Cornelius Sends for Peter 3 UST One day at about three o’ clock in the afternoon, Cornelius saw a vision. He clearly saw an angel whom God had sent. He saw the angel coming into his room and saying to him,“Cornelius!” BSB BSB: 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 UST Cornelius stared at the angel and became terrified. Then he asked fearfully,“Sir, what do you want?” The angel answered him,“You have been praying regularly to God. You often give money to help poor people. Those things have been like an offering to God, and he has noticed them. BSB BSB: 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 UST So now command some men to go to Joppa. Tell them to bring back a man named Simon whose other name is Peter. BSB BSB: Now send men to Joppa to call for a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6 UST He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who makes leather. His house is near the ocean.” BSB BSB: He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 UST When the angel who was speaking with Cornelius had gone, he summoned two of his household servants and a soldier who served him, one who also worshiped God. BSB BSB: When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among his attendants.
8 UST He explained to them everything that the angel had said. Then he told them to go to the city of Joppa and ask Peter to come to Caesarea. BSB BSB: He explained what had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision (Leviticus 11:1–47; Deuteronomy 14:1–21)
10 UST Peter became hungry and wanted something to eat. While some people were preparing the food, he saw a vision. BSB BSB: He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
11 UST He saw an opening in the sky through which something like a large, square piece of cloth was coming down. Someone seemed to be lowering it by its four corners to the ground. BSB BSB: He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
12 UST Inside the sheet were many different kinds of creatures. Some had four feet, others crawled on the ground, and others were wild birds. These included animals and birds that the Mosaic laws forbade Jews to eat. BSB BSB: It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air.
13 UST Then he heard God say to him,“Go ahead, Peter, kill some of these and eat them.” BSB BSB: Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”
14 UST But Peter replied,“Lord, surely not! I have never eaten anything that our Jewish law says is unacceptable to you or that we must not eat!” BSB BSB: “No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 UST Then Peter heard God talk to him a second time. He said,“I am God, so if I have made something acceptable to eat, do not say that it is not acceptable to eat!” BSB BSB: The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 UST This happened three times. Right after that, the sheet with the animals and birds went back up into the sky. BSB BSB: This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.
Peter Called to Caesarea 17 UST This left Peter trying to understand what that vision meant. Meanwhile, the men Cornelius had sent arrived in Joppa. They asked people how to get to Simon’ s house. When people told them, they found the house and stood outside the gate. BSB BSB: While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
18 UST They called from the gate and asked if a man whose name was Simon, whose other name was Peter, was staying there. BSB BSB: They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.
19 UST While Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, the Holy Spirit said to him,“Listen! Three men are here who want you to go with them. BSB BSB: As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 UST So do not be reluctant. Go downstairs and go with them! Do not think that you should not go with them, because I have sent them here!” BSB BSB: So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.”
21 UST So Peter went down to the men and said to them,“Greetings! I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?” BSB BSB: So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 UST They replied,“Cornelius, who is a Roman army officer, sent us here. He is a good man who worships God. All of the Jewish people who know about him speak well of him. An angel from God told Cornelius,‘Have some men to go to Joppa and get Simon Peter. Bring him to your house and listen to what he has to say.’” BSB BSB: “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 UST So Peter invited them into the house and told them that they should stay there that night. The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa also went with him. BSB BSB: 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.
Peter Visits Cornelius 24 UST The day after that, they arrived in the city of Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends to come, so they were there in his house too. BSB BSB: The following day he arrived in Caesarea, where Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 UST When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him. BSB BSB: As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet to worship him.
26 UST But Peter grasped Cornelius by the hand and lifted him to his feet. He said,“Stand up! Do not bow down and worship me! I myself am only human, like you!” BSB BSB: But Peter helped him up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 UST While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter{ and the others} entered the house. They saw that Cornelius had invited many people to come{ and hear Peter}. BSB BSB: As Peter talked with him, he went inside and found many people gathered together.
29 UST So when you sent some men to ask me to come here, I came right away without objection. So, please tell me, why have you asked me to come here?” BSB BSB: So when I was invited, I came without objection. I ask, then, why have you sent for me?”
30 UST Cornelius replied,“About this time three days ago, I was praying to God in my house, as I regularly do at three o’ clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man whose clothes shone brightly stood in front of me BSB BSB: Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
31 UST and said,‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has also noticed that you have often given money to help poor people, and he is pleased with that. BSB BSB: and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been remembered before God.
32 UST So now, send messengers to go to the city of Joppa in order to ask Simon, whose other name is Peter, to come here. He is staying near the ocean in a house that belongs to another man named Simon, who makes leather.’ BSB BSB: Therefore send to Joppa for Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
33 UST So I sent some men right away to ask you to come here. I certainly thank you for coming. Now we all are gathered here, knowing that God is with us. We want to hear all the things that the Lord God has commanded you to say. So please speak to us.” BSB BSB: So 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.”
Good News for the Gentiles 35 UST Instead, from every people group he accepts everyone who honors him and who does what pleases him. BSB BSB: but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
36 UST You know what God told us Israelites. He proclaimed to us the good news that people could live peacefully with him because of what Jesus the Messiah has done. This Jesus is not Lord only over us Israelites. He is also the Lord who rules over all people. BSB BSB: He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 UST You know what Jesus did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He started to do those things after John proclaimed to people that they should stop their sinful behavior. If they did, John baptized them. BSB BSB: You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed:
38 UST You know that God gave his Holy Spirit to Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, and gave him the power to do miracles. You also know how Jesus went to many places, doing good deeds. Whenever he met people whom the devil was causing to suffer, he healed them. It was God who enabled Jesus to do those things.” BSB BSB: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.
39 UST “We all saw the things Jesus did in Jerusalem and around every part of the land of Israel where he lived. His enemies killed him by nailing him to a wooden cross. BSB BSB: We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree,
40 UST Jesus died on a Friday, but God brought him back to life that Sunday. God made sure that many people would see that he was certainly alive again. BSB BSB: God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen—
41 UST At that time God did not let everyone see him. God had previously chosen some people to be witnesses that Jesus was alive. I am one of the people who saw him and even ate meals together with him just after God brought him back to life. BSB BSB: not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.
42 UST Jesus commanded us to preach to the people and tell them that God has chosen him to judge everyone one day. He will judge those who are still alive and those who have died before that day. BSB BSB: And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
43 UST All the prophets who wrote about him long ago told the people about him. They wrote that if anyone believed in him, God would forgive whatever sins they had done, because of what this man, Jesus, would do for them.” BSB BSB: All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1–7)
44 UST While Peter was still speaking about Jesus, suddenly the Holy Spirit came to all those people from other nations who were listening to the message. BSB BSB: While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message.
45 UST The Jewish believers who had come with Peter from Joppa were amazed that God had so kindly given the Holy Spirit to people from all different nations too. BSB BSB: All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 UST The Jewish believers knew that God had done that because they were hearing those people speak in other languages to tell how great God is. Then Peter said, BSB BSB: For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God. Then Peter said,
47 UST { to the other Jewish believers who were there},“God has given them the Holy Spirit just as he gave him to us Jewish believers. Surely all of you would agree that we should baptize these people!” BSB BSB: “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!”
48 UST Then Peter told Cornelius and his guests that they should receive baptism as believers in Jesus the Messiah.{ Peter and the believers who had come with him from Joppa baptized all of them.} After they had received baptism, Cornelius invited Peter to stay with them for several days.{ So he and the other Jewish believers did that.} BSB BSB: So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.