1 And there was a certain man in Caesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a cohort that is called Italian, 2 pious, and fearing God with all his house, also doing many kind acts to the people, and always imploring God; 3 he saw in a vision openly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius”; 4 and he having looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your kind acts came up for a memorial before God, 5 and now send men to Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter; 6 this one lodges with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one will speak to you what you must do.” 7 And when the messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his servants, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually, 8 and having expounded all things to them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 And on the next day, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour, 10 and he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell on him a trance, 11 and he beholds Heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending to him, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down on the earth, 12 in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, 13 and there came a voice to him: “Having risen, Peter, slay and eat.” 14 And Peter said, “Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean”; 15 and [there is] a voice again a second time to him: “What God cleansed, you do not declare common”; 16 and this was done three times, and again was the vessel received up to Heaven. 17 And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, behold, the men who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood at the gate, 18 and having called, they were asking if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, lodges here. 19 And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men seek you; 20 but having risen, go down and go on with them, doubting nothing, because I have sent them”; 21 and Peter having come down to the men who have been sent from Cornelius to him, said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek, what [is] the cause for which you are present?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for you, to his house, and to hear sayings from you.” 23 Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the next day Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brothers from Joppa went with him, 24 and on the next day they entered into Caesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and near friends, 25 and as it came that Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at [his] feet, worshiped [him]; 26 and Peter raised him, saying, “Stand up; I am also a man myself”; 27 and talking with him he went in, and finds many having come together. 28 And he said to them, “You know how it is unlawful for a man, a Jew, to keep company with, or to come to, one of another race, but God showed to me to call no man common or unclean; 29 therefore also without contradicting I came, having been sent for; I ask, therefore, for what matter you sent for me?” 30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago until this hour, I was fasting, and [at] the ninth hour praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in radiant clothing, 31 and he said, Cornelius, your prayer was heard, and your kind acts were remembered before God; 32 send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, will speak to you; 33 at once, therefore, I sent to you; you also did well, having come; now, therefore, we are all present before God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God.” 34 And Peter having opened his mouth, said, “Of a truth, I perceive that God is not favoring by appearance, 35 but in every nation he who is fearing Him, and is working righteousness, is acceptable to Him; 36 the word that He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news—peace through Jesus Christ (this One is Lord of all), 37 you have known the word that came throughout all Judea, having begun from Galilee, after the immersion that John preached; 38 Jesus who [is] from Nazareth—how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and power; who went through, doing good, and healing all those oppressed by the Devil, because God was with Him; 39 and we are witnesses of all things that He did, both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem—whom they slew, having hanged [Him] on a tree. 40 This One God raised up [on] the third day, and gave Him to become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses, to those having been chosen before by God—to us who ate with [Him], and drank with Him, after His rising out of the dead; 42 and He commanded us to preach to the people, and to fully testify that it is He who has been ordained judge of living and dead by God— 43 to this One do all the Prophets testify, that through His Name everyone that is believing in Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 44 While Peter is yet speaking these sayings, the Holy Spirit fell on all those hearing the word, 45 and those of circumcision [who were] believing were astonished—as many as came with Peter—because the gift of the Holy Spirit has also been poured out on the nations, 46 for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. 47 Then Peter answered, “Is anyone able to forbid the water, that these may not be immersed, who received the Holy Spirit—even as us also?” 48 He commanded them to also be immersed in the Name of the LORD; then they implored him to remain certain days.
Acts · Literal Standard Version
Acts 10 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Cornelius
A devout God-fearing centurion of the Italian Cohort at Caesarea; after an angelic vision he sent for Peter and he and his household received the Holy Spirit and were baptized.
Cited in the guide: Acts 10:1; Acts 10:25
Simon
A tanner at Joppa whose house by the sea hosted Peter during his stay.
Cited in the guide: Acts 9:43; Acts 10:6; Acts 10:32
Places
Caesarea Maritima
The Roman administrative capital of Judea. Peter brought the gospel to the Gentile Cornelius here, and Paul was imprisoned before appealing his case to Caesar.
Cited in the guide: Acts 10:1; Acts 23:23; Acts 25:11
Joppa
Judah's main seaport. Cedar for the Temple arrived here, Jonah fled from here, and Peter's rooftop vision here opened the gospel to the Gentiles.
Cited in the guide: Jonah 1:3; Acts 9:36; Acts 10:9
Cross references (47)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Acts 27:1; Acts 8:40; Matthew 27:27; Acts 27:43; Matthew 8:5–13
- 2 Matthew 7:7–8; Acts 10:4; Acts 10:22; Acts 13:16; Acts 10:35
- 3 Daniel 9:20–21; Acts 3:1; Acts 5:19; Acts 10:30; Acts 9:10
- 4 Philippians 4:6; Hebrews 6:10; Acts 10:31; Malachi 3:16; Psalm 141:2
- 5 Acts 9:38; Mark 3:16; Acts 9:36; John 1:42; Acts 16:9
- 6 Acts 9:43; Acts 9:6; Acts 11:13–14; John 7:17; Ephesians 4:8–12
- 7 Philemon 16; Luke 3:14; 1 Samuel 14:6–7; Judges 7:10; Matthew 8:9–10
- 8 Galatians 1:16; Acts 26:19; Acts 9:36; Psalm 119:59–60; Acts 10:33
- 9 Zephaniah 1:5; Psalm 55:17; Jeremiah 32:29; Acts 6:4; Acts 10:8–32
- 10 Acts 22:17; Ezekiel 11:24; 2 Corinthians 12:2–4; Numbers 24:4; Ezekiel 8:1–3
- 11 Ephesians 3:6; John 1:51; Romans 16:25–26; Isaiah 11:6–14; Revelation 4:1
- 12 Genesis 7:8–9; Isaiah 65:25; Isaiah 11:6–9; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; John 7:37
- 13 John 4:31–34; Jeremiah 35:2–5; Acts 10:10
- 14 Leviticus 20:25; Ezekiel 4:14; Deuteronomy 14:1–29; Daniel 1:8; Leviticus 11:1–25
- 15 1 Corinthians 10:25; Matthew 15:11; Titus 1:15; Mark 7:19; 1 Timothy 4:3–5
- 16 Genesis 41:32; John 21:17; 2 Corinthians 13:1
- 17 Acts 25:20; Acts 10:3; 1 Peter 1:11; Acts 5:24; Acts 9:43
- 18 Acts 10:5–6; Acts 11:11
- 19 Acts 8:29; Acts 13:2; Acts 21:4; Acts 11:12; 1 Corinthians 12:11
- 20 Acts 15:7–9; Zechariah 2:9–11; Acts 9:17; Acts 9:15; Isaiah 48:16
- 21 Acts 10:29; John 1:38–39; Mark 10:51; John 18:4–8
- 22 Acts 11:14; Acts 22:12; Acts 10:2; 3 John 12; Acts 24:15
- 23 Acts 11:12; Acts 10:45; 1 Peter 4:9; Hebrews 13:2; Genesis 24:31–32
- 24 Isaiah 2:3; Luke 5:29; Acts 8:40; Matthew 9:9–10; John 4:28–29
- 25 Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8–9; Matthew 8:2; Daniel 2:46; Acts 14:11–13
- 26 Revelation 19:10; Revelation 22:8–9; Matthew 4:10; Acts 14:14–15; Isaiah 42:8
- 27 2 Corinthians 2:12; John 4:35; Acts 10:24; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Acts 14:27
- 28 John 4:9; Ephesians 3:6–7; Galatians 2:12–14; John 4:27; John 18:28
- 29 Psalm 119:60; 1 Peter 3:15; Acts 10:19–20
- 30 Acts 10:3; Daniel 9:20–21; Nehemiah 9:1–3; Ezra 9:4–5; Acts 10:23–24
- 31 Luke 1:13; Acts 10:4; Daniel 9:23; Isaiah 38:5; Daniel 10:12
- 33 Galatians 4:14; James 1:19; Proverbs 9:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Acts 17:11–12
- 34 Romans 2:11; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Deuteronomy 10:17; Colossians 3:25; Job 34:19
- 35 1 John 2:29; Acts 10:2; Romans 10:12–13; Acts 15:9; Colossians 3:11
- 36 Acts 2:36; Matthew 28:18; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 1:18; 1 Peter 3:22
- 37 Luke 4:14; Acts 2:22; Acts 28:22; John 4:1–3; Acts 26:26
- 38 Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1–3; Acts 2:22; Isaiah 11:2; John 3:34
- 39 Luke 24:48; Acts 10:41; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:32; 1 Peter 2:24
- 40 1 Peter 1:21; Acts 13:30–31; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 2:24; 2 Corinthians 4:14
- 41 John 14:22; Acts 10:39; Acts 13:31; Acts 1:2–3; John 21:13
- 42 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:1; Romans 14:9–10; Acts 17:31
- 43 Zechariah 13:1; Acts 2:38; Isaiah 53:11; Jeremiah 31:34; Romans 10:11
- 44 Acts 11:15; Acts 19:6; Acts 15:8; Acts 4:31; Acts 2:2–4
- 45 Acts 10:23; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:13–14; Colossians 2:13–14; Acts 11:15–18
- 46 Acts 2:4; Acts 19:6; Mark 16:17; 1 Corinthians 14:20–25; Acts 2:11
- 47 Acts 8:36; Romans 10:12; Acts 11:15–17; Acts 15:8–9; Genesis 17:24–26
- 48 Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Galatians 3:27; Acts 8:12; John 4:2
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This man is not a Jew, nor of those under the Law, but he had already forestalled our manner of life. Observe, thus far, two persons, both of high rank, receiving the faith, the eunuch at Gaza and this man; and the pains taken on behalf of these men.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
He saw therefore, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying, Thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. Wherefore send to Simon, who is called Peter." But when Peter saw the vision, in which the voice from heaven said to him, "What God hath cleansed, that call not …
… and hath thundered: He shall judge the ends of the earth, for He is righteous." Throughout she holds to the order of the creed of Christians: For the Lord Christ has ascended into heaven, and is to come thence to judge the quick and dead. For, as saith the apostle, "Who hath ascended but He who hath also descended into …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For "thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." This is more indispensable than virginity: for thus were those virgins cast out of the bridechamber; thus were the others brought in.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Peter came, and the Spirit was poured out upon them that believed, and they spake with other tongues, and prophesied: and after the grace of the Spirit the Scripture saith that Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; in order that, the soul having been born again by faith, the body also might by …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)