The Conversion of Cornelius Bible Story

In the city of Caesarea, a Roman centurion named Cornelius was praying when an angel appeared to him. Although a Gentile (non-Jew), he was a devout man who loved God, prayed, and gave alms to the poor.

The angel told Cornelius to send to Joppa, to the house of Simon the tanner, where Simon Peter was staying. He was to ask Peter to come to him at Caesarea. Cornelius' two servants and a loyal soldier set out on the 31-mile journey.

The next day, Peter was on the roof of Simon's house praying. As he waited for food to be prepared, he fell into a trance and had a vision of a great sheet being lowered down from the heavens onto the earth. It was filled with all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. A voice told him to kill and eat. 

Peter refused, saying he had never eaten anything common or unclean. The voice said to him, "What God has made clean, do not call common." (Acts 10:15, ESV) This happened three times before the vision ended.

Meanwhile, Cornelius' messengers arrived. God told Peter to go with them, and they left for Caesarea the next day. When they arrived, they found Cornelius had gathered his family and friends. The centurion fell at Peter's feet and worshiped him, but Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up. I too am a man." (Acts 10:26, ESV)

Cornelius repeated his story about the angel, then asked to hear the gospel. Peter quickly summarized the story of Jesus Christ. While he was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon the household. Immediately Cornelius and the others began speaking in tongues and praising God. Through the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit, God dramatically demonstrated his acceptance of Gentiles into the church.

Peter, seeing these Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had on Pentecost, gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

When Peter and his six companions returned to Joppa, they were accosted by members of the circumcision party, former Jews who were upset that the gospel should be preached to Gentiles. But Peter recounted the entire incident, giving his reasons for changing.

The others glorified God and said, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life." (Acts 11:18, ESV)