Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Peter and Cornelius
1 There was a man in Caesarea
named Cornelius, who was a
captain in the Roman army regiment
called “The Italian Regiment.”
2 He
was a religious man; he and his
whole family worshiped God. He
also did much to help the Jewish
poor people and was constantly
praying to God.
3 It was about three
o'clock one afternoon when he had a
vision, in which he clearly saw an
angel of God come in and say to him,
“Cornelius!”
4 He stared at the angel in fear
and said, “What is it, sir?”
4 The angel answered, “God is
pleased with your prayers and
works of charity, and is ready to answer
you.
5 And now send some men
to Joppa for a certain man whose
full name is Simon Peter.
6 He is a
guest in the home of a tanner of
leather named Simon, who lives by
the sea.”
7 Then the angel went
away, and Cornelius called two of
his house servants and a soldier, a
religious man who was one of his
personal attendants.
8 He told them
what had happened and sent them
off to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on
their way and coming near Joppa,
Peter went up on the roof of the
house about noon in order to pray. note
10 He became hungry and wanted
something to eat; while the food was
being prepared, he had a vision.
11 He saw heaven opened and something
coming down that looked like
a large sheet being lowered by its
four corners to the earth.
12 In it were
all kinds of animals, reptiles, and
wild birds.
13 A voice said to him,
“Get up, Peter; kill and eat!”
14 But Peter said, “Certainly not,
Lord! I have never eaten anything
ritually unclean or defiled.”
15 The voice spoke to him again,
“Do not consider anything unclean
that God has declared clean.”
16 This
happened three times, and then the
thing was taken back up into
heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering
about the meaning of this vision, the
men sent by Cornelius had learned
where Simon's house was, and they
were now standing in front of the
gate.
18 They called out and asked,
“Is there a guest here by the name of
Simon Peter?”
19 Peter was still trying to understand
what the vision meant, when
-- --
the Spirit said, “Listen! Three note men
are here looking for you.
20 So get
ready and go down, and do not hesitate
to go with them, for I have sent
them.”
21 So Peter went down and
said to the men, “I am the man you
are looking for. Why have you
come?”
22 “Captain Cornelius sent us,”
they answered. “He is a good man
who worships God and is highly respected
by all the Jewish people. An
angel of God told him to invite you
to his house, so that he could hear
what you have to say.”
23 Peter invited
the men in and had them spend
the night there.
23 The next day he got ready and
went with them; and some of the believers
from Joppa went along with
him.
24 The following day he arrived
in Caesarea, where Cornelius was
waiting for him, together with relatives
and close friends that he had
invited.
25 As Peter was about to go
in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet,
and bowed down before him.
26 But
Peter made him rise. “Stand up,” he
said, “I myself am only a man.”
27 Peter kept on talking to Cornelius
as he went into the house, where he
found many people gathered.
28 He
said to them, “You yourselves know
very well that a Jew is not allowed
by his religion to visit or associate
with Gentiles. But God has shown
me that I must not consider any person
ritually unclean or defiled.
29 And so when you sent for me, I
came without any objection. I ask
you, then, why did you send for
me?”
30 Cornelius said, “It was about
this time three days ago that I was
praying note in my house at three
o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a
man dressed in shining clothes stood
in front of me
31 and said: ‘Cornelius!
God has heard your prayer and has
taken notice of your works of charity.
32 Send someone to Joppa for a
man whose full name is Simon Peter.
He is a guest in the home of Simon
the tanner of leather, who lives
by the sea.’
33 And so I sent for you
at once, and you have been good
enough to come. Now we are all
here in the presence of God, waiting
to hear anything that the Lord has
instructed you to say.”
Peter's Speech
34 Peter began to speak: “I now realize
that it is true that God treats
everyone on the same basis. note
35 Whoever
fears him and does what is right
is acceptable to him, no matter what
race he belongs to.
36 You know the
message he sent to the people of Israel,
proclaiming the Good News of
peace through Jesus Christ, who is
Lord of all.
37 You know of the great
event that took place throughout the
land of Israel, beginning in Galilee
after John preached his message of
baptism.
38 You know about Jesus of
Nazareth and how God poured out
on him the Holy Spirit and power.
He went everywhere, doing good
and healing all who were under the
power of the Devil, for God was with
him.
39 We are witnesses of everything
that he did in the land of Israel
and in Jerusalem. Then they put him
to death by nailing him to a cross.
40 But God raised him from death
three days later and caused him to
appear,
41 not to everyone, but only
to the witnesses that God had already
chosen, that is, to us who ate
and drank with him after he rose
from death.
42 And he commanded
us to preach the gospel to the people
and to testify that he is the one
whom God has appointed judge of
the living and the dead.
43 All the
prophets spoke about him, saying
that everyone who believes in him
will have his sins forgiven through
the power of his name.”
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 While Peter was still speaking,
the Holy Spirit came down on all
those who were listening to his message.
45 The Jewish believers who
had come from Joppa with Peter
-- --
were amazed that God had poured
out his gift of the Holy Spirit on the
Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them
speaking in strange tongues and
praising God's greatness. Peter
spoke up:
47 “These people have received
the Holy Spirit, just as we
also did. Can anyone, then, stop
them from being baptized with water?”
48 So he ordered them to be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then they asked him to stay with
them for a few days.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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