Acts 10
1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
[There was] a man [who lived] in Caesarea [city] whose name was Cornelius. He was an officer who commanded 100 men in a large group of [Roman] soldiers from Italy.
2 a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.
He always tried to do what would please God; he and his entire household [MTY] [were non-Jews who] habitually worshipped God. He sometimes gave money to help poor [Jewish] people, and he prayed to God regularly.
3 At about three in the afternoon, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, "Cornelius."
[One day] at about three o’clock in the afternoon [Cornelius saw] a vision. He clearly saw an angel whom God [had sent]. The angel came into [his room] and said to him, “Cornelius!”
4 He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, "What is it, Lord?" He said to him, "Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.
Cornelius stared at the angel and became terrified. Then he asked [fearfully], “Sir, what do you [(sg)] want?” The angel answered him, “You [(sg)] have pleased God because you have been praying [regularly to him] and you often give money to [help] poor people. [Those things have been] like a sacrifice [to God].
5 Now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is surnamed Peter.
So, now command some men to go to Joppa and [tell them to] bring back a man named Simon whose other name is Peter.
6 He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside."
He is staying with a man, [also] named Simon, who makes leather. His house is near the ocean.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.
When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants and a soldier who served him, one who also worshipped God.
8 Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
He explained to them everything [that the angel had said. Then] he told them to go to Joppa [to ask Peter to come to Caesarea].
9 Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.
About noon the next day those [three men] were traveling [along the road] and were coming near [Joppa. As they were approaching Joppa], Peter went up on the [flat] housetop to pray.
10 He became hungry and desired to eat, but while they were preparing, he fell into a trance.
He became hungry and wanted something to eat. While someone was preparing the food, [Peter] saw [this] vision:
11 He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,
(He saw heaven open/He saw an opening in the sky) and something like a large sheet was being lowered [to the ground]. [It was tied at] its four corners [with ropes].
12 in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, crawling creatures and birds of the sky.
Inside the sheet were all kinds of creatures. [These included animals and birds that the Mosaic laws forbade Jews to eat]. Some had four feet, others scurried across the ground, and others were wild birds.
13 A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat."
Then [he heard] God [SYN] say to him, “Peter, stand up, kill [and cook some of these] and eat [their meat]!”
14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."
But Peter replied, “Lord, surely you [(sg)] do not [really want me to do that]! I have never eaten any [meat] that [our Jewish law says] is unacceptable to God or [something that we(exc)] must not eat!”
15 A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean."
[Then Peter heard] [MTY] 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]!”
16 This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.
[This happened] three [times, so Peter knew that he had to think carefully about what it might mean]. Immediately [after God had said that the third time], ([the] sheet [with the animals and birds] was the pulled back into heaven/[someone] pulled the sheet [with the animals and birds] up into the sky again).
17 Now while Peter was very perplexed within himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, look, the men who were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,
While Peter was trying to understand what that vision meant, the men who had been sent by Cornelius {whom Cornelius had sent} [arrived in Joppa. They asked people how to get to] Simon’s house. [So they found his house] and were standing outside the gate.
18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodging there.
They called and were asking if a man named Simon, whose other name was Peter, was staying there.
19 While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look, three men seek you.
While Peter was still trying to understand [what] the vision [meant], [God’s] Spirit said to him, “Three men [are here who] want to see you.
20 But arise, get down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
So get up and go downstairs and go with them! Do not think that you [(sg)] should not go with them [because of their being non-Jews], because I have sent them [here]!”
21 And Peter went down to the men, and said, "Look, I am the one whom you seek. Why have you come?"
So Peter went down to the men and said to them, “[Greetings!] I am [the man] you are looking for. Why have you come?”
22 They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous man and one who fears God, and well spoken of by all the Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to invite you to his house, and to listen to what you say."
One of them replied, “Cornelius, who is a [Roman] army officer, [sent us here]. He is a righteous man who worships God, and all of the Jewish people [HYP] [who know about him] say that he is a very good man. An angel (who was sent from God/whom God sent) said to him, ‘Tell some men to [go to Joppa to see Simon Peter and] bring him here, so that you [(sg)] can hear what he has to say.’”
23 So he called them in and lodged them. On the next day he arose and went out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
So Peter [said that he would go with them, and then he] invited them into [the house] and told them that they could stay [there that night]. Acts 10:23b-26 The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa went with him.
24 On the next day he entered into Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.
The day after that, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends [to come to his house, so they were there, too].
25 When it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him.
When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him.
26 But Peter raised him up, saying, "Stand up. I myself am also a man."
But Peter [grasped Cornelius by the hand and] lifted him to his feet. He said, “Stand up! [Do not revere/worship me] I myself am only human, [like you]!”
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.
While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter [and the others] entered [a large room inside the house]. Peter saw that many people had gathered together [there].
28 He said to them, "You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Then Peter said to them, “You all know that any [of us] Jews think we are disobeying [our Jewish] laws if we [(exc)] associate with a non-Jewish person or [if we even] visit him. However, God has shown me [in a vision] that I should not say about anyone that God will not accept him.
29 Therefore also I came without complaint when I was sent for. I ask therefore, why did you send for me?"
So when you sent [some men] to ask me to come [here], I came [right away. I] did not say that I could not go [with non-Jewish people. So, please tell me], why have you asked me to come [here]?”
30 Cornelius said, "Four days ago until this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and look, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
Cornelius replied, “About this time four 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,
31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your gifts to the needy are remembered in the sight of God.
and said, ‘Cornelius, when you [(sg)] have prayed, you have been heard by God {God has heard [when] you [(sg)] have prayed [to him]}. He has also noticed that you have [often] given money to [help] poor people, [and he is pleased with that].
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.'
So now, send [messengers to go] to 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. [When Simon Peter comes, he will tell you a message from God].’
33 Therefore I sent to you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God to hear all things that have been commanded you by the Lord."
So I immediately sent [some men who asked] you [(sg) to come here], and I [certainly] thank you for coming. Now we [(exc)] all are gathered [here, knowing that] God is with us, in order to hear all the things that the Lord [God] has commanded you [to say. So please speak to us].”
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said, "Truly I perceive that God does not show favoritism;
So Peter began to speak [MTY] to them. He said, “[Now] I understand that it is true that God does not favor only certain groups [of people].
35 but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
Instead, from every group of people he accepts [everyone who] honors him and who does what pleases him.
36 The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all—
[You know] the message that God sent to [us] Israelis. [He] proclaimed [to us the good news that he] would cause [people] to have peace [with him] because of what Jesus Christ [has done]. This [Jesus is Lord not only over us Israelis. He] is [also the] Lord [who rules] over all [people].
37 that spoken word you yourselves know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;
You know what [he] did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He began [to do those things] after John had been proclaiming [to people that they should turn away from their sinful behavior before] he baptized them.
38 even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
You know that God gave [MTY] his Holy Spirit to Jesus, [the Man] from Nazareth [town], and gave him the power [to do miracles. You also know] how Jesus went to many places, always doing good deeds and healing [people. Specifically], he was continually healing all the people whom the devil was causing to suffer. [Jesus was able to do those things] because God was always helping him.”
39 We are witnesses of everything he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they also killed by hanging on a tree.
“We [apostles] tell people about all the things that [we saw Jesus] do in Jerusalem and in the [rest of] Israel. [The leaders in Jerusalem] had him killed by being nailed to a cross.
40 God raised him up the third day, and gave him to be revealed,
However, God caused him to become alive again on the third day [after he had died]. God [also] enabled [some of us(exc)] to see him [so that we would know that he was alive again].
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
God [did] not [let] all the [Jewish] people see him. Instead, he had chosen us [apostles] beforehand to see [Jesus after he became alive again], and to tell others [about him]. We [apostles are the people] who ate meals with him (after he had become alive [again]/after he had risen from the dead).
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is the one who is appointed by God as the judge of the living and the dead.
God commanded us to preach to the people and tell them that Jesus is the one whom he has appointed to judge [everyone some day. He will judge all] those who will [still] be living and all those who will have died [by that time].
43 All the prophets testify about him, that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins."
All of the prophets [who wrote about the Messiah long ago] told [people] about him. [They wrote] that if people believe in the Messiah [MTY], God would forgive [them for] their sins, because of what [the Messiah would do] for them.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.
While Peter was still speaking those words, suddenly the Holy Spirit (came down on/began to control) all [those non-Jewish people] who were listening to the message.
45 They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the non-Jewish people.
The Jewish believers who had come with Peter [from Joppa] were amazed that [God] had generously given the Holy Spirit to the non-Jewish people, too.
46 For they heard them speaking in other tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,
[The Jewish believers knew that God had done that] because they were hearing those people speaking languages [MTY] [that they had not learned] and telling how great God is.
47 "Can anyone withhold the water, that these who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we should not be baptized?"
Then Peter said [to the other Jewish believers who were there], “[God] has given them the Holy Spirit just like [he gave him] to us [Jewish believers], so (surely all of you would agree that [we(exc)] should baptize these people!/would any of you forbid that these people should be baptized?) [RHQ]”
48 He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay some days.
Then Peter told those [non-Jewish] people that they should be baptized [to show that they had believed] [MTY] in the [Lord] Jesus Christ. [So they baptized all of them. After they were baptized], they requested that Peter stay [with them] several days. [So Peter and the other Jewish believers did that].
