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ACTS 11
page 991
a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.
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 prepared, 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 declared 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 hesitation.
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 following day.
Cornelius was waiting for them and had called
together his relatives and close friends. 25 As
Peter entered his home, Cornelius 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,
10:14 Greek anything common and unclean. 10:39 Greek on
a tree. 10:41 Greek the people. 10:45 Greek The faithful
ones of the circumcision. 10:46 Or in other languages.
11:1 Greek brothers. 11:2 Greek those of the circumcision.
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 messengers to Joppa,
and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is
staying in the home of Simon, 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 peace with God
through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You
know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his
message of baptism. 38 And you know that God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power. Then Jesus went around doing
good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with him.
39 “And we apostles are witnesses of all he did
throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put
him to death by hanging him on a cross,* 40 but
God raised him to life on the third day. Then
God allowed him to appear, 41 not to the general public,* but to us whom God had chosen
in advance to be his witnesses. We were those
who ate and drank with him after he rose from
the dead. 42 And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living
and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets
testified about, saying that everyone who
believes in him will have their sins forgiven
through his name.”
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 Even as Peter was saying these things, the
Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to
the message. 45 The Jewish believers* who came
with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy
Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles,
too. 46 For they heard them speaking in other
tongues* and praising God.
Then Peter asked, 47 “Can anyone object to
their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48 So he
gave orders for them to be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him
to stay with them for several days.
Peter Explains His Actions
Soon the news reached the apostles and
other believers* in Judea that the Gentiles
had received the word of God. 2 But when Peter
arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers*
11