Cornelius Calls for Peter

10 At Caesarea^(A) 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;^(B) he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. ³ One day at about three in the afternoon^(C) he had a vision.^(D) He distinctly saw an angel^(E) 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^(F) before God.^{(G) 5} Now send men to Joppa^(H) to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying with Simon the tanner,^(I) 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.^(J)

Peter’s Vision^(K)

⁹ About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof^(L) to pray. ¹⁰ He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.^{(M) 11} He saw heaven opened^(N) 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!”^(O) Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”^(P)

¹⁵ The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”^(Q)

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,^(R) the men sent by Cornelius^(S) 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,^(T) the Spirit said^(U) to him, “Simon, three^[a] men are looking for you. ²⁰ So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”^(V)

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,^(W) 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.”^{(X) 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^(Y) from Joppa went along.^(Z)

Righteousness Through Faith

²¹ But now apart from the law the righteousness of God^(A) has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.^{(B) 22} This righteousness^(C) is given through faith^(D) in^[a] Jesus Christ^(E) to all who believe.^(F) There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,^{(G) 23} for all have sinned^(H) and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified^(I) freely by his grace^(J) through the redemption^(K) that came by Christ Jesus.

⁴⁴ I am the Lord your God;^(A) consecrate yourselves^(B) and be holy,^(C) because I am holy.^(D) Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground.^{(E) 45} I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt^(F) to be your God;^(G) therefore be holy, because I am holy.^(H)

⁴⁶ “‘These are the regulations concerning animals, birds, every living thing that moves about in the water and every creature that moves along the ground. ⁴⁷ You must distinguish between the unclean and the clean, between living creatures that may be eaten and those that may not be eaten.^(I)’”

Children of God

²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[a] we were held in custody^(A) under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.^{(B) 24} So the law was our guardian until Christ came^(C) that we might be justified by faith.^{(D) 25} Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.^(E)

²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God^(F) through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ^(G) have clothed yourselves with Christ.^{(H) 28} There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,^(I) nor is there male and female,^(J) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.^(K)

Paul Opposes Cephas

¹¹ When Cephas^(A) came to Antioch,^(B) I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before certain men came from James,^(C) he used to eat with the Gentiles.^(D) But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.^{(E) 13} The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas^(F) was led astray.

¹⁴ When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,^(G) I said to Cephas^(H) in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew.^(I) How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?^(J)

¹⁵ “We who are Jews by birth^(K) and not sinful Gentiles^{(L) 16} know that a person is not justified by the works of the law,^(M) but by faith in Jesus Christ.^(N) So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in^[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.^(O)

¹⁷ “But if, in seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners,^(P) doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not!^{(Q) 18} If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker.

¹⁹ “For through the law I died to the law^(R) so that I might live for God.^{(S) 20} I have been crucified with Christ^(T) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.^(U) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,^(V) who loved me^(W) and gave himself for me.^{(X) 21} I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law,^(Y) Christ died for nothing!”^[b]