Acts 10:24–48

²⁴And on the next day he entered into Caesarea.

Peter Visits Cornelius

Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and^* had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵So it happened that when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his^* feet, and^* worshiped him.^{* 26}But Peter helped him up, saying, “Get up! I myself am also a man!” ²⁷And as he^* conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered. ²⁸And he said to them, “You know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or to approach a foreigner. And to me God has shown that I should call no man common or unclean. ²⁹Therefore—and without raising any objection—I came when I^* was sent for. So I ask for what reason you sent for me.”

³⁰And Cornelius said, “Four days ago at this hour,^e the ninth, I was praying in my house. And behold, a man in shining clothing stood before me ³¹and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God. ³²Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon who is also called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner,^f by the sea. ³³Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come.^g So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord.”

³⁴So Peter opened his^* mouth and^* said, “In truth I understand that God is not one who shows partiality, ³⁵but in every nation the one who fears him and who does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶As for^* the message that he sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—this one is Lord of all—³⁷you know the thing that happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism that John proclaimed: ³⁸Jesus of Nazareth—how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. ³⁹And we are witnesses of all the things that he did both in the land of the Judeans and in Jerusalem, whom they also executed by^* hanging him^* on a tree. ⁴⁰God raised this one up on the third day and granted that he should become visible, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who had been chosen beforehand by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this one is the one appointed^h by God as judge of the living and of the dead. ⁴³To this one all the prophets testify, that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”

The Holy Spirit Given to Gentiles

⁴⁴While^* Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were listening to the message. ⁴⁵And those believers from the circumcision who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, ⁴⁶for they heard them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷“Surely no one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did!” ⁴⁸So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for several days.