Acts 10:1-17; Acts 10:34-48

Acts 10:1-17

1 In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Cohort, as it was called.

2 He was a devout man who feared God with all his household; he gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.

3 One afternoon at about three o'clock he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius."

4 He stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" He answered, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

5 Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter;

6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."

7 When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him,

8 and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.

9 About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat; and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

11 He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.

12 In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.

13 Then he heard a voice saying, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat."

14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean."

15 The voice said to him again, a second time, "What God has made clean, you must not call profane."

16 This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up to heaven.

17 Now while Peter was greatly puzzled about what to make of the vision that he had seen, suddenly the men sent by Cornelius appeared. They were asking for Simon's house and were standing by the gate.

Acts 10:34-48

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality,

35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.

37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;

40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,

41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.

43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word.

45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,

46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said,

47 "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.