The next day, while they were still on their journey and were getting near the town, about noon Peter went up on the house-top to pray. He had become unusually hungry and wished for food; but, while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance. read more. The sky had opened to his view, and what seemed to be an enormous sail was descending, being let down to the earth by ropes at the four corners. In it were all kinds of quadrupeds, reptiles and birds, and a voice came to him which said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." "On no account, Lord," he replied; "for I have never yet eaten anything unholy and impure." Again a second time a voice was heard which said, "What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy." This was said three times, and immediately the sail was drawn up out of sight.

Now the Apostles, and the brethren in various parts of Judaea, heard that the Gentiles also had received God's Message; and, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of circumcision found fault with him. read more. "You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said, "and you ate with them." Peter, however, explained the whole matter to them from the beginning. "While I was in the town of Jaffa, offering prayer," he said, "in a trance I saw a vision. There descended what seemed to be an enormous sail, being let down from the sky by ropes at the four corners, and it came close to me. Fixing my eyes on it, I examined it closely, and saw various kinds of quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. I also heard a voice saying to me, "'Rise, Peter, kill and eat.' "'On no account, Lord,' I replied, 'for nothing unholy or impure has ever gone into my mouth.' "But a voice answered, speaking a second time from the sky, "'What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy.' "This was said three times, and then everything was drawn up again out of sight.

And this is a figure--for the time now present--answering to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, unable though they are to give complete freedom from sin to him who ministers. For their efficacy depends only on meats and drinks and various washings, ceremonies pertaining to the body and imposed until a time of reformation. read more. But Christ appeared as a High Priest of the blessings that are soon to come by means of the greater and more perfect Tent of worship, a tent which has not been built with hands--that is to say does not belong to this material creation-- and once for all entered the Holy place, taking with Him not the blood of goats and calves, but His own blood, and thus procuring eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have contracted defilement make them holy so as to bring about ceremonial purity, how much more certainly shall the blood of Christ, who strengthened by the eternal Spirit offered Himself to God, free from blemish, purify your consciences from lifeless works for you to serve the ever-living God?