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23 So Peter[a] invited them in and gave them lodging.

The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers and sisters from Joppa accompanied him.(A) 24 The following day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 On Peter’s arrival, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, worshiped him. 26 But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.”(B) 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled, 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is improper for a Jew to associate with or to visit an outsider, but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.(C) 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. 31 He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33 Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”

Gentiles Hear the Good News

34 Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality,(D) 35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness[b] is acceptable to him.(E) 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.(F) 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.(G) 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,(H) 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear,(I) 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.(J) 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.(K) 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 10.23 Gk he
  2. 10.35 Or acts justly

23 So Peter[a] invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out[b] with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa[c] accompanied him. 24 The following day[d] he entered Caesarea.[e] Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously[f] for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 So when[g] Peter came in, Cornelius met[h] him, fell[i] at his feet, and worshiped[j] him. 26 But Peter helped him up,[k] saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.”[l] 27 Peter[m] continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together.[n] 28 He said to them, “You know that[o] it is unlawful[p] for a Jew[q] to associate with or visit a Gentile,[r] yet God has shown me that I should call no person[s] defiled or ritually unclean.[t] 29 Therefore when you sent for me,[u] I came without any objection. Now may I ask why[v] you sent for me?” 30 Cornelius[w] replied,[x] “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon,[y] I was praying in my house, and suddenly[z] a man in shining clothing stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity[aa] have been remembered before God.[ab] 32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner,[ac] by the sea.’ 33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come.[ad] So now we are all here in the presence of God[ae] to listen[af] to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.”[ag]

34 Then Peter started speaking:[ah] “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,[ai] 35 but in every nation[aj] the person who fears him[ak] and does what is right[al] is welcomed before him. 36 You know[am] the message[an] he sent to the people[ao] of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace[ap] through[aq] Jesus Christ[ar] (he is Lord[as] of all)— 37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced:[at] 38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth,[au] that[av] God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He[aw] went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,[ax] because God was with him.[ay] 39 We[az] are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea[ba] and in Jerusalem. They[bb] killed him by hanging him on a tree,[bc] 40 but[bd] God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen,[be] 41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen,[bf] who ate and drank[bg] with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He[bh] commanded us to preach to the people and to warn[bi] them[bj] that he is the one[bk] appointed[bl] by God as judge[bm] of the living and the dead. 43 About him all the prophets testify,[bn] that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins[bo] through his name.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 10:23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn When Peter entertained them as guests, he performed a culturally significant act denoting acceptance.
  2. Acts 10:23 tn Or “went forth.”
  3. Acts 10:23 sn Some of the brothers from Joppa. As v. 45 makes clear, there were Jewish Christians in this group of witnesses.
  4. Acts 10:24 tn Grk “On the next day,” but since this phrase has already occurred in v. 23, it would be redundant in English to use it again here.
  5. Acts 10:24 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi).
  6. Acts 10:24 tn Normally προσδοκάω (prosdokaō) means “to wait with apprehension or anxiety for something,” often with the implication of impending danger or trouble (L&N 25.228), but in this context the anxiety Cornelius would have felt came from the importance of the forthcoming message as announced by the angel.
  7. Acts 10:25 tn Grk “So it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  8. Acts 10:25 tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunantēsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  9. Acts 10:25 tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (pesōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  10. Acts 10:25 sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.
  11. Acts 10:26 tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”
  12. Acts 10:26 tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.
  13. Acts 10:27 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  14. Acts 10:27 tn Or “many people assembled.”
  15. Acts 10:28 tn Here ὡς (hōs) is used like ὅτι (hoti) to introduce indirect discourse (cf. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5).
  16. Acts 10:28 tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).
  17. Acts 10:28 tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiō).
  18. Acts 10:28 tn Grk “a foreigner,” but in this context, “a non-Jew,” that is, a Gentile. This term speaks of intimate association (BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.b.α). On this Jewish view, see John 18:28, where a visit to a Gentile residence makes a Jewish person unclean.
  19. Acts 10:28 tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos).
  20. Acts 10:28 tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.sn God has shown me…unclean. Peter sees the significance of his vision as not about food, but about open fellowship between Jewish Christians and Gentiles.
  21. Acts 10:29 tn Grk “Therefore when I was sent for.” The passive participle μεταπεμφθείς (metapemphtheis) has been taken temporally and converted to an active construction which is less awkward in English.
  22. Acts 10:29 tn Grk “ask for what reason.”
  23. Acts 10:30 tn Grk “And Cornelius.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  24. Acts 10:30 tn Grk “said.”
  25. Acts 10:30 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.
  26. Acts 10:30 tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.
  27. Acts 10:31 tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”
  28. Acts 10:31 sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.
  29. Acts 10:32 tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname.
  30. Acts 10:33 tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalōs poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomenos) has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).
  31. Acts 10:33 tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enōpion tou theou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.
  32. Acts 10:33 tn Or “to hear everything.”
  33. Acts 10:33 tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.
  34. Acts 10:34 tn Grk “Opening his mouth Peter said” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  35. Acts 10:34 tn Grk “God is not one who is a respecter of persons,” that is, “God is not one to show partiality” (cf. BDAG 887 s.v. προσωπολήμπτης). L&N 88.239 translates this verse “I realize that God does not show favoritism (in dealing with people).” The underlying Hebrew idiom includes the personal element (“respecter of persons”) so the phrase “in dealing with people” is included in the present translation. It fits very well with the following context and serves to emphasize the relational component of God’s lack of partiality. The latter is a major theme in the NT: Rom 2:11; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1; 1 Pet 1:17. This was the lesson of Peter’s vision.
  36. Acts 10:35 sn See Luke 24:47.
  37. Acts 10:35 tn Or “shows reverence for him.”
  38. Acts 10:35 tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85.sn Note how faith and response are linked here by the phrase and does what is right.
  39. Acts 10:36 tn The subject and verb (“you know”) do not actually occur until the following verse, but have been repeated here because of the requirements of English word order.
  40. Acts 10:36 tn Grk “the word.”
  41. Acts 10:36 tn Grk “to the sons.”
  42. Acts 10:36 sn Peace is a key OT concept: Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; also for Luke: Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 9:31. See also the similar phrase in Eph 2:17.
  43. Acts 10:36 tn Or “by.”
  44. Acts 10:36 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  45. Acts 10:36 sn He is Lord of all. Though a parenthetical remark, this is the theological key to the speech. Jesus is Lord of all, so the gospel can go to all. The rest of the speech proclaims Jesus’ authority.
  46. Acts 10:37 tn Or “proclaimed.”
  47. Acts 10:38 sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.
  48. Acts 10:38 tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (hōs) as an equivalent to ὅτι (hoti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.
  49. Acts 10:38 tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
  50. Acts 10:38 tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22.sn All who were oppressed by the devil. Note how healing is tied to the cosmic battle present in creation. Christ’s power overcomes the devil and his forces, which seek to destroy humanity.
  51. Acts 10:38 sn See Acts 7:9.
  52. Acts 10:39 tn Grk “And we.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  53. Acts 10:39 tn Grk “the land of the Jews,” but this is similar to the phrase used as the name of the province of Judea in 1 Macc 8:3 (see BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b).
  54. Acts 10:39 tn Grk “in Jerusalem, whom they killed.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
  55. Acts 10:39 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the 1st century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
  56. Acts 10:40 tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.
  57. Acts 10:40 tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.
  58. Acts 10:41 tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.
  59. Acts 10:41 sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35-49.
  60. Acts 10:42 tn Grk “and he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  61. Acts 10:42 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.
  62. Acts 10:42 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  63. Acts 10:42 tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”
  64. Acts 10:42 tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.
  65. Acts 10:42 sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26-31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9-10; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.
  66. Acts 10:43 tn Or “All the prophets testify about him.” Although modern English translations tend to place “about him” after “testify” (so NIV, NRSV) the phrase “about him” has been left at the beginning of v. 43 for emphatic reasons.
  67. Acts 10:43 sn Forgiveness of sins. See Luke 24:47; also Acts 14:23; 19:4; 9:42; 11:17; 16:31. The gospel is present in the prophetic promise, Rom 1:1-7. The message is in continuity with the ancient hope.