ACTS 10 1-20

 N.T. IN A YEAR READING & STUDY [ ]REFERENCES { }THOTS, VERSES R PARAPHRASED

      The Acts of the First Believers

1 - At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of a Roman military guard. 2 He was a devout man who revered God along with all his household. He gave alms generously to the people, and he prayed daily to God. 3 At about the ninth hour on a certain day, he saw in a clear vision, an angel of God come in and say, “Cornelius.”

     4 Which frightened him. And he said, “What is it, Lord?” And the angel of the LORD said, “Your prayers and giving of gifts have risen like incense before God. 5 Send some men to Joppa and bring the man Simon who’s called Peter. 6 He’s staying with a leather tanner, whose name is Simon and whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel had left, he called two of his hired servants and a devout soldier, 8 and relating everything to them, he sent them off to Joppa for Peter.

     9 On the next day, as they were nearing the city, at about the sixth hour, an hour of prayer, Peter was on the housetop. 10 While praying he became hungry and was waiting for something to eat, while they were preparing the meal. He fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened. And saw something like a great sheet descending. It was being let down by its four corners onto the earth. 12 And in it were all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds of the air.

     13 And there came a voice, saying, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “No LORD! For I’ve never eaten anything that is common or unclean!” 15 And the voice came again, saying “What God has made clean, don’t call common [koinoó - common, not special].”16 This happened three times. And then the sheet was taken up the way it came.

    17 While Peter was puzzled as to what the vision might mean. Meanwhile the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked kn town where the house of the tanner by the sea was, were standing at the gate. 18 And they called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was there. 19 Peter was still pondering the vision, and the Spirit of God said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Go down and accept them without hesitation, for I’ve sent them here to ask for you.”

     {Hebrews were supposed to remain “separated” (called out) from the nations/world - to preserve their own (righteous) culture - in order to birth into the world, the “savior of the world” somewhat in context, as opposed to being born among strange customs?}

Next - 10:21-33