Acts 10:1-33 New International Version (NIV)
Cornelius Calls for Peter
10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
In verses 1-2, the Romans considered Caesarea the capital city in Judea. It was about 65 miles north-west of Jerusalem. The government was in Caesarea and many soldiers guarded the city. The word ‘unit’ here means a group of about 600 men. Cornelius was the captain of such a unit. He was a Gentile but he worshipped the one real God. And he helped Jewish poor people. There were many Gentiles like Cornelius. They hey worshipped God, mot the false Roman gods. But they did not follow the Jewish religion completely. This was because they had not received circumcision. The Jews called them ‘God-fearers’. This did not mean that they were afraid of God. It meant that they respected God and they obeyed him. But they were still Gentiles.
It is important to remember this. The Samaritans were half Jewish. The official from Ethiopia followed the Jewish religion. But Cornelius was the first real Gentile that joined the church.
One afternoon, an angel spoke to Cornelius. Cornelius was praying, at 3 o’clock when Jews prayed. (Jews prayed at certain times in the day. That was usual for them. Look at Acts 3:1.) The angel said that God had noticed Cornelius’s prayers and gifts. God wanted Cornelius to meet Simon Peter. Simon Peter was in Joppa, which was about 32 miles south, on the coast.
Cornelius was probably very surprised. He did not know why he had to meet Simon Peter. He did not know what would happen.
Cornelius obeyed the angel immediately. We know that all his family believed in God (verse 2). When some writers translate the word for ‘family’, it means everyone in the house. So, Cornelius could trust his servants when he told them about the vision. He also told one soldier about it. This was one of the soldiers who worked for him. The soldier also worshipped God. Then Cornelius sent the three men to fetch Peter.
Peter’s vision, 10:9-16
God was preparing Peter to meet Cornelius. Peter was a Jew. Some Jews believed that God did not care about Gentiles. They thought that God only cared about Jews. Jews refused even to enter a Gentile’s house. Even if the Gentile worshipped God, they would not enter. So, it would be very difficult for Peter to visit Cornelius.
But God taught a very important lesson to Peter. Peter’s family had taught him to follow the Jewish laws about food. Those laws are in Leviticus 11. They are a very important part of the Jewish religion. In those laws, there is a list. The list shows which animals and birds the Jews can eat. Those animals and birds are ‘clean’. But the Jews have to kill the animals in a special way. All other animals are ‘unclean’. For example, pigs are ‘unclean’. Jews would never eat them.
God spoke to Peter about this in a vision. Peter saw all kinds of animals and birds. Some of them were clean but other animals were unclean. But the voice in the vision told Peter that he could eat any animal or bird. The voice said that all animals were clean.
Peter did not want to obey the voice. He had always obeyed the Jewish laws about food. That is why he did not want to eat the ‘unclean’ animals and birds. But the voice answered him, ‘God says that these animals are clean. Do not say that they are unclean’ (verse 15). That lesson was so important that the same vision happened three times. Certainly, Peter would never forget it!
But the vision was not just about food. Gentiles ate kinds of meat that Jews thought were unclean. That was the main reason why Jews did not go to Gentiles’ homes. And they would never eat with them. God showed Peter that Gentiles’ food was clean. This meant that Peter could now welcome Gentiles into the church. He had to accept them, exactly as God accepted them.
Peter meets Cornelius, 10:17-33
The vision confused Peter. But God had already sent people to help him. They would help him to understand it better. They were waiting outside because Jews would not allow Gentiles to enter Jews’ houses.
The Holy Spirit spoke to Peter. Peter was worried. But the Holy Spirit told Peter not to worry. The Holy Spirit had sent the three Gentile men to Peter. So, Peter had to go with them. Peter went downstairs to meet the Gentile visitors. He told them who he was. And they told him why they had come.
‘Peter invited the men to stay as guests for the night’ (verse 23). He ate a meal with Gentiles, who had not received circumcision. They slept in the same house. Before the vision, Peter would not have done this. But now, he was beginning to understand that God accepted Gentiles. God did not think that Gentiles were unclean. So, Peter, too, should accept Gentiles.
The next day, Peter and 6 other believers went with the men. (Look at Acts 11:12.) They went north along the coast to Caesarea. It would take about 9 or 10 hours to walk there. They had to stop to rest. So, they did not arrive until the day after this.
Many people were waiting to see Peter. When Peter arrived, Cornelius kneeled at his feet. Peter was bringing God’s message. At that time, some people very much respected any person who brought God’s message. But immediately Peter made Cornelius get up. He told Cornelius that he (Peter) was only human.
This speech to a Gentile audience changed what would happen in the future. Peter, a Jew, entered a Gentile’s home. When he was doing this, he was acting against the Jewish rules. He came because God accepted all people. Nobody was unclean. So, he obeyed God. When they invited him, he came. He did not complain about it. Now he wanted to know why they had invited him.
Cornelius told Peter what had happened. When something important happens, Luke often repeats the story. Cornelius thanked Peter that he (Peter) had come. Cornelius was not just being polite. He was also very grateful. Cornelius asked him to tell God’s message to everyone.