Acts 10

Cornelius's Vision

1 Now there was a man at 1Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was 2called the Italian cohort,
2 a devout man and 3one who feared God with all his household, and 4gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually *.
3 About * 5the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw 6in a vision 7an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, "Cornelius!"
4 And 8fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms 9have ascended 10as a memorial before God.
5 "Now dispatch some men to 11Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;
6 he is staying with a tanner named 12Simon, whose house is by the sea."
7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants,
8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to 13Joppa.
9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, 14Peter went up on 15the housetop about 16the sixth hour to pray.
10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he 17fell into a trance;
11 and he saw 18the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.
13 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!"
14 But Peter said, "By no means, 19Lord, for 20I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."
15 Again a voice came to him a second time, "21What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy."
16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky.
17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what 22the vision which he had seen might be, behold, 23the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon's house, 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 24the vision, 25the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 "But get up, go downstairs and 26accompany * them 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 27God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, 28was divinely directed by a 29holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear 30a message from you."
So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter at Caesarea

23 And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and 31 some of 32the brethren from 33 Joppa accompanied him.

Peter at Caesarea

24 On the following day he entered 34Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and 35worshiped him.
26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "36Stand up; I too am just a man."
27 As he talked with him, he entered and found 37many people assembled.
28 And he said to them, "You yourselves know how 38unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet 39God has shown me that I should not call any man 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 you have sent for me."
30 Cornelius said, "40Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during 41the ninth hour; and behold, 42a man stood before me in shining garments,
31 and he said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.
32 'Therefore send to 43Joppa 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 for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord."

Gentiles Hear Good News

34 44Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly * understand now that 45God is not one to show partiality,
35 but 46in every nation the man who 47fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.
36 "The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, 48preaching 49peace through Jesus Christ (He is 50Lord of all )-
37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.
38 "You know of 51Jesus of Nazareth, how God 52anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, 53and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for 54God was with Him.
39 "We are 55witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also 56put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
40 "57God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,
41 58not to all the people, but to 59witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us 60who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 "And He 61ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to 62testify that this is the One who has been 63appointed by God as 64Judge of the living and the dead.
43 "Of Him 65all the prophets bear witness that through 66His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, 67the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
45 68All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been 69poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they were hearing them 70speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,
47 "71Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who 72have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
48 And he 73ordered them to be baptized 74in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Cross References 74

  • 1. Acts 8:40; Acts 10:24
  • 2. Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:16; John 18:3, 12; Acts 21:31; Acts 27:1
  • 3. Acts 10:22, 35; Acts 13:16, 26
  • 4. Luke 7:4
  • 5. Acts 3:1
  • 6. Acts 9:10; Acts 10:17, 19
  • 7. Acts 5:19
  • 8. Acts 3:4
  • 9. Revelation 8:4
  • 10. Matthew 26:13; Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 6:10
  • 11. Acts 9:36
  • 12. Acts 9:43
  • 13. Acts 9:36
  • 14. Acts 10:9-32; Acts 11:5-14
  • 15. Jeremiah 19:13; Jeremiah 32:29; Zephaniah 1:5; Matthew 24:17
  • 16. Psalms 55:17; Acts 10:3
  • 17. Acts 11:5; Acts 22:17
  • 18. John 1:51
  • 19. Matthew 8:2f; John 4:11f; Acts 9:5; Acts 22:8
  • 20. Leviticus 11:20-25; Deuteronomy 14:4-20; Ezekiel 4:14; Daniel 1:8; Acts 10:28
  • 21. Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:19; Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 10:25f; 1 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:15
  • 22. Acts 10:3
  • 23. Acts 10:8
  • 24. Acts 10:3
  • 25. Acts 8:29
  • 26. Acts 15:7-9
  • 27. Acts 10:2
  • 28. Matthew 2:12
  • 29. Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Revelation 14:10
  • 30. Acts 11:14
  • 31. Acts 8:40; Acts 10:1
  • 32. Matthew 8:2
  • 33. Acts 14:15; Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8
  • 34. Acts 10:24
  • 35. John 4:9; John 18:28; Acts 11:3
  • 36. Acts 10:14f, 35; Acts 15:9
  • 37. Acts 10:9, 22
  • 38. Acts 3:1; Acts 10:3
  • 39. Acts 10:3-6, 30-32
  • 40. John 4:9; John 18:28; Acts 11:3
  • 41. Matthew 5:2
  • 42. Deuteronomy 10:17; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Romans 2:11; Galatians 2:6; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; 1 Peter 1:17
  • 43. Acts 10:28
  • 44. Acts 10:2
  • 45. Acts 13:32
  • 46. Luke 1:79; Luke 2:14; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:17
  • 47. Matthew 28:18; Acts 2:36; Romans 10:12
  • 48. Acts 2:22
  • 49. Acts 4:26
  • 50. Matthew 4:23
  • 51. John 3:2
  • 52. Luke 24:48; Acts 10:41
  • 53. Acts 5:30
  • 54. Acts 2:24
  • 55. John 14:19, 22; John 15:27
  • 56. Luke 24:48; Acts 10:39
  • 57. Luke 24:43; Acts 1:4 mg
  • 58. Acts 1:2
  • 59. Luke 16:28
  • 60. Luke 22:22
  • 61. John 5:22, 27; Acts 17:31; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5
  • 62. Acts 3:18
  • 63. Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 4:12
  • 64. Acts 11:15; Acts 15:8
  • 65. Acts 10:23
  • 66. Acts 2:33, 38
  • 67. Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; Acts 19:6
  • 68. Acts 8:36
  • 69. Acts 2:4; Acts 10:44; Acts 11:17; Acts 15:8
  • 70. 1 Corinthians 1:14-17
  • 71. Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 19:5
  • 72. Acts 10:45; Acts 11:12
  • 73. Acts 1:15
  • 74. Acts 9:36

Footnotes 34

Acts 10 Commentaries

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