Divine Visions Tear Down Barriers: The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles

¹ At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.

² He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.

³ One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in fear and asked, “What is it, Lord?” The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have ascended as a memorial offering before God.

⁵ Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.

⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.

⁸ He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.

⁹ The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

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

¹² It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.

¹³ Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

¹⁴ “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.

¹⁷ While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.

¹⁸ They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

²⁰ So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”

²¹ So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

²² “Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”

²³ So Peter invited them in as his guests. And the next day he got ready and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.