NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 34
A cts 1 0 : 5
1990
And the angel replied, “Your prayers and
gifts to the poor have been received by God
as an offering! 5 Now send some men to Jop
pa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.
6 He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives
near the seashore.”
7 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornel
ius called two of his household servants and
a devout soldier, one of his personal atten
dants. 8 He told them what had happened
and sent them off to Joppa.
Peter Visits Cornelius
9 The next day as Cornelius’s messengers
were nearing the town, Peter went up on the
flat roof to pray. It was about noon, 10 and he
was hungry. But while a meal was being pre
pared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw the sky
open, and something like a large sheet was let
down by its four corners. 12 In the sheet were
all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then
a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat
them.”
14 “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never
eaten anything that our Jewish laws have de
clared impure and unclean.*”
15 But the voice spoke again: “Do not call
something unclean if God has made it clean.”
16 The same vision was repeated three times.
Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to
heaven.
17 Peter was very perplexed. What could
the vision mean? Just then the men sent by
Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing
outside the gate, 18 they asked if a man named
Simon Peter was staying there.
19 Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over
the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three
men have come looking for you. 20 Get up, go
downstairs, and go with them without hesita
tion. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”
21 So Peter went down and said, “I’m the
man you are looking for. Why have you
come?”
22 They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a
Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing
man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy
angel instructed him to summon you to his
house so that he can hear your message.” 23 So
Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The
next day he went with them, accompanied by
some of the brothers from Joppa.
24 They arrived in Caesarea the follow
ing day. Cornelius was waiting for them and
had called together his relatives and close
friends. 25 As Peter entered his home, Cornel
ius fell at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But
Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m
a human being just like you!” 27 So they talked
together and went inside, where many others
were assembled.
28 Peter told them, “You know it is against
our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile
home like this or to associate with you. But
God has shown me that I should no longer
think of anyone as impure or unclean. 29 So I
came without objection as soon as I was sent
for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”
30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was
praying in my house about this same time,
three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a
man in dazzling clothes was standing in front
of me. 31 He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer
has been heard, and your gifts to the poor
have been noticed by God! 32 Now send mes
sengers to Joppa, and summon a man named
Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Si
mon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’
33 So I sent for you at once, and it was good
of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting
before God to hear the message the Lord has
given you.”
The Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that
God shows no favoritism. 35 In every nation
he accepts those who fear him and do what
is right. 36 This is the message of Good News
for the people of Israel—that there is l peace
with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord
of all. 37 You know what happened through
out Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John
10:6
Acts 9:43
10:932
//Acts 11:514
10:11
Ezek 1:13
Matt 3:16
Acts 7:56
10:14
Lev 11:147
Ezek 4:14
10:15
Matt 15:11
Rom 14:14, 17, 20
1 Cor 10:25
1 Tim 4:34
Titus 1:15
10:19
Acts 11:12; 13:2
10:20
Acts 15:79
10:22
Acts 10:2
10:23
Acts 10:45; 11:12
10:24
Acts 8:40
10:2526
Acts 14:1315
Rev 19:10; 22:9
10:28
John 4:9
Acts 11:3; 15:9
10:3033
Acts 10:18
10:34
Deut 10:17
Rom 2:11
Col 3:25
10:35
Acts 15:9
10:36
Rom 5:1
Eph 2:17
l eire-ne- (1515)
Rom
5:1
10:14 Greek anything common and unclean.
10:916 Peter received the same vision
three times to confirm its truthfulness
(see Gen 41:32; 2 Cor 13:1).
10:14 See Lev 11 for a description of
animals that Jewish laws have declared
impure and unclean.
10:17 Peter was very perplexed: The
meaning of the vision would become
clear through the events that followed
(10:1748; see 11:118): Peter should not
hesitate to enter or even eat in the home
of a Gentile because God has accepted
Gentiles and cleansed them.
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
10:2526 Cornelius . . . worshiped him:
This act must have been more than
traditional obeisance to a high-ranking
person. The Bible restricts worship to
God alone (see 14:1117; Exod 20:3; Deut
5:7; Matt 22:3738; Mark 12:2930; Luke
10:27; 1 Cor 10:14; Col 3:5; 1 Pet 4:3; 1 Jn
5:21; Rev 4:10; 9:20; 22:89). Peter was
just a fellow human being whom Corne
lius should not worship.
10:3435 God shows no favoritism: See
Deut 10:17; 2 Chr 19:7; Job 34:19; Luke
20:21; Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; Col 3:25; 1 Pet
1:17. The application of this principle is
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
the meaning of Peter’s vision (10:916).
• In every nation he accepts those who
fear him and do what is right: See Rom
10:1113.
10:3643 Peter repeatedly underscores
the importance of the apostolic witnesses to the message of Good News. The
apostles ate and drank with Jesus (see
Luke 24:4143) and were eyewitnesses of
his resurrection, so they could attest that
he had conquered death (see Acts 3:15;
4:33; 13:3031). The original apostles
were chosen in advance to be his witnesses (see 1:1226); gradually, others
POETRY & WISDOM
