Acts 10:1-23
Peter Visits Cornelius
10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort.
10:2 He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people and prayed to God regularly.
10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”
10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have gone up as a memorial before God.
10:5 Now send men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is called Peter.
10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius called two of his personal servants and a devout soldier from among those who served him,
10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
10:9 About noon the next day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.
10:11 He saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down to earth by its four corners.
10:12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and wild birds.
10:13 Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter and eat!”
10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!”
10:15 The voice spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean!”
10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.
10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was and approached the gate.
10:18 They called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, was staying there as a guest.
10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you.
10:20 But get up, go down, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
10:21 So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you.”
10:23 So Peter invited them in and entertained them as guests.
On the next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.