Acts 10:23-37

²³So Peter said that he would go with them, and then he invited them into the house and told them that they could stay there that night. Acts 10:23b-26 The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa went with him.

²⁴The day after that, they arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends to come to his house, so they were there, too .

²⁵When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him.

²⁶But Peter grasped Cornelius by the hand and lifted him to his feet. He said, “Stand up! Do not revere/worship me I myself am only human, like you!”

²⁷While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter and the others entered a large room inside the house. Peter saw that many people had gathered together there.

²⁸Then Peter said to them, “You all know that any of us Jews think we are disobeying our Jewish laws if we (exc) associate with a non-Jewish person or if we even visit him. However, God has shown me in a vision that I should not say about anyone that God will not accept him.

²⁹So when you sent some men to ask me to come here, I came right away. I did not say that I could not go with non-Jewish people. So, please tell me, why have you asked me to come here?”

³⁰Cornelius replied, “About this time four days ago I was praying to God in my house, as I regularly do at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man whose clothes shone brightly stood in front of me,

³¹and said, ‘Cornelius, when you (sg) have prayed, you have been heard by God {God has heard when you (sg) have prayed to him}. He has also noticed that you have often given money to help poor people, and he is pleased with that.

³²So now, send messengers to go to Joppa, in order to ask Simon whose other name is Peter to come here. He is staying near the ocean in a house that belongs to another man named Simon, who makes leather. When Simon Peter comes, he will tell you a message from God.’

³³So I immediately sent some men who asked you (sg) to come here, and I certainly thank you for coming. Now we (exc) all are gathered here, knowing that God is with us, in order to hear all the things that the Lord God has commanded you to say. So please speak to us.”

³⁴So Peter began to speak MTY to them. He said, “ Now I understand that it is true that God does not favor only certain groups of people.

³⁵Instead, from every group of people he accepts everyone who honors him and who does what pleases him.

³⁶You know the message that God sent to us Israelis. He proclaimed to us the good news that he would cause people to have peace with him because of what Jesus Christ has done. This Jesus is Lord not only over us Israelis. He is also the Lord who rules over all people.

³⁷You know what he did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He began to do those things after John had been proclaiming to people that they should turn away from their sinful behavior before he baptized them.