1A man named Cornelius lived in Caesarea. He was a Roman commander in the Italian Regiment.2Cornelius and all his family were faithful and worshipped God. He gave freely to people who were in need. He prayed to God regularly.3One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. He saw clearly an angel of God. The angel came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’4Cornelius was afraid. He stared at the angel. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to poor people are like an offering to God. So he has remembered you.5Now send men to Joppa. Let them bring back a man named Simon. He is also called Peter.6He is staying with another Simon, a man who works with leather. His house is by the sea.’7The angel who spoke to him left. Then Cornelius called two of his servants. He also called a godly soldier who was one of his attendants.8He told them everything that had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa.
Peter has a vision
9It was about noon the next day. The men were on their journey and were approaching the city. Peter went up on the roof to pray.10He became hungry. He wanted something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, Peter had a vision.11He saw heaven open up. There he saw something that looked like a large sheet. It was being let down to earth by its four corners.12It had all kinds of four-footed animals in it. It also had reptiles and birds in it.13Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’14‘No, Lord! I will not!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything that is not pure and “clean”. ’15The voice spoke to him a second time. It said, ‘Do not say anything is not pure that God has made “clean”. ’16This happened three times. Right away the sheet was taken back up to heaven.17Peter was wondering what the vision meant. At that very moment the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. They stopped at the gate18and called out. They asked if Simon Peter was staying there.19Peter was still thinking about the vision. The Holy Spirit spoke to him. ‘Simon’, he said, ‘three men are looking for you.20Get up and go downstairs. Don’t let anything keep you from going with them. I have sent them.’21Peter went down and spoke to the men. ‘I’m the one you’re looking for,’ he said. ‘Why have you come?’22The men replied, ‘We have come from Cornelius, the Roman commander. He is a good man who worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to invite you to his house. Then Cornelius can hear what you have to say.’
Peter goes to the house of Cornelius
23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next day Peter went with the three men. Some of the believers from Joppa went along.24The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them. He had called together his relatives and close friends.25When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. As a sign of respect, he fell at Peter’s feet.26But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up’, he said. ‘I am only a man myself.’27As he was talking with Cornelius, Peter went inside. There he found a large group of people.28He said to them, ‘You know that it is against our law for a Jew to enter a Gentile home. A Jew shouldn’t have any close contact with a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not say anyone is not pure and “clean”.29So when you sent for me, I came without asking any questions. May I ask why you sent for me?’30Cornelius answered, ‘Three days ago at this very hour I was in my house praying. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me.31He said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has remembered your gifts to poor people.32Send someone to Joppa to get Simon Peter. He is a guest in the home of another Simon, who works with leather. He lives by the sea.”33So I sent for you right away. It was good of you to come. Now we are all here. And God is here with us. We are ready to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.’34Then Peter began to speak. ‘I now realise how true it is that God treats everyone the same,’ he said.35‘He accepts people from every nation. He accepts anyone who has respect for him and does what is right.36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel. It is the good news of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all.37You know what has happened all through the area of Judea. It started in Galilee after John preached about baptism.38You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.39‘We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by nailing him to a cross.40But on the third day God raised him from the dead. God allowed Jesus to be seen.41But he wasn’t seen by all the people. He was seen only by us. We are witnesses whom God had already chosen. We ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.42He commanded us to preach to the people. He told us to tell people that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.43All the prophets tell about him. They say that all who believe in him have their sins forgiven through his name.’44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.45Some Jewish believers had come with Peter. They were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.46They heard them speaking in languages they had not known before. They also heard them praising God. Then Peter said,47‘Surely no one can keep these people from being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’48So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Acts 10
English Standard Version
Peter and Cornelius
1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, (Mt 27:27; Mr 15:16; Joh 18:3; Joh 18:12)2a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. (Ac 10:22; Ac 13:16; Ac 13:26)3About the ninth hour of the day[1] he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” (Ac 3:1; Ac 8:26; Ac 10:17; Ac 10:19)4And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. (Ps 141:2; Da 10:12; Mt 26:13; Mr 14:9; Ac 10:31; Heb 6:10; Re 8:4)5And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.6He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.” (Ac 9:43)7When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him,8and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour[2] to pray. (1Sa 9:25; 2Ki 23:12; Ps 55:17; Jer 19:13; Jer 32:29; Zep 1:5; Ac 11:5)10And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance (Ac 22:17)11and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. (Joh 1:51)12In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.13And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”14But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” (Le 11:2; Le 20:25; De 14:4; Eze 4:14; Da 1:8; Ac 10:28)15And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Mt 15:11; Mr 7:15; Mr 7:19; Ro 14:2; Ro 14:14; Ro 14:20; 1Co 10:25; 1Ti 4:4; Tit 1:15)16This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.17Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision that he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood at the gate (Ac 10:3; Ac 10:7)18and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there.19And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. (Ac 8:29; Ac 10:17)20Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation,[3] for I have sent them.” (Ac 15:7)21And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”22And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” (Mr 8:38; Ac 10:2; Ac 11:14)23So he invited them in to be his guests. The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. (Joh 21:23; Ac 10:45; Ac 11:12)24And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. (Da 2:46; Mt 8:2; Ac 16:29)26But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” (Ac 14:15; Re 19:10; Re 22:8)27And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered.28And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. (Joh 4:9; Joh 18:28; Ac 10:14; Ac 10:35; Ac 11:3; Ga 2:12)29So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”30And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour,[4] and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing (Ac 1:10; Ac 3:1; Ac 10:9; Ac 10:23)31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. (Ac 10:4)32Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’33So 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.”
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. (Ac 2:4; Ac 11:15; Ac 15:8; 1Th 1:5)45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. (Ac 2:17; Ac 2:38; Ac 10:23; Ac 11:2)46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, (Mr 16:17)47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (Ac 2:4; Ac 8:36; Ac 11:17; Ac 15:8)48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (Ac 2:38; Ac 8:12; Ac 8:16; 1Co 1:14)