Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Peter’s vision
10 In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion with the cohort called “the Italian.” 2 He was devout, and he and all his household revered God. He gave alms generously to the people, and constantly prayed to God.
3 He had a vision. Around three o’clock in the afternoon he saw, quite clearly, one of God’s angels coming to him.
“Cornelius!” said the angel.
4 He looked hard at him, terrified.
“What is it, Sir?” he said.
“Your prayers and your alms have come to God’s notice,” said the angel. 5 “What you must do is this. Send men to Joppa, and ask for someone called Simon, surnamed Peter. 6 He is staying with a man called Simon, a tanner, whose house is beside the sea.”
7 When the angel who had spoken with him went away, he called two of his household and a devout soldier from among his retinue. 8 He explained everything to them, and sent them off to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and getting near the town, Peter went up onto the roof of the house to pray. It was around midday; 10 he was hungry, and asked for something to eat. While they were preparing it, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sail coming down towards the earth, suspended by its four corners. 12 In the sail there was every kind of four-footed creature, reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then he heard a voice: “Get up, Peter!” said the voice. “Kill and eat!”
14 “Certainly not, Master!” said Peter. “I’ve never eaten anything common or unclean!”
15 “What God has made clean,” said the voice, coming now for a second time, “you must not regard as common.”
16 This all happened three times, and then suddenly the sail was whisked back up to heaven.
Peter goes to Cornelius
17 When Peter came to himself, he was puzzled as to what the vision he had seen was all about. Then, suddenly, the men sent by Cornelius appeared, standing by the gate. They had been asking for Simon’s house, 18 inquiring if someone by the name of Simon called Peter was staying there. 19 Peter was still pondering the vision, when the spirit spoke to him.
“Look,” said the spirit. “There are three men searching for you. 20 It’s all right; get up, go down and go with them. Don’t be prejudiced; I have sent them.”
21 So Peter went down to the men.
“Here I am,” he said. “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 “There is a man called Cornelius,” they replied. “He is a centurion, and he is a righteous and God-fearing man. The whole people of the Jews will testify to him. A holy angel told him in a vision to send for you to come to his house, so that he can hear any words you may have to say.”
23 So he invited them in and put them up for the night.
In the morning he got up and went with them. Some of the believers from Joppa went with him. 24 They reached Caesarea the following day. Cornelius had summoned his relatives and close friends and was waiting for him.
25 When Peter came in, Cornelius went to meet him. He fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 “Get up!” said Peter, lifting him up. “I’m just a man, too.”
27 So they talked together, and Peter came in and found lots of people assembled.
28 “You must know,” he said to them, “that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to mix with or visit a Gentile. But God showed me that I should call nobody ‘common’ or ‘unclean.’ 29 So I came when I was asked, and raised no objections. Do tell me, then, the reason why you sent for me.”
30 “Four days ago,” answered Cornelius, “I was praying in my house at around this time, about three o’clock, and suddenly a man stood beside me in shining clothes. 31 ‘Cornelius,’ he said, ‘your prayer has been heard, and your almsgiving has been remembered by God. 32 So send someone to Joppa and call Simon, who is named Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner, beside the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. So now we are all here, in God’s presence, to listen to everything which the Lord has told you to say.”
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.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.