Part 14

010:024 and the day after that they reached Caesarea. There Cornelius was awaiting their arrival, and had invited all his relatives and intimate friends to be present.

010:025 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him, and threw himself at his feet to do him homage.

010:026 But Peter lifted him up. "Stand up," he said; "I myself also am but a man."

010:027 So Peter went in and conversed with him, and found a large company assembled.

010:028 He said to them, "You know better than most that a Jew is strictly forbidden to associate with a Gentile or visit him; but God has taught me to call no one unholy or unclean.

010:029 So for this reason, when sent for, I came without raising any objection. I therefore ask why you sent for me."

010:030 "Just at this hour, three days ago," replied Cornelius, "I was offering afternoon prayer in my house, when suddenly a man in shining raiment stood in front of me,

010:031 who said, "`Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charities have been put on record before God.

010:032 Send therefore to Jaffa, and invite Simon, surnamed Peter, to come here. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, close to the sea.'

010:033 "Immediately, therefore, I sent to you, and I thank you heartily for having come. That is why all of us are now assembled here in God's presence, to listen to what the Lord has commanded you to say."

010:034 Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said, "that God makes no distinctions between one man and another;

010:035 but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives are acceptable to Him.

010:036 The Message which He sent to the descendants of Israel, when He announced the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--that Message you cannot but know;

010:037 the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

010:038 It tells how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, so that He went about everywhere doing acts of kindness, and curing all who were being continually oppressed by the Devil--for God was with Jesus.

010:039 "And we are witnesses as to all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. But they even put Him to death, by crucifixion.

010:040 That same Jesus God raised to life on the third day, and permitted Him to appear unmistakably,

010:041 not to all the people, but to witnesses--men previously chosen by God--namely, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

010:042 And He has commanded us to preach to the people and solemnly declare that this is He who has been appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

010:043 To Him all the Prophets bear witness, and testify that through His name all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness of their sins."

010:044 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message.

010:045 And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.

010:046 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty of God. Then Peter said,

010:047 "Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

010:048 And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.

011:001 Now the Apostles, and the brethren in various parts of Judaea, heard that the Gentiles also had received God's Message;

011:002 and, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of circumcision found fault with him.

011:003 "You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said, "and you ate with them."