Acts 10:25-43 - Peter Visits Cornelius
25 When Peter entered [the house] Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet [and attempted] to worship him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "I am just a man, myself." 27 As they talked, Peter went into the house and found many people gathered together [there]. 28 And he said to them, "You people know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with, or even go near a person from another [i.e., non-Jewish] country, and yet God showed me that I should not consider any person ordinary or [ceremonially] unacceptable. 29 So, I came [here] when I was sent for, without objecting. [Now,] why have you sent for me?"
30 Cornelius [then] said, "Four days ago, when I was at home, praying at the appointed hour (i.e., three o'clock in the afternoon) [See verse 3], suddenly a man in bright clothing appeared in front of me. 31 He said to me, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and God has taken account of your giving money to poor people. 32 Therefore, send [men] to Joppa and ask for Simon Peter to come to you. He is staying at the house of Simon, a tanner [of animal hides] who lives close to the [Mediterranean] sea.' 33 So, I proceeded to send [my men] for you and you have done the right thing in coming [here]. Now, therefore, we are all assembled here before God, to hear everything you were commanded by the Lord [to tell us]."
34 Then Peter began to speak. He said, "I perceive that God truly does not show favoritism toward anyone, 35 but that whoever respects Him and does what is right, whatever country he may be from, is acceptable to Him. 36 He sent His message [first] to the Israelites; [it involved] preaching the good news through Jesus Christ (who is Lord of all). 37 You yourselves know [all this, and] how this message was proclaimed throughout Judea, having begun from Galilee after the preaching of the immersion [taught and practiced] by John. 38 This message was about Jesus from Nazareth and how God specially chose Him [and signified it] by giving Him the Holy Spirit and power. He traveled all over doing good [for people] and healing everyone who was [being] oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39 And we [apostles] are witnesses of all that He did, both in the region where Jews lived and in Jerusalem [as well]. But they killed Him by hanging Him on a tree [i.e., the cross]. 40 However, God raised Him up the third day and made it possible for Him to appear [following His resurrection], 41 not to everyone, but to us [apostles] who were specially chosen by God to be witnesses [of His resurrected body], and to eat and drink with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He [i.e., Jesus] is the One whom God ordained to be the Judge of people who are [now] alive and those who have [already] died. 43 All the prophets have testified [in their writings], that it is through the name of Jesus that every person who believes in Him will receive the forgiveness of sins."