Acts 10:1-33

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

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

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

⁴Cornelius 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.

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

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

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

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

⁹The 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²¹So 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.”

²³So 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.

²⁴The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

²⁵As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.

²⁶But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

²⁷As Peter talked with him, he went inside and found many people gathered together.

²⁸He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.

²⁹So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”

³⁰Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me

³¹and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.

³²Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’

³³So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has instructed you to tell us.”

Related Resources from Heartlight

Cross References for Acts 10:1-33

The Berean Standard Bible