Acts 9:32-11:18

Legacy Standard Bible

Peter Heals Aeneas

³² Now it happened that as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to ^(A)the ^[a]saints who lived at ^[b](B)Lydda. ³³ And there he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. ³⁴ And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” Immediately he rose up. ³⁵ And all who lived at ^[c](C)Lydda and ^(D)Sharon saw him, and they ^(E)turned to the Lord.

Peter Raises Tabitha to Life

³⁶ Now in ^(F)Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is called ^[d]Dorcas). This woman was full of good works and charity which she continually did. ³⁷ And it happened ^[e]at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an ^(G)upper room. ³⁸ Now since Lydda was near ^(H)Joppa, ^(I)the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, pleading with him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” ³⁹ So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the ^(J)upper room; and all the ^(K)widows stood beside him, crying and showing all the ^[f]tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. ⁴⁰ But Peter ^(L)sent them all out and ^(M)knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “^(N)Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ And he gave her his hand and raised her up. And calling ^(O)the ^[g]saints and ^(P)widows, he presented her alive. ⁴² And it became known all over ^(Q)Joppa, and ^(R)many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ And it happened that he stayed many days in ^(S)Joppa with ^(T)a tanner named Simon.

Cornelius’ and Peter’s Visions

10 Now there was a man at ^(U)Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was ^(V)called the Italian ^[h]cohort, ² a devout man and ^(W)one who feared God with all his household, and ^(X)gave many ^[i]alms to the people and prayed to God continually. ³ About ^(Y)the ^[j]ninth hour of the day he clearly saw ^(Z)in a vision ^(AA)an angel of God who had come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” ⁴ And ^(AB)looking intently on him and becoming afraid, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and ^[k]alms ^(AC)have ascended ^(AD)as a memorial before God. ⁵ Now send some men to ^(AE)Joppa and summon a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; ⁶ he is lodging with a tanner named ^(AF)Simon, whose house is by the sea.” ⁷ And when the angel who was speaking to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants, ⁸ and after he explained everything to them, he sent them to ^(AG)Joppa.

⁹ And on the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, ^(AH)Peter went up on ^(AI)the housetop about ^(AJ)the ^[l]sixth hour to pray. ¹⁰ But he became hungry and was desiring to eat. And while they were making preparations, he ^(AK)fell into a trance ¹¹ and *saw ^(AL)heaven opened up, and ^[m]an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, ¹² and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the ^[n]sky. ¹³ And a voice came to him, “Rise up, Peter, ^[o]slaughter and eat!” ¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, ^(AM)Lord, for ^(AN)I have never eaten anything defiled and unclean.” ¹⁵ Again a voice came to him a second time, “^(AO)What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.” ¹⁶ And this happened three times and immediately the ^[p]object was taken up into heaven.

¹⁷ Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in ^[q]mind as to what ^(AP)the vision which he had seen might be, behold, ^(AQ)the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate; ¹⁸ and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was lodging there. ¹⁹ And while Peter was reflecting on ^(AR)the vision, ^(AS)the Spirit said to him, “Behold, ^[r]three men are looking for you. ²⁰ But rise up, go down and ^(AT)accompany them without taking issue at all, for I have sent them Myself.” ²¹ And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” ²² And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and ^(AU)God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, ^(AV)was directed by a ^(AW)holy angel to summon you to his house and hear ^[s](AX)a message from you.” ²³ So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter at Caesarea

And on the next day he rose up and went away with them, and ^(AY)some of ^(AZ)the brothers from ^(BA)Joppa went with him. ²⁴ And on the following day he entered ^(BB)Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ And when Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and ^[t](BC)worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter raised him up, saying, “^(BD)Stand up; I too am just a man.” ²⁷ As he talked with him, he entered and *found ^(BE)many people assembled. ²⁸ And he said to them, “You yourselves know how ^(BF)unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet ^(BG)God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean. ²⁹ That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was summoned. So I ask for what reason you have summoned me.”

³⁰ And Cornelius said, “^(BH)Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during ^(BI)the ^[u]ninth hour; and behold, ^(BJ)a man stood before me in shining garments, ³¹ and he *said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your ^[v]alms have been remembered before God. ³² Therefore send to ^(BK)Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is lodging at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and you have ^[w]been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been ordered by the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit Poured Out on the Gentiles

^34 (BL)And opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most truly comprehend now that ^(BM)God is not one to show partiality, ³⁵ but ^(BN)in every nation the one who ^[x](BO)fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. ³⁶ As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, ^(BP)proclaiming the good news of ^(BQ)peace through Jesus Christ—He is ^(BR)Lord of all— ³⁷ you yourselves know the thing which happened throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. ^38 [y]You know of ^(BS)Jesus of Nazareth, how God ^(BT)anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, ^[z](BU)and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for ^(BV)God was with Him. ³⁹ And we are ^(BW)witnesses of all the things He did both in the ^[aa]land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also ^(BX)put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree. ^40 (BY)God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He appear, ^41 (BZ)not to all the people, but to ^(CA)witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us ^(CB)who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. ⁴² And He ^(CC)commanded us to ^[ab]preach to the people, and solemnly to ^(CD)bear witness that this is the One who has been ^(CE)designated by God as ^(CF)Judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ Of Him ^(CG)all the prophets bear witness that through ^(CH)His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these things, ^(CI)the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. ^45 (CJ)And all the ^[ac]circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been ^(CK)poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them ^(CL)speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, ⁴⁷ “^(CM)Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who ^(CN)have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” ⁴⁸ And he ^(CO)ordered them to be baptized ^(CP)in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for a few days.

Peter’s Report in Jerusalem

11 Now the apostles and ^(CQ)the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ² And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, ^[ad](CR)those who were circumcised took issue with him, ³ saying, “^(CS)You ^[ae]went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” ⁴ But Peter began speaking ^[af]and proceeded to explain to them ^(CT)in orderly sequence, saying, ⁵ “^(CU)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw ^(CV)a vision, ^[ag]an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from heaven, and it came right down to me, ⁶ and when looking closely at it, I was observing it and saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the ^[ah]sky. ⁷ And I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise up, Peter; ^[ai]slaughter and eat.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing defiled or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ ⁹ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘^(CW)What God has cleansed, no longer consider defiled.’ ¹⁰ And this happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into heaven. ¹¹ And behold, immediately three men appeared at the house in which we were, having been sent to me from ^(CX)Caesarea. ^12 (CY)And the Spirit told me to go with them ^[aj](CZ)without taking issue at all. ^(DA)These six brothers also went with me and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ And he reported to us how he had seen the angel ^[ak]standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter; ¹⁴ and he will speak ^(DB)words to you by which you will be saved, you and ^(DC)all your household.’ ¹⁵ And as I began to speak, ^(DD)the Holy Spirit fell upon them just ^(DE)as He did upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘^(DF)John baptized with water, but you will be baptized ^[al]with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ Therefore if ^(DG)God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, ^(DH)who was I that I could prevent God’s way?” ¹⁸ And when they heard this, they ^[am]quieted down and ^(DI)glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the ^(DJ)repentance that leads to life.”