Act 10 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius , a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort ,

Acts 10

Cornelius’ Vision

1 Now there was a man in ^aCaesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was ^bcalled the Italian ^{▼▼Normally 600 men (the number varied)}cohort, 2 a devout man and ^done who feared God with all his household, and ^emade many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About ^fthe ^{▼▼I.e., 3 p.m.}ninth hour of the day he clearly saw ^hin a vision ⁱan angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And he ^jlooked at him intently and became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts ^khave ascended ^las a memorial offering before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to ^mJoppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named ⁿSimon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who *spoke to him left, he summoned two of his ^{▼▼Or household slaves}servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to ^pJoppa.

9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, ^qPeter went up on ^rthe ^{▼▼Housetops were flat living areas}housetop about ^{▼▼I.e., noon
,} ^uthe sixth hour to pray. 10 But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he ^vfell into a trance; 11 and he *saw ^wthe sky opened up, and an ^{▼▼Or vessel}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 ^{▼▼Or reptiles}crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the sky. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, ^{▼▼Or sacrifice}kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, ^aaLord, for ^abI have never eaten anything ^{▼▼Or profane; lit common}unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “ ^adWhat God has cleansed, no longer ^{▼▼Lit make common}consider unholy.” 16 This happened three times, and immediately the ^{▼▼Or vessel}object was taken up into the sky.

17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in ^{▼▼Lit himself}mind as to what ^ahthe vision which he had seen might ^{▼▼Lit be}mean, behold, ^ajthe 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 ^akthe vision, ^althe Spirit said to him, “Behold, ^{▼▼One early ms two}three men are looking for you. 20 But get up, go downstairs and ^anaccompany them ^{▼▼Lit doubting nothing}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 ^apGod-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, ^aqwas divinely directed by a ^arholy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear ^{▼▼Lit words
,} ^ata 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 ^ausome of ^avthe brothers from ^awJoppa accompanied him. 24 On the following day he entered ^axCaesarea. 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 ^{▼▼Or prostrated himself in reverence
,} ^azworshiped him. 26 But Peter helped him up, saying, “ ^baStand up; I, too, am just a man.” 27 As he talked with him, he entered and *found ^bbmany people assembled. 28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is ^bcforbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a ^{▼▼I.e., Gentile}foreigner; and yet ^beGod has shown me that I am not to call any person ^{▼▼Or profane; lit common}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, “ ^bgFour days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during ^bhthe ^{▼▼I.e., 3 to 4 p.m.}ninth hour; and behold, ^bja 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 ^bkJoppa 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 ^{▼▼Lit done well in coming}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 ^bmOpening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understand now that ^bnGod is not one to show partiality, 35 but ^boin every nation the one who ^{▼▼Or reveres
,} ^bqfears Him and ^{▼▼Lit works righteousness}does what is right is acceptable to Him. 36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, ^bspreaching ^{▼▼Or the gospel of peace
,} ^bupeace through Jesus Christ (He is ^bvLord of all)-- 37 you yourselves know the thing that happened throughout Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 ^{▼▼Or How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth}You know of ^bxJesus of Nazareth, how God ^byanointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, ^{▼▼Lit who went
,} ^caand how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for ^cbGod was with Him. 39 We are ^ccwitnesses of all the things that He did both in the ^{▼▼Or countryside}country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on ^{▼▼Lit wood; see Deut 21:23
,} ^cfa cross. 40 ^cgGod raised Him up on the third day and granted that He ^{▼▼Lit become visible}be revealed, 41 ^cinot to all the people, but to ^cjwitnesses who had been chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us ^ckwho ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He ^clordered us to ^{▼▼Or proclaim}preach to the people, and to ^cntestify solemnly that this is the One who has been ^coappointed by God as ^cpJudge of the living and the dead. 43 ^cqAll the prophets testify of Him, that through ^crHis name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, ^csthe Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the ^{▼▼Lit word}message. 45 ^cuAll the ^{▼▼Lit believers from the circumcision}Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been ^cwpoured out on the Gentiles. 46 For they were hearing them ^cxspeaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded, 47 “ ^cySurely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who ^czhave received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ^daordered them to be baptized ^dbin the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.