010:014 "On no account, Lord," he replied; "for I have never yet eaten
anything unholy and impure."
010:015 Again a second time a voice was heard which said, "What God
has purified, you must not regard as unholy."
010:016 This was said three times, and immediately the sail was drawn
up out of sight.
010:017 While Peter was greatly perplexed as to the meaning of the vision
which he had seen, just then the men sent by Cornelius,
having by inquiry found out Simon's house,
010:018 had come to the door and had called the servant, and were asking,
"Is Simon, surnamed Peter, staying here?"
010:019 And Peter was still earnestly thinking over the vision,
when the Spirit said to him, "Three men are now inquiring for you.
010:020 Rise, go down, and go with them without any misgivings;
for it is I who have sent them to you."
010:021 So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the Simon you
are inquiring for. What is the reason of your coming?"
010:022 Their reply was, "Cornelius, a Captain, an upright and
God-fearing man, of whom the whole Jewish nation speaks well,
has been divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you
to come to his house and listen to what you have to say."
010:023 Upon hearing this, Peter invited them in, and gave them a lodging.
The next day he set out with them, some of the brethren
from Jaffa going with him,
010:024 and the day after that they reached Caesarea. There Cornelius
was awaiting their arrival, and had invited all his relatives
and intimate friends to be present.
010:025 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him, and threw
himself at his feet to do him homage.
010:026 But Peter lifted him up. "Stand up," he said; "I myself
also am but a man."
010:027 So Peter went in and conversed with him, and found a
large company assembled.
010:028 He said to them, "You know better than most that a Jew is
strictly forbidden to associate with a Gentile or visit him;
but God has taught me to call no one unholy or unclean.
010:029 So for this reason, when sent for, I came without raising
any objection. I therefore ask why you sent for me."
010:030 "Just at this hour, three days ago," replied Cornelius, "I was
offering afternoon prayer in my house, when suddenly a man
in shining raiment stood in front of me,
010:031 who said, "`Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your
charities have been put on record before God.
010:032 Send therefore to Jaffa, and invite Simon, surnamed Peter,
to come here. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon,
a tanner, close to the sea.'
010:033 "Immediately, therefore, I sent to you, and I thank you heartily
for having come. That is why all of us are now assembled here
in God's presence, to listen to what the Lord has commanded
you to say."
010:034 Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said,
"that God makes no distinctions between one man and another;
010:035 but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives
are acceptable to Him.
010:036 The Message which He sent to the descendants of Israel, when He
announced the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ--He is
Lord of all--that Message you cannot but know;
010:037 the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and
breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism
which John proclaimed.
010:038 It tells how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power, so that He went about everywhere doing acts
of kindness, and curing all who were being continually
oppressed by the Devil--for God was with Jesus.
010:039 "And we are witnesses as to all that He did both in the country
of the Jews and in Jerusalem. But they even put Him
to death, by crucifixion.
010:040 That same Jesus God raised to life on the third day,
and permitted Him to appear unmistakably,
010:041 not to all the people, but to witnesses--men previously chosen
by God--namely, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He
rose from the dead.
010:042 And He has commanded us to preach to the people and solemnly
declare that this is He who has been appointed by God to be
the Judge of the living and the dead.
010:043 To Him all the Prophets bear witness, and testify that through
His name all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness
of their sins."
010:044 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell
on all who were listening to the Message.
010:045 And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit
was poured out.
010:046 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty
of God. Then Peter said,
010:047 "Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons
being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just
as we did?"
010:048 And he directed that they should be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them
for a time.
011:001 Now the Apostles, and the brethren in various parts of Judaea,
heard that the Gentiles also had received God's Message;
011:002 and, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of
circumcision found fault with him.
011:003 "You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said,
"and you ate with them."
011:004 Peter, however, explained the whole matter to them
from the beginning.
011:005 "While I was in the town of Jaffa, offering prayer," he said,
"in a trance I saw a vision. There descended what seemed
to be an enormous sail, being let down from the sky by ropes
at the four corners, and it came close to me.
011:006 Fixing my eyes on it, I examined it closely, and saw various
kinds of quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds.