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Cornelius' Vision

¹ Now there was a man in ^(C1)Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was ^(C2)called the Italian ^(F1)cohort,² a devout man and ^(C1)one who feared God with all his household, and ^(C2)made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.³ About ^(C1)the ^(F1)ninth hour of the day he clearly saw ^(C2)in a vision ^(C3)an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!"⁴ And he ^(C1)looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, "What is it, lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and charitable gifts ^(C2)have ascended ^(C3)as a memorial offering before God.⁵ "Now dispatch some men to ^(C1)Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;⁶ he is staying with a tanner named ^(C1)Simon, whose house is by the sea."⁷ When the angel who ^(*)spoke to him left, he summoned two of his ^(F1)servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants,⁸ and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to ^(C1)Joppa.

⁹ On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, ^(C1)Peter went up on ^(C2)the ^(F1)housetop about ^(F2)(C3)the sixth hour to pray.¹⁰ But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he ^(C1)fell into a trance;¹¹ and he ^(*)saw ^(C1)the sky opened up, and an ^(F1)object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,¹² and on it were all kinds of four-footed animals and ^(F1)crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky.¹³ A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, ^(F1)kill and eat!"¹⁴ But Peter said, "By no means, ^(C1)Lord, for ^(C2)I have never eaten anything ^(F1)unholy and unclean."¹⁵ Again a voice came to him a second time, "^(C1)What God has cleansed, no longer ^(F1)consider unholy."¹⁶ This happened three times, and immediately the ^(F1)object was taken up into the sky.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in ^(F1)mind as to what ^(C1)the vision which he had seen might ^(F2)mean, behold, ^(C2)the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon's house, and they appeared at the gate;¹⁸ and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.¹⁹ While Peter was reflecting on ^(C1)the vision, ^(C2)the Spirit said to him, "Behold, ^(F1)three men are looking for you.²⁰ "But get up, go downstairs and ^(C1)accompany them ^(F1)without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself."²¹ Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?"²² They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and ^(C1)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, ^(C2)was divinely directed by a ^(C3)holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear ^(F1)(C4)a message from you."

²³ So he invited them in and gave them lodging. Peter in Caesarea Now on the next day he got ready and went away with them, and ^(C1)some of ^(C2)the brothers from ^(C3)Joppa accompanied him.²⁴ On the following day he entered ^(C1)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and ^(F1)(C1)worshiped him.²⁶ But Peter helped him up, saying, "^(C1)Stand up; I, too, am just a man."²⁷ As he talked with him, he entered and ^(*)found ^(C1)many people assembled.²⁸ And he said to them, "You yourselves know that it is ^(C1)forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a ^(F1)foreigner; and yet ^(C2)God has shown me that I am not to call any person ^(F2)unholy or unclean.²⁹ "That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?"

³⁰ Cornelius said, "^(C1)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during ^(C2)the ^(F1)ninth hour; and behold, ^(C3)a man stood before me in shining clothing,³¹ and he ^(*)said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your charitable gifts have been remembered before God.³² 'Therefore send some men to ^(C1)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.'³³ "So I sent men to you immediately, and you have ^(F1)been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear everything that you have been commanded by the Lord."

Gentiles Hear Good News

^34 (C1)Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that ^(C2)God is not one to show partiality,³⁵ but ^(C1)in every nation the one who ^(F1)(C2)fears Him and ^(F2)does what is right is acceptable to Him.³⁶ "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, ^(C1)preaching ^(F1)(C2)peace through Jesus Christ (He is ^(C3)Lord of all)—³⁷ you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.³⁸ "^(F1)You know of ^(C1)Jesus of Nazareth, how God ^(C2)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, ^(F2)(C3)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for ^(C4)God was with Him.³⁹ "We are ^(C1)witnesses of all the things that He did both in the ^(F1)country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on ^(F2)(C2)a cross.⁴⁰ "^(C1)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He ^(F1)be revealed,^41 (C1)not to all the people, but to ^(C2)witnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us ^(C3)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.⁴² "And He ^(C1)ordered us to ^(F1)preach to the people, and to ^(C2)testify solemnly that this is the One who has been ^(C3)appointed by God as ^(C4)Judge of the living and the dead.⁴³ "^(C1)All the prophets testify of Him, that through ^(C2)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, ^(C1)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the ^(F1)message.^45 (C1)All the ^(F1)Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been ^(C2)poured out on the Gentiles.⁴⁶ For they were hearing them ^(C1)speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded,⁴⁷ "^(C1)Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who ^(C2)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"⁴⁸ And he ^(C1)ordered them to be baptized ^(C2)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.