Episode 273: Kill and eat

Acts 10-12

The angel's message to Cornelius

10 ^1-6 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, who had a vision of an angel who said to him, "Send men to a man named Simon Peter in Joppa, who lives with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the seashore. He'll tell you what to do."

⁷ So Cornelius sent men to Joppa.

Peter's dream (kill and eat)

⁹ The next day as they approached Joppa, Peter was up on the roof praying.

¹⁰ He was hungry and would have eaten something, but he fell into a trance.

¹¹He saw the sky open, and a huge sheet come down to earth.

¹² All kinds of four-footed beasts, wild beasts, creeping things, and fowls were on the sheet.

¹³ Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

¹⁴ Peter said, “I can't, Lord. I've never eaten anything common or unclean.”

¹⁵ The voice said, “Don't call what God has cleaned common.”

¹⁶ This was repeated three times. Then the sheet full of animals was raised into heaven.

Peter's speech (and the Gentiles speak in tongues)

¹⁷ While Peter was wondering what to make of the vision, the men who were sent by Cornelius arrived.

^19-20 The Spirit said to Peter, “Three men are here to see you. I've sent them to you, so go with them.”

^23-24 So on the next day, Peter went with them to Caesarea to see Cornelius.

²⁵ When Peter arrived, Cornelius worshipped him.

²⁶ Peter said to him, "Stand up. I'm just a man like you."

^28-29 Peter said, “You know it's unlawful for a Jew to be around Gentiles, but God told me not to call any man common or unclean. So I'm here. Why did you send for me?”

^30-33 Cornelius said, “A voice in a vision told me to talk to you.”

^34-43 Peter then made a speech about Jesus.

⁴⁴ The Holy Ghost fell on everyone who heard Peter's speech

^45-46 Those who were circumcised were amazed to see the gift of the Holy Ghost poured out on Gentiles and hear them speak in tongues.

⁴⁷ Peter said, “Since they've received the Holy Ghost, shouldn't they be baptized?”

⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Peter repeats his "kill and eat" dream

11 ¹ The apostles heard that Gentiles had received the word of God.

² So when Peter arrived in Jerusalem, those who were circumcised said, “You ate with uncircumcised men.”

^4-17 Then Peter told them about the dream that he'd had about the sheet full of animals and the command to kill and eat.

¹⁸ After his speech, they said, “Okay. God says we should let the Gentiles in.”

The Christians in Antioch

¹⁹ After Stephen's death, the believers traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cypress, and Antioch. But they preached only to Jews.

²¹ There were many converts.

²⁵ Barnabas went to Tarsus looking for Saul.

²⁶ When he found him, they went to Antioch, where they stayed for a year. It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

Peter is imprisoned (to please the Jews)

12 ¹ King Herod began to persecute the church.

^2-3 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, because he saw that it pleased the Jews. He also arrested Peter and put him in prison.

Peter is rescued by an angel

^6-7 Peter was bound with chains, sleeping between two soldiers in prison, when an angel hit him on the side, and said to him, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off Peter's hands.

⁸ The angel said, “Gird yourself, put on your clothes and sandals, and follow me.”

¹⁰ When they came to the gate of the city, it opened all by itself. They went through the gate, and then the angel departed.

¹¹ Then Peter said to himself, “Now I know for sure that God has sent his angel to save me from Herod and the Jews.”

Herod is eaten by worms (for not giving God the glory)

²¹ One day, Herod sat on his throne and spoke to the people.

²² The people shouted, saying, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”

²³ And immediately, the angel of God killed him, because he didn't give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and died.