Book of Common Prayer

The vision that Peter saw. How he was sent to Cornelius. The heathen also receive the Spirit, and are baptized.

10 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a captain of the soldiers of Italy, ² a devout man, and one who feared God with all his household. He gave many alms to the people, and prayed to God always. ³ The same man saw in a vision clearly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, Cornelius! ⁴ When he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? He said to him, Your prayers and your alms have come up into remembrance before God. ⁵ And now, send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, named also Peter. ⁶ He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside. ⁷ He will tell you what you ought to do.

When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him, ⁸ and told them all the matter, and sent them to Joppa.

⁹ On the next day, as they went on their journey and drew near to the city, Peter went up upon the top of the house to pray, about the sixth hour. ¹⁰ Then he grew hungry and wanted to eat. But while they made ready, he fell into a trance, ¹¹ and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel come down to him, like a great sheet knit at the four corners. And it was let down to the earth. ¹² In it were all manner of four-footed animals of the earth, and wild beasts, and reptiles, and birds of the air. ¹³ And there came a voice to him: Rise, Peter; kill and eat! ¹⁴ But Peter said, God forbid, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. ¹⁵ And the voice spoke to him again the second time: What God has cleansed, do not judge common. ¹⁶ This was done three times, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Jesus comes to Jerusalem at the feast, teaches the Jews, and reproves them. There are different opinions of him among the people. The Pharisees rebuke the temple officers because they have not seized him, and chide Nicodemus for taking his part.

7 After that, Jesus went about in Galilee, and would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. ² The Jews’ tabernacle feast was at hand. ³ His brethren therefore said to him, Go on, and go into Judea, so that your disciples can see the works that you do. ⁴ For there is no man who does anything secretly when he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do such things, show yourself to the world. ⁵ (For as yet his brethren did not believe in him.)

⁶ Then Jesus said to them, My time is not yet come, but your time is always at hand. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but me it hates, because I testify of it that its works are evil. ⁸ You go up to this feast. I will not go up yet to this feast, for my time is not yet full come.

⁹ These words he said to them, and remained still in Galilee. ¹⁰ But as soon as his brethren had gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were, privately.

¹¹ Then the Jews were looking for him at the feast, and said, Where is he? ¹² And there was much murmuring concerning him among the people. Some said, He is good, and others said, No, but he deceives the people. ¹³ However no one spoke openly about him, for fear of the Jews.