Acts 9:43 – 10:33

Acts 9

⁴³ Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named Simon the tanner.

Cornelius Sees a Vision

Acts 10

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, who was a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment. ² He was devout and God-fearing, as was his entire family. He gave generous gifts to the poor and always prayed to God.

³ One day at about the ninth hour, ^[1] he clearly saw a vision in which an angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in terror and replied, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel told him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have gone up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to get a man named Simon, who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying as a guest with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had left, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier who was one of his personal attendants. ⁸ After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter Sees a Vision

⁹ The next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray at about the sixth hour. ^{[2] 10} He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and an object coming down. It was like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. ^{[3] 12} In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ^[4] of the earth and birds of the sky.

¹³ Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

¹⁴ But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ Yet the voice came to him a second time: “What God has made clean, you must not continue to call unclean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and then the object was immediately taken up to heaven. ^[5]

¹⁷ While Peter was inwardly perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, just then the men who were sent by Cornelius arrived. They had asked for directions to Simon’s house and were standing at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there as a guest.

¹⁹ While Peter was still deep in thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “See, three men are looking for you! ²⁰ Now get up, go downstairs, and don’t hesitate to go with them, because I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

²² They replied, “Cornelius the centurion is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is highly respected by the whole Jewish nation. He was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to what you have to say.” ²³ So Peter invited them in and received them as guests.

Peter Goes to the Home of Cornelius

The next day, Peter got ready and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along with him. ²⁴ The following day, he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter was about to enter the house, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshipped him. ²⁶ But Peter helped him up and said, “Stand up! I too am just a man.”

²⁷ While he talked with him, Peter went inside and found many people gathered there. ²⁸ He said to them, “You understand how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to associate with or visit anyone who is not a Jew. But God showed me that I should no longer continue to call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ That is why I came without objection when you sent for me. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius replied, “From four days ago to this hour, I have been fasting. At the ninth hour, ^[6] I was praying in my house when a man in shining clothes suddenly stood in front of me. ³¹ He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your gifts to the poor have been remembered in God’s sight. ³² Therefore send to Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you. ^[7]’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything that the Lord ^[8] has instructed you to say.”