Year of the Bible
Acts of the Apostles 10
Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10:
Chapter 10 brings us to a monumental shift for the growing Church as the Holy Spirit guides the community of predominantly Jewish believers to begin to welcome Gentiles into God’s Covenant People. Side-by-side, God is preparing two men through prayer. One of the men is a Gentile military officer--spiritual, but not Jewish (vs. 1-7). God speaks to him in prayer, and Cornelius responds (vs. 8). The other man, Peter, is a devout Jew and leader of the early Church. He receives a confusing (vs. 17) vision of images during prayer (vs. 9-16), but shortly after Peter recognizes signs through the actions of others that confirm his prayer (vs. 19-23). As Peter responds to this work of the Spirit, he is torn--not wanting to step out of his comfort zone and break his religious laws to share table fellowship with a Gentile--but proceeds to follow God’s seemingly unusual plan (vs. 27-33). Guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter brings his perplexing prayer vision and the signs he’s witnessed together to share the Good News of Jesus in this new setting (vs. 34-43). More signs of confirmation come and Gentiles are joined to God’s People in baptism (vs. 44-48). Both Cornelius, Peter, and the Jewish believers with Peter have all experienced unexpected conversions through the Holy Spirit!
The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 10:
Peter and Cornelius
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. 3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius.” 4 And he stared at him in terror, and said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; 6 he is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those that waited on him, 8 and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and desired something to eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14 But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” 16 This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon’s house, stood before the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” 21 And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” 22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an up right and Godfearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say.” 23 So he called them in to be his guests.
The next day he rose and went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his kinsmen and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; 28 and he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”
30 And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, 31 saying, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.’ 33 So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Gentiles Hear the Good News
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 You know the word which he sent to the sons of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest; 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44 While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the believers from among the
Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47 “Can any one forbid water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
*Daily Lectio Divina Question:
"Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God." (v4) Lord, as Cornelius heard these words from the angel in response to his devout faith, I ask you to open my own heart to consider how I am doing in my own devotion of prayer and almsgiving. Is there anything you want to reveal to me through your Spirit or angels in the stillness of this moment with you?
Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this.
If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further.
1 Un hombre de Cesarea llamado Cornelio,
centurión de la cohorte denominada
Itálica, 2 piadoso y temeroso de
Dios con toda su casa, que daba muchas limosnas
al pueblo y oraba a Dios sin cesar,
3 vio claramente en una visión, hacia la hora
nona del día, al ángel de Dios que llegaba
hasta él y le decía:
–¡Cornelio!
4 Él le miró fijamente y, sobrecogido
de temor, dijo:
–¿Qué ocurre, señor?
Y le respondió:
–Tus oraciones y limosnas han subido
como memorial ante la presencia
del Señor. 5 Envía ahora unos hombres a
Jope y haz venir a un tal Simón, de sobrenombre
Pedro, 6 que se hospeda en
casa de otro Simón, curtidor, que vive
junto al mar.
7 En cuanto se retiró el ángel que le
hablaba, llamó a dos criados y a un soldado
piadoso de los que estaban a sus
órdenes, 8 les refirió todo y los envió a
Jope.
9 Al día siguiente, mientras ellos iban
de camino y se acercaban a la ciudad,
subió Pedro a la azotea, hacia la hora
sexta, para orar. 10 Sintió hambre y quiso
tomar algo. Mientras se lo preparaban
le sobrevino un éxtasis, 11 y vio el cielo
abierto y cierto objeto como un gran
mantel con cuatro puntas, que descendía
y se posaba sobre la tierra. 12 En él
estaban todos los cuadrúpedos, reptiles
de la tierra y aves del cielo. 13 Y le llegó
una voz:
–¡Levántate, Pedro, mata y come!
14 Pero Pedro replicó:
–De ningún modo, Señor, porque
jamás comí nada profano e impuro.
15 Y la misma voz por segunda vez:
–Lo que Dios ha purificado no lo
llames tú profano.
16 Esto ocurrió tres veces y enseguida
el objeto fue elevado al cielo. 17 Mientras
Pedro cavilaba qué podría significar la
visión que había tenido, los hombres
enviados por Cornelio, tras localizar la
casa de Simón, se presentaron en el porche.
18 Después de llamar preguntaron
si allí se hospedaba Simón, por sobrenombre
Pedro. 19 Mientras Pedro seguía
pensando en la visión, le dijo el Espíritu:
–Mira, te buscan tres hombres. 20 Levántate,
baja y vete con ellos sin ningún
reparo, porque los he enviado yo.
21 Bajó Pedro al encuentro de los
hombres y les dijo:
–Yo soy el que buscáis. ¿Cuál es el
motivo de que hayáis venido?
22 Ellos respondieron:
–El centurión Cornelio, hombre justo
y temeroso de Dios, acreditado por
toda la población judía, recibió aviso de
un santo ángel para hacerte venir a su
casa y escuchar tus palabras.
23 Entonces les invitó y les dio hospedaje.
Al día siguiente se levantó y partió
con ellos. Les acompañaban algunos
hermanos de Jope.
Entró en Cesarea al otro día. Cornelio,
después de haber reunido a
sus parientes y amigos más íntimos, les estaba
esperando. 25 En el momento en que
entraba Pedro, salió Cornelio a su encuentro
y, postrándose, le adoró. 26 Pero Pedro le
incorporó diciendo:
–Levántate, que también yo soy un
simple hombre.
27 Y conversando con él pasó adentro
y encontró a muchas personas reunidas.
28 Y les dijo:
–Vosotros sabéis que está prohibido
para un judío juntarse o acercarse a
un extranjero; pero Dios me ha enseñado
a no llamar profano a ningún hombre.
29 Por eso he venido sin vacilación
en cuanto me habéis llamado. Ahora
os pregunto por qué motivo me habéis
mandado llamar.
30 Cornelio dijo:
–Hoy hace cuatro días estaba yo
orando en mi casa a la hora nona y se
presentó ante mí un varón de brillante
vestidura, 31 y me dijo: «¡Cornelio!,
tu oración ha sido oída y tus limosnas
han sido recordadas en la presencia de
Dios. 32 Manda emisarios a Jope y haz
llamar a Simón, de sobrenombre Pedro,
que se hospeda en casa de Simón el curtidor,
junto al mar». 33 Enseguida te envié
emisarios, y tú has hecho bien en venir.
Ahora todos nosotros estamos aquí
en la presencia de Dios para escuchar lo
que te ha ordenado el Señor.
34 Pedro comenzó a hablar:
–En verdad comprendo que Dios
no hace acepción de personas, 35 sino
que en cualquier pueblo le es agradable
todo el que le teme y obra la justicia.
36 Ha enviado su palabra a los hijos
de Israel, anunciando el Evangelio de la
paz por medio de Jesucristo, que es Señor
de todos.
37 »Vosotros sabéis lo ocurrido por
toda Judea, comenzando por Galilea,
después del bautismo que predicó Juan:
38 cómo a Jesús de Nazaret le ungió Dios
con el Espíritu Santo y poder, y cómo
pasó haciendo el bien y sanando a todos
los oprimidos por el diablo, porque
Dios estaba con él. 39 Y nosotros somos
testigos de todo lo que hizo en la región
de los judíos y en Jerusalén; de cómo le
dieron muerte colgándolo de un madero.
40 Pero Dios le resucitó al tercer día y
le concedió manifestarse, 41 no a todo el
pueblo, sino a testigos elegidos de antemano
por Dios, a nosotros, que comimos
y bebimos con él después que resucitó
de entre los muertos; 42 y nos mandó
predicar al pueblo y atestiguar que a él
es a quien Dios ha constituido juez de
vivos y muertos. 43 Acerca de él testimonian
todos los profetas que todo el que
cree en él recibe por su nombre el perdón
de los pecados.
Todavía estaba diciendo Pedro estas
cosas cuando descendió el Espíritu
Santo sobre todos los que escuchaban la
palabra; 45 y los fieles que procedían de la circuncisión
y que habían acompañado a Pedro
quedaron atónitos, porque también sobre
los gentiles se derramaba el don del Espíritu
Santo; 46 pues les oían hablar lenguas y
glorificar a Dios. Entonces habló Pedro:
47 –¿Podrá alguien negar el agua del
bautismo a estos que han recibido el Espíritu
Santo igual que nosotros?
48 Y mandó bautizarlos en el nombre
de Jesucristo. Entonces le rogaron que
se quedase algunos días.
Pregunta de Lectio Divina del día de hoy
"Tus oraciones y limosnas han subido como ofrenda conmemorativa ante Dios". (v4) Señor, así como Cornelio escuchó estas palabras del ángel en respuesta a su devota fe, te pido que abras mi corazón para considerar cómo estoy en mi devoción de oración y limosna. ¿Hay algo que quieras revelarme a través de tu Espíritu o de tus ángeles en la quietud de este momento contigo?
La Biblia de Navarra
Permiso para usar esta versión de la primera edición de la Biblia de Navarra
para el Año de la Biblia del Obispo
dado por Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, S.A. (EUNSA).