26. But Peter helped him up, saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.”
27. Peter continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together.
28. He said to them, “You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile, yet God has shown me that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean.
29. Therefore when you sent for me, I came without any objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?”
30. Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and suddenly a man in shining clothing stood before me
31. and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity have been remembered before God.
32. Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.’
33. Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. So now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.”
34. Then Peter started speaking: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,
35. but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him.
36. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) –
37. you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
38. with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
39. We are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40. but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen,
41. not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.