Acts 10–11

Cornelius Calls for Peter

At Caesarea^a there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;^b he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon^c he had a vision.^d He distinctly saw an angel^e of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering^f before God.^g Now send men to Joppa^h to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner,ⁱ whose house is by the sea.”

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.^j

Peter’s Vision

10:9-32^Ref — Ac 11:5–14

About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof^a to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.^b He saw heaven opened^c and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

“Surely not, Lord!”^d Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”^e

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”^f

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision,^g the men sent by Cornelius^h found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

While Peter was still thinking about the vision,ⁱ the Spirit said^j to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”^k

Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man,^l who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”^m Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers^a from Joppa went along.^b The following day he arrived in Caesarea.^c Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only human myself.”^d

While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people.^e He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with Gentiles or visit them.^f But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.^g So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes^h stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritismⁱ but accepts those from every nation who fear him and do what is right.^j You know the message^k God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news^l of peace^m through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.ⁿ You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed^o Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing^p all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.^q

“We are witnesses^r of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,^s but God raised him from the dead^t on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people,^u but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate^v and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people^w and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.^x All the prophets testify about him^y that everyone^z who believes^a in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”^b

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on^c all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^d were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^e even on Gentiles.^f For they heard them speaking in tongues^g and praising God.

Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.^h They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”ⁱ So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.^j Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Peter Explains His Actions

The apostles and the believers^a throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.^b So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers^c criticized him and said, “You went into the house of the uncircumcised and ate with them.”^d

Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.^e I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’^f This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

“Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea^g stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told^h me to have no hesitation about going with them.ⁱ These six brothers^j also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen an angel^k appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message^l through which you and all your household^m will be saved.’

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came onⁿ them as he had come on us at the beginning.^o Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water,^p but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’^q So if God gave them the same gift^r he gave us^s who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”^t

The Church in Antioch

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed^a traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch,^b spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus^c and Cyrene,^d went to Antioch^e and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news^f about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them,^g and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.^h

News of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabasⁱ to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,^j he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.^k He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit^l and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.^m

Then Barnabas went to Tarsusⁿ to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples^o were called Christians first^p at Antioch.

During this time some prophets^q came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus,^r stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.^s (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)^t The disciples,^u as each one was able, decided to provide help^v for the believers^w living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders^x by Barnabas^y and Saul.^z