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^(A) 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.”

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism^{(B) 35} but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.^{(C) 36} You know the message^(D) God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news^(E) of peace^(F) through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.^{(G) 37} You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— ³⁸ how God anointed^(H) Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing^(I) all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.^(J)

³⁹ “We are witnesses^(K) of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross,^{(L) 40} but God raised him from the dead^(M) on the third day and caused him to be seen. ⁴¹ He was not seen by all the people,^(N) but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate^(O) and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people^(P) and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.^{(Q) 43} All the prophets testify about him^(R) that everyone^(S) who believes^(T) in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”^(U)

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on^(V) all who heard the message. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had come with Peter^(W) were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out^(X) even on Gentiles.^{(Y) 46} For they heard them speaking in tongues^[a](Z) and praising God.

Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water.^(AA) They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”^(AB)

⁵ Then some of the believers who belonged to the party^(A) of the Pharisees^(B) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”^(C)

⁶ The apostles and elders met to consider this question. ⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.^{(D) 8} God, who knows the heart,^(E) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,^(F) just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them,^(G) for he purified their hearts by faith.^{(H) 10} Now then, why do you try to test God^(I) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke^(J) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace^(K) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders^(L) God had done among the Gentiles through them.^(M)

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)