Acts 10:34-48

New Testament for Everyone

Telling the Gentiles about Jesus

³⁴ Peter took a deep breath and began.

“It’s become clear to me,” he said, “that God really does show no favoritism. ³⁵ No: in every race, people who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him. ³⁶ He sent his word to the children of Israel, announcing peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all! ³⁷ You know all about this, and how the word spread through all Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

³⁸ “God anointed this man, Jesus of Nazareth, with the holy spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were overpowered by the devil, since God was with him. ³⁹ We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of Judaea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰ but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen, ⁴¹ not indeed by all the people, but by those of us whom God had appointed beforehand. We ate and drank with him after he had been raised from the dead. ⁴² And he commanded us to announce to the people, and to bear testimony, that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets give their witness: he is the one! Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his Name.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying all this, the holy spirit fell on everyone who was listening to the word. ⁴⁵ The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished, because the gift of the holy spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too. ⁴⁶ They heard them speaking with tongues and praising God.

Then Peter spoke up.

⁴⁷ “Nobody can deny these people water to be baptized, can they?” he said. “They have received the holy spirit, just like we did!” ⁴⁸ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah.

Then they asked him to stay for a few days.