Cornelius and His Friends Receive the Holy Ghost
The gospel is for everyone
Cornelius was a leader of Roman soldiers. He and his family believed in God, but they were not Jews and did not know about Jesus Christ. Cornelius shared what he had with the poor and prayed to God often.
One afternoon, an angel came to Cornelius while he was fasting and praying. The angel said, “Cornelius, thy prayer is heard.” God had seen his kindness. The angel told Cornelius to find the Apostle Peter, who was staying in a city called Joppa. Peter would tell Cornelius what to do.
Cornelius told his servants what the angel said. He sent them to Joppa to ask Peter to come visit him.
In Joppa, Peter was on the roof of the house praying. He was hungry and was about to go eat, when suddenly he saw a vision.
Peter saw a big sheet coming down out of heaven, full of all kinds of animals and birds. Then Peter heard a voice say he should eat those animals. But these were animals that Jews were not allowed to eat. The law of Moses said they were unclean. Peter didn’t want to eat them.
The voice said that if God had made something clean, it should not be called unclean. The vision repeated three times. Peter wondered what it meant.
Just then, the Spirit told Peter that three men were looking for him. “Go with them,” the Spirit said, “for I have sent them.”
The three men were Cornelius’s servants. They told Peter about the angel Cornelius had seen and asked if Peter would come teach him. Jews usually didn’t enter the homes of people who weren’t Jews, and the Apostles didn’t teach them the gospel. But remembering his vision, Peter decided to go.
When Peter arrived, Cornelius was waiting for him with many friends and family members. He told Peter they were ready to hear whatever God commanded him to tell them.
Now Peter understood what God was teaching him in the vision. Peter told everyone that God doesn’t love one nation or group of people more than another. God accepts anyone who follows Him and does what is right. Peter taught Cornelius and his family and friends about Jesus Christ.
As he taught, the Holy Ghost came to everyone who was listening. Peter invited them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter had learned that all of God’s children are welcome in the Church of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ was preached to everyone.