Acts 10–11

Chapter 10

¹But a certain man in Caesarea, —by name Cornelius, a centurion of the band called Italic, ²pious, and fearing God with all his house, both giving much alms to the people, and supplicating God continually, ³—saw plainly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius. ⁴But he, having fixed his eyes upon him, and become full of fear, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Thy prayers and thine alms have gone up for a memorial before God. ⁵And now send men to Joppa and fetch Simon, who is surnamed Peter. ⁶He lodges with a certain Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. ⁷And when the angel who was speaking to him had departed, having called two of his household and a pious soldier of those who were constantly with him, ⁸and related all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹And on the morrow, as these were journeying and drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the house to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰And he became hungry and desired to eat. But as they were making ready an ecstasy came upon him: ¹¹and he beholds the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as a great sheet, bound by the four corners and let down to the earth; ¹²in which were all the quadrupeds and creeping things of the earth, and the fowls of the heaven. ¹³And there was a voice to him, Rise, Peter, slay and eat. ¹⁴And Peter said, In no wise, Lord; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean. ¹⁵And there was a voice again the second time to him, What God has cleansed, do not thou make common. ¹⁶And this took place thrice, and the vessel was straightway taken up into heaven. ¹⁷And as Peter doubted in himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold also the men who were sent by Cornelius, having sought out the house of Simon, stood at the gate, ¹⁸and having called some one, they inquired if Simon who was surnamed Peter was lodged there.

¹⁹But as Peter continued pondering over the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek thee; ²⁰but rise up, go down, and go with them, nothing doubting, because I have sent them. ²¹And Peter going down to the men said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye come? ²²And they said, Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man, and fearing God, and borne witness to by the whole nation of the Jews, has been divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for thee to his house, and hear words from thee. ²³Having therefore invited them in, he lodged them. And on the morrow, rising up he went away with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him. ²⁴And on the morrow they came to Caesarea. But Cornelius was looking for them, having called together his kinsmen and his intimate friends. ²⁵And when Peter was now coming in, Cornelius met him, and falling down did him homage. ²⁶But Peter made him rise, saying, Rise up: I myself also am a man. ²⁷And he went in, talking with him, and found many gathered together. ²⁸And he said to them, Ye know how it is unlawful for a Jew to be joined or come to one of a strange race, and to me God has shewn to call no man common or unclean. ²⁹Wherefore also, having been sent for, I came without saying anything against it. I inquire therefore for what reason ye have sent for me. ³⁰And Cornelius said, Four days ago I had been fasting unto this hour, and the ninth I was praying in my house, and lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing, ³¹and said, Cornelius, thy prayer has been heard, and thy alms have come in remembrance before God. ³²Send therefore to Joppa and fetch Simon, who is surnamed Peter; he lodges in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea who when he is come will speak to thee. ³³Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast well done in coming. Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

³⁴And Peter opening his mouth said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, ³⁵but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. ³⁶The word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, (he is Lord of all things,) ³⁷ye know; the testimony which has spread through the whole of Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached— ³⁸Jesus who was of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went through all quarters doing good, and healing all that were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. ³⁹We also are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom they also slew, having hanged him on a cross. ⁴⁰This man God raised up the third day and gave him to be openly seen, ⁴¹not of all the people, but of witnesses who were chosen before of God, us who have eaten and drunk with him after he arose from among the dead. ⁴²And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he it is who was determinately appointed of God to be judge of living and dead. ⁴³To him all the prophets bear witness that every one that believes on him will receive through his name remission of sins.

⁴⁴While Peter was yet speaking these words the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were hearing the word. ⁴⁵And the faithful of the circumcision were astonished, as many as came with Peter, that upon the nations also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out: ⁴⁶for they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, ⁴⁷Can any one forbid water that these should not be baptised, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did? ⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Then they begged him to stay some days.

Chapter 11

¹And the apostles and the brethren who were in Judaea heard that the nations also had received the word of God; ²and when Peter went up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision contended with him, ³saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and hast eaten with them. ⁴But Peter began and set forth the matter to them in order, saying, ⁵I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in an ecstasy I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending like a great sheet, let down by four corners out of heaven, and it came even to me: ⁶on which having fixed mine eyes, I considered, and saw the quadrupeds of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the heaven. ⁷And I heard also a voice saying to me, Rise up, Peter, slay and eat. ⁸And I said, In no wise, Lord, for common or unclean has never entered into my mouth. ⁹And a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God has cleansed, do not thou make common. ¹⁰And this took place thrice, and again all was drawn up into heaven; ¹¹and lo, immediately three men were at the house in which I was, sent to me from Caesarea. ¹²And the Spirit said to me to go with them, nothing doubting. And there went with me these six brethren also, and we entered into the house of the man, ¹³and he related to us how he had seen the angel in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa and fetch Simon, who is surnamed Peter, ¹⁴who shall speak words to thee whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house. ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them even as upon us also at the beginning. ¹⁶And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John baptised with water, but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷If then God has given them the same gift as also to us when we had believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who indeed was I to be able to forbid God? ¹⁸And when they heard these things they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then indeed God has to the nations also granted repentance to life.

¹⁹They then who had been scattered abroad through the tribulation that took place on the occasion of Stephen, passed through the country to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but to Jews alone. ²⁰But there were certain of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who entering into Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, announcing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. ²²And the report concerning them reached the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go through as far as Antioch: ²³who, having arrived and seeing the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted all with purpose of heart to abide with the Lord; ²⁴for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and a large crowd of people were added to the Lord. ²⁵And he went away to Tarsus to seek out Saul. ²⁶And having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And so it was with them that for a whole year they were gathered together in the assembly and taught a large crowd: and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

²⁷Now in these days prophets went down from Jerusalem to Antioch; ²⁸and one from among them, by name Agabus, rose up and signified by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine over all the inhabited earth, which also came to pass under Claudius. ²⁹And they determined, according as any one of the disciples was well off, each of them to send to the brethren who dwelt in Judaea, to minister to them; ³⁰which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.