¹A man named Cornelius, who was a Roman commander in the Italian Regiment, lived in Caesarea.

²He and all his family believed in God, and they worshiped at the synagogue. He gave freely to people who were in need, and he prayed to God regularly.

³One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. He saw an angel of God coming to him and saying, “Cornelius!”

⁴Cornelius couldn’t take his eyes off the angel as he asked fearfully, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have gone up like an offering to God, reminding him of how you have devoted your whole life to him.

⁵Now send some messengers to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who’s also called Peter.

⁶He’s staying in a house by the sea with another a man named Simon who works with leather.”

⁷When the angel who was speaking with him had left, Cornelius called in two of his servants and a godly soldier who was one of his attendants.

⁸He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

⁹About noon the next day, while these men were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

¹⁰He became hungry and asked for something to eat. While the meal was being prepared, Peter had a vision.

¹¹He saw heaven open up and something that looked like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

¹²Inside were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds.

¹³A voice told him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat.”

¹⁴“No, Lord! I will not!” Peter responded. “I’ve never eaten anything that isn’t pure and clean.”

¹⁵The voice spoke to him a second time and said, “Don’t say something isn’t pure if God has made it clean.”

¹⁶This happened three times, and then the sheet was taken back up to heaven.

¹⁷Peter was left wondering what the vision meant. At that very moment, the messengers from Cornelius found Simon’s house. They stopped at the gate

¹⁸and called out to ask if a Simon also known as Peter was staying there.

¹⁹While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.

²⁰Get up and go downstairs. Don’t let anything keep you from going with them, because I have sent them.”

²¹Peter went down and told the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

²²The men answered, “We’ve come from Cornelius, a Roman commander. He’s a good man who worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to invite you to his house so he could hear what you have to say.”

²³Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

The next day Peter went with the three men. Some believers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴When they arrived in Caesarea the following day, Cornelius was expecting them. He had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵When Peter entered the house, Cornelius welcomed him, and as a sign of respect, he fell at Peter’s feet.

²⁶But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I’m only human, like you.”

²⁷Peter continued to speak with Cornelius as they went inside. There he found a large group of people.

²⁸He told them, “You know it’s against our law for a Jew to enter a Gentile home or have any close contact with a Gentile. But God has shown me that I shouldn’t say anyone isn’t pure and clean.

²⁹So when you sent for me, I came without asking any questions. But may I now ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰Cornelius answered, “Three days ago at this very time, three o’clock in the afternoon, I was in my house praying. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood in front of me.

³¹He said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers and remembered your gifts to the poor.

³²Send someone to Joppa to get a man named Simon who’s also called Peter. He’s staying in a house by the sea with another a man named Simon who works with leather.’

³³So I sent for you right away, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, and God is also with us, so we are ready to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

³⁴Then Peter began to speak. “I now realize how true it is that God doesn’t play favorites,” he said.

³⁵“He accepts anyone from any nation who respects him and does what is right.

³⁶You know the message that God sent to the people of Israel. It’s the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

³⁷You know what happened all through the area of Judea, starting in Galilee, after John preached about baptism.

³⁸You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were under the devil’s power, because God was with him.

³⁹“We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by nailing him to a cross,

⁴⁰but on the third day, God raised him from the dead and showed him to the witnesses he’d already chosen.

⁴¹Jesus wasn’t seen by everybody, only by us. But we ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and tell them that he is the one God appointed to judge the living and the dead.

⁴³All the prophets speak about him and say that everyone who believes in him has their sins forgiven through his name.”

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all those who were listening to his message.

^45-46They began to praise God by speaking in unknown languages. When the Jewish believers who’d come with Peter heard this, they were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was being poured out even on Gentiles.

Peter said,

⁴⁷“Surely no one can keep these people from being baptized with water. They’ve received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”

⁴⁸So on his authority they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.