NOW there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the
cohort called the Italic, (2)a man of piety, and who feared God with
all his house, giving much alms to the people, and praying to God
continually. (3)He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of
the day an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, Cornelius.
(4)Then looking stedfastly on him, and being terrified, he said, What
means this, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are
come up for a memorial before God. (5)And now send men to Joppa, and
inquire for Simon, who is surnamed Peter: (6)he lodgeth with one Simon
a tanner, whose house is near the sea: this man will tell thee what
thou must do. (7)But when the angel departed who spake to Cornelius, he
called two of his domestics, and a pious soldier, persons who
constantly were in attendance upon him; (8)and relating all things to
them, sent them to Joppa.
(9)Then the next morning, as they were on their journey, and drew near
to the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray about the sixth
hour: (10)and he grew very hungry, and desired something to eat: but
whilst they were getting it ready, a sacred ecstacy fell upon him.
(11)And he saw heaven opened, and there descended to him a certain
vessel, as a great sheet with chains at the four corners, and resting
upon the earth: (12)in which were all the quadrupeds of the earth, and
wild beasts, and reptiles, and birds of the air. (13)And there came a
voice to him, Rise, Peter; slay and eat. (14)But Peter said, By no
means, Lord for I have never at any time eaten of any thing common or
unclean. (15)And the voice again a second time came to him, What God
hath cleansed, call not thou unclean. (16)This was thrice repeated: and
the vessel was again taken up into heaven.
(17)But while Peter was perplexed in himself what was meant by the
vision which he had seen, then, behold! the men which had been sent by
Cornelius having inquired out the house of Simon, stood before the
door, (18)and calling, asked if Simon, surnamed Peter, lodged there.
(19)But while Peter was musing upon the vision, the Spirit said to him,
Lo! three men are inquiring after thee. (20)Arise then, and go down,
and go with them, entertaining no doubt, for I have sent them. (21)Then
Peter went down to the men who were sent by Cornelius to him; and said,
Lo! I am the person that ye ask for: what is the business on which ye
are come hither? (22)Then they said, Cornelius a centurion, a just man,
and one that feareth God, and of good report with all the nation of the
Jews, has been divinely admonished by a holy angel to send for thee to
his house, to hear words from thee.
(23)Then inviting them in, he lodged them there. And the next morning
Peter went with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied
him. (24)And the next day they entered into Caesarea. Now Cornelius was
expecting them, having called together his relations and nearest
friends. (25)And as Peter was entering, Cornelius met him, and falling
at his feet, paid him homage. (26)But Peter raised him up, saying,
Arise; I also myself am a man. (27)And conversing with him, he entered,
and found many assembled together.
(28)And he said unto them, Ye know how contrary it is to established
usage, for a man who is a Jew to associate with or visit one of another
nation; but God hath shewed me to call no man common or unclean.
(29)Wherefore also without a word, I came when invited: I beg to know
therefore for what purpose ye have sent for me?
(30)Then Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting till this hour;
and at the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and, lo! a man stood
before me in shining apparel, (31)and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is
heard, and thy alms are remembered before God. (32)Send therefore to
Joppa, and invite Simon, whose surname is Peter, to come to thee; he
lodgeth in the house of Simon the tanner, near the sea: who, when he is
come will talk with thee. (33)Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and
thou hast done well in coming. Now therefore are all we here present
before God, to hear all things that are given in charge to thee from
God.
(34)Then Peter opening his mouth, said, In truth I perceive that God is
not a respecter of persons: (35)but in every nation he that feareth
him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. (36)The word
which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ, (he is Lord of all,) ye know: (37)even that which was the
common talk through all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the
baptism which John preached; (38)respecting Jesus, who was of Nazareth,
how God had anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went
about doing good, and healing all that were tyrannically oppressed of
the devil; for God was with him. (39)And we are witnesses of all things
which he did both in the region of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom
they killed suspending him on a tree: (40)him God raised up the third
day, and ordained that he should be visibly manifested; (41)not to all
the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did
eat and drink with him after he was arisen from the dead. (42)And hath
commanded us to proclaim to the people, and to bear our testimony that
this is the person who is ordained of God the Judge of the living and
the dead. (43)To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his
name every one who believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.
(44)While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on
all who heard the discourse. (45)And they of the circumcision who were
believers, as many as came with Peter, were amazed, because even on the
Gentiles the gift of the holy Ghost was poured out. (46)For they heard
them speaking in different languages, and magnifying God. Then Peter
addressed them, (47)Can any one forbid the water for baptising these
persons, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (48)So he
commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Then they
entreated him to tarry there some days.
CHAP. XI. NOW the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that
the Gentiles also had received the word of God. (2)And when Peter went
up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision disputed with him, (3)saying,
Thou hast gone in to men holding uncircumcision, and hast eaten with
them.
(4)Then Peter taking up the matter from the beginning, explained it to
them regularly, saying, (5)I was in the city of Joppa praying and I saw
in a trance a vision, a certain vessel descending as a vast sheet let
down from heaven by its four corners; and it came close to me: (6)on
which looking attentively, I perceived, and saw the quadrupeds of the
earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the air.
(7)Then I heard a voice saying to me, Rise, Peter; slay and eat. (8)But
I said, By no means, Lord: for never yet hath any thing common or
unclean entered into my mouth. (9)But the voice replied the second time
from heaven, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common. (10)Now this
was repeated thrice: and the whole withdrawn again into heaven.
(11)And, lo! immediately three men stood before the house where I was,
sent from Caesarea unto me. (12)And the Spirit bade me go with them,
making no hesitation. But with me went also these six brethren, and we
entered into the man's house: (13)and he informed us how he had seen an
angel in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and
invite Simon, who is surnamed Peter; (14)who will speak words to thee,
by which thou mayest be saved, and thy house. (15)So when I had begun
to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, just as on us at the beginning.
(16)Then I recollected the word of the Lord, how he had said, John
indeed baptised with water; but ye shall be baptised with the Holy
Ghost. (17)If God then gave an equal gift to them even as to us, on
believing on the Lord Jesus Christ; I, indeed, who was I, that I should
be able to restrain God?
(18)So when they heard these things they were satisfied, and glorified
God, saying, Well! then hath God even to the Gentiles given repentance
unto life.
(19)Now those also who were dispersed by the persecution which arose on
account of Stephen passed on as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and
Antioch, speaking the word to no man except the Jews only. (20)And some
of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they arrived at
Antioch, spake to the Grecian proselytes, preaching the Lord Jesus.
(21)And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a vast multitude
believing, turned to the Lord. (22)And the report concerning them was
heard in the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem: and they
dispatched Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch. (23)Who, when he arrived
there, and beheld the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted them all,
with full purpose of heart to adhere to the Lord. (24)For he was a good
man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and a great multitude was
added to the Lord.
(25)Then went forth Barnabas to Tarsus, in search of Saul: (26)and
having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that
during a whole year they were jointly employed in that church, and
taught a vast multitude, and they called for the first time in Antioch
the disciples Christians. (27)Now there came down in those days
prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch. (28)And one of them named Agabus,
rising up, signified by the spirit that a great famine was coming upon
the whole habitable globe: which also came in the reign of Claudius
Caesar. (29)Then the disciples, as everyman had ability, determined
every individual of them to send a sum to be distributed among the
brethren who dwelt in Judea: (30)which also they did, sending it off to
the presbyters by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.