Acts 10-11 - Prayer Tents

Acts 10

Cornelius Calls for Peter

10In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer

named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.G1161G2258G5100G435G1722G2542G3686G2883G1543G1537G4686G2564G24832He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.G2152G2532G5399G2316G4862G3956G846G3624G5037G4160G4183G1654G2992G2532G1189G2316G12753One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.G1492G1722G3705G5320G5616G1766G5610G2250G32G2316G1525G4314G846G2532G2036G846G28834Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel. And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!G1161G816G846G1096G1719G2532G2036G5101G2076G2962G1161G2036G846G4675G4335G2532G4675G1654G305G1519G3422G1799G23165Now send some men to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.G2532G3568G3992G435G1519G2445G2532G3343G4613G3739G1941G40746He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore."G3778G3579G3844G5100G4613G1038G3739G3614G2076G3844G2281G3778G2980G4671G5101G4571G1163G41607As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.G1161G5613G32G3588G2980G2883G565G5455G1417G846G3610G2532G2152G4757G4342G846G43428He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.G2532G1834G537G846G649G846G1519G2445

Peter Visits Cornelius

9The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,G1161G1887G1565G3596G2532G1448G4172G4074G305G1909G1430G4336G4012G1623G561010and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.G1161G1096G4361G2532G2309G1089G1161G1565G3903G846G1968G1909G161111He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.G2532G2334G3772G455G2532G5100G4632G2597G1909G846G5613G3173G3607G1210G5064G746G2532G2524G1909G109312In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds.G1722G3739G5225G3956G5074G1093G2532G2342G2532G2062G2532G4071G377213Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them."G2532G1096G5456G4314G846G450G4074G2380G2532G531514"No, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean

."G1161G4074G2036G3365G2962G3754G5315G3763G5315G3956G2839G2228G16915But the voice spoke again: "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean."G2532G5456G4314G846G3825G1537G1208G3739G2316G2511G2840G3361G4771G284016The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.G1161G5124G1096G1909G5151G2532G4632G353G3825G1519G377217Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house. Standing outside the gate,G1161G5613G4074G1280G1722G1438G5101G3705G3739G1492G302G1498G2400G2532G435G3588G649G575G2883G1331G4613G3614G2186G1909G444018they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.G2532G5455G4441G1487G4613G3588G1941G4074G3579G175919Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking for you.G1161G4074G1760G4012G3705G4151G2036G846G2400G5140G435G2212G457120Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don't worry, for I have sent them."G450G235G2597G2532G4198G4862G846G1252G3367G1360G1473G649G84621So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"G1161G4074G2597G4314G435G3588G649G4314G846G575G2883G2036G2400G1473G1510G3739G2212G5101G156G1223G3739G391822They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message."G1161G2036G2883G1543G1342G435G2532G5399G2316G5037G3140G5259G3650G1484G2453G5537G5259G40G32G3343G4571G1519G846G3624G2532G191G4487G3844G467523So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.G3767G1528G846G1528G3579G1161G1887G4074G1831G4862G846G2532G5100G80G575G2445G4905G84624They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.G2532G1887G1525G1519G2542G1161G2883G4328G846G2258G4779G846G4773G2532G316G538425As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him.G1161G5613G4074G1096G1525G2883G4876G846G4098G1909G4228G435226But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being just like you!"G1161G4074G1453G846G1453G3004G450G2504G846G2504G1510G44427So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.G2532G4926G846G1525G2532G2147G4183G490528Peter told them, "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.G5037G5346G4314G846G5210G1987G5613G2076G111G435G2453G2853G2228G4334G246G2532G2316G1166G1698G3367G3004G3367G444G2839G2228G16929So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me."G1352G2532G2064G369G3343G4441G3767G5101G3056G3343G316530Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me.G2532G2883G5346G5067G2250G575G2252G3522G3360G5026G5610G2532G1766G5610G4336G1722G3450G3624G2532G2400G435G2476G1799G3450G1722G2986G206631He told me, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God!G2532G5346G2883G4675G4335G1522G2532G4675G1654G3415G1799G231632Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.'G3992G3767G1519G2445G2532G3333G4613G3739G1941G4074G3778G3579G1722G3614G4613G1038G3844G2281G3739G3854G2980G467133So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you."G1824G3767G3992G4314G4571G5037G4771G2573G4160G3854G3568G3767G3918G2249G3956G3918G1799G2316G191G3956G4367G4671G5259G2316

The Gentiles Hear the Good News

34Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.G1161G4074G455G4750G2036G1909G225G2638G3754G2316G2076G3756G438135In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.G235G1722G3956G1484G5399G846G2532G2038G1343G2076G1184G84636This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.G3056G3739G649G5207G2474G2097G1515G1223G2424G5547G3778G2076G2962G395637You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism.G4487G5210G1492G1096G2596G3650G2449G756G575G1056G3326G908G3739G2491G278438And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.G5613G2316G5548G2424G575G3478G40G4151G2532G1411G846G3739G1330G2109G2532G2390G3956G2616G5259G1228G3754G2316G2258G3326G84639"And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross

,G2532G2249G2070G3144G3956G3739G4160G5037G1722G5561G2453G2532G1722G2419G3739G337G2910G1909G358640but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear,G5126G2316G1453G5154G2250G2532G1096G846G1717G132541not to the general public

, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.G3756G3956G2992G235G3144G4401G5259G2316G2254G3748G4906G2532G4844G846G3326G846G450G1537G349842And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.G2532G3853G2254G2784G2992G2532G1263G3754G2076G846G3588G3724G5259G2316G2923G2198G2532G349843He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."G5129G3140G3956G4396G3140G1223G846G3686G3956G4100G1519G846G2983G859G266

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

44Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message.G4074G2089G2980G5023G4487G40G4151G1968G1909G3956G191G305645The Jewish believers

who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.G2532G1537G4061G4103G1839G3745G4905G4074G3754G1909G1484G2532G1632G1431G40G415146For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter asked,G1063G191G846G2980G1100G2532G3170G2316G5119G611G407447"Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"G3385G1410G5100G2967G5204G5128G907G3361G907G3748G2983G40G4151G2532G2531G224948So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.G5037G4367G846G907G1722G3686G2962G5119G2065G846G1961G5100G2250

Acts 11

Peter Explains His Actions

11Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers

in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God.G1161G652G2532G80G5607G2596G2449G191G3754G1484G1209G2532G1209G3056G23162But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers

criticized him.G2532G3753G4074G305G1519G2414G1537G4061G1252G4314G8463"You entered the home of Gentiles

and even ate with them!" they said.G3004G3754G1525G4314G435G203G2192G2532G4906G8464Then Peter told them exactly what had happened.G1161G4074G756G1620G2517G846G30045"I was in the town of Joppa," he said, "and while I was praying, I went into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky. And it came right down to me.G1473G2252G1722G4172G2445G4336G2532G1722G1611G1492G3705G5100G4632G2597G5613G3173G3607G2524G1537G3772G5064G746G2532G2064G891G17006When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds.G1519G3739G816G2657G2532G1492G5074G1093G2532G2342G2532G2062G2532G4071G37727And I heard a voice say, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.'G1161G191G5456G3004G3427G450G4074G2380G2532G53158"'No, Lord,' I replied. 'I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean

.'G1161G2036G3365G2962G3754G3956G2839G2228G169G1525G3763G1525G1519G3450G47509"But the voice from heaven spoke again: 'Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.'G1161G5456G611G3427G1537G1208G1537G3772G3739G2316G2511G2840G3361G4771G284010This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven.G1161G5124G1096G1909G5151G2532G537G385G3825G1519G377211"Just then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying.G2532G2400G1824G2186G5140G435G1824G2186G1909G3614G1722G3739G3739G2252G649G575G2542G4314G316512The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry that they were Gentiles. These six brothers here accompanied me, and we soon entered the home of the man who had sent for us.G1161G4151G2036G3427G4905G846G3367G1252G1161G2532G3778G1803G80G4862G2064G1698G2532G1525G1519G435G362413He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, 'Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.G5037G518G2254G4459G1492G32G1722G846G3624G2476G2532G2036G846G649G435G1519G2445G2532G3343G4613G1941G407414He will tell you how you and everyone in your household can be saved!'G3739G2980G4314G4571G4487G1722G3739G4771G2532G3956G4675G3624G498215"As I began to speak," Peter continued, "the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.G1161G1722G3165G756G2980G40G4151G1968G1909G846G5618G2532G1909G2248G1722G74616Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, 'John baptized with

water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'G1161G3415G4487G2962G5613G3004G2491G3303G907G5204G1161G5210G907G1722G40G415117And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to stand in God's way?"G1487G3767G5613G2316G1325G846G2470G1431G2532G2254G4100G1909G2962G2424G5547G1161G5101G2252G1473G1415G2967G231618When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, "We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life."G1161G191G5023G2270G2532G1392G2316G3004G686G1325G2316G2534G1484G1325G3341G1519G2222

The Church in Antioch of Syria

19Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews.G3767G3303G1289G575G2347G1096G1909G4736G1330G2193G5403G2532G2954G2532G490G2980G3056G3367G1508G2453G344020However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles

about the Lord Jesus.G1161G5100G1537G846G2258G435G2953G2532G2956G3748G1525G1519G490G2980G4314G1675G2097G2962G242421The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.G2532G5495G2962G2258G3326G846G5037G4183G706G4100G1994G1909G296222When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.G1161G3056G4012G846G191G1519G3775G1577G3588G1722G2414G2532G1821G921G1330G2193G49023When he arrived and saw this evidence of God's blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.G3739G3854G2532G1492G5485G2316G5463G2532G3870G3956G4286G2588G4357G296224Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.G3754G2258G18G435G2532G4134G40G4151G2532G4102G2532G2425G3793G4369G296225Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.G1161G1831G921G1519G5019G327G456926When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers

were first called Christians.)G2532G2147G846G71G846G1519G490G1161G1096G3650G1763G846G4863G1722G1577G2532G1321G2425G3793G5037G3101G5537G5546G4412G1722G49027During this time some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch.G1161G1722G5025G2250G2718G4396G575G2414G1519G49028One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings and predicted by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.)G1161G450G1520G1537G846G3686G13G4591G1223G4151G3195G1510G3173G3042G1909G3650G3625G3748G2532G1096G1909G2804G254129So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters

in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could.G1161G3101G1538G846G2531G2141G5100G3724G3992G1248G1519G80G2730G1722G244930This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.G3739G2532G4160G649G4314G4245G1223G5495G921G2532G4569