Cornelius Has a Vision

1Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centuriona in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He was a devout man who feared God, as did everyone in his home. He gave many gifts to the poor among the people and always prayed to God.

3One day, about three in the afternoon,b he had a vision and clearly saw an angel of God coming to him and saying to him, “Cornelius!”

4He stared at the angelc in terror and asked, “What is it, Lord?”

The angeld answered him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have arisen as a remindere to God. 5Send men now to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. 6He is a guest of Simon, a leatherworker, whose house is by the sea.”

7When the angel who had spoken to him had gone, Corneliusf summoned two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of those who served him regularly. 8He explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa.

Peter Has a Vision

9Around noong the next day, while they were on their way and coming close to the town, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became very hungry and wanted to eat, and while the foodh was being prepared, he fell into a trance 11and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground. 12In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds of the air.

13Then a voice told him,i “Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it.”

14But Peter said, “Absolutely not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean!”

15Again the voice came to him a second time, “You must stop calling unclean what God has made clean.” 16This happened three times. Then the sheetj was quickly taken back into heaven.

17While Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon’s house and went to the gate. 18They called out and asked if Simon who was called Peter was staying there. 19Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 20Get up, go downstairs, and don’t hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

21So Peter went to the men and said, “I’m the man you’re looking for. Why are you here?”

22The men replied, “Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say.”

23So Peterk welcomed them as his guests. The next day, he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along with him.

Peter Speaks with Cornelius

24The next day, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called his relatives and close friends together. 25When Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him, bowed down at his feet, and began to worship him. 26But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up! I, too, am only a man.”

27As Peterl talked with him, he went in and found that many people had gathered. 28He told them, “You understand how wrong it is for a Jew to associate or visit with unbelievers.m But God has shown me that I should stop calling anyone common or unclean, 29and that is why I didn’t hesitate when I was sent for. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”

30Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, three o’clock in the afternoon,n I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me 31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard. God has remembered your gifts to the poor, 32so send messengerso to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, to come to you. He is a guest in the home of Simon, a leatherworker, by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say.”

34Then Peter began to speak: “Now I understand that God shows no partiality. 35Indeed, whoever fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation. 36He has sent his word to the descendants of Israel and brought them the good news of peace through Jesus the Messiah.p This man is the Lord of everyone. 37You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. 38God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil. 39We are witnesses of everything Jesusq did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem.

“They hung him on a tree and killed him, 40but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear— 41not to all the people, but to us who were chosen by God to be witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify to this: everyone who believes in Jesusr receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

44While Peter was still making this statement, the Holy Spirit fell on all the people who were listening to his message. 45Then the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the gentiles, too, 46because they heard them speaking in foreign languagess and praising God. Then Peter said, 47“No one can stop us from using water to baptize these people who have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did, can they?”t 48So Peteru ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah.v Then they asked him to stay there for several days.