke 4:18;Rom. 1:4] with the Holy Spirit and with *[Luke 6:19] power. He went about doing good and healing all *See Matt. 4:24;Luke 13:16who were oppressed by the devil, *See John 8:29;10:38for God was with him. 39 And *ver. 41;See ch. 2:32;Luke 24:48we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. *ch. 5:30They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but *See ch. 2:24God raised him on *See Luke 9:22the third day and made him to *ch. 1:3appear, 41 *[John 14:21,22] not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as *ver. 39witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And *See ch. 1:2he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify *ch. 17:31;24:25;John 5:22,27;2 Cor. 5:10;See Matt. 16:27that he is the one appointed by God to be judge *2 Tim. 4:1;1 Pet. 4:5;[Rom. 14:9,10;1 Thess. 4:15,17]of the living and the dead. 43 *ch. 26:22;Rom. 3:21;[Jer. 31:34] To him *ch. 3:18,24;Luke 24:27all the prophets bear witness that *ch. 11:17;13:39;15:9;Rom. 9:33;10:11;Gal. 3:22everyone who believes in him receives *ch. 5:31forgiveness of sins *ch. 2:38;4:12;John 20:31;1 John 2:12through his name."

The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles

44 While Peter was still saying these things, *ch. 11:15;15:8;1 Thess. 1:5;See ch. 2:4the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among *ver. 23;[ch. 11:2] the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because *See ch. 2:38the gift of the Holy Spirit *See ch. 2:17was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them *See Mark 16:17speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 *ch. 8:36"Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit *ch. 2:4;11:17;15:8just as we have?" 48 And he *[1 Cor. 1:14-17] commanded them *ch. 2:38;See ch. 8:12,16to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.