Skip to reading
Atomic Bible
Acts 10:9-16·~1 min

Peter’s Vision

As Cornelius's men approach Joppa the next day, Peter goes up on the roof to pray around noon. Hungry and waiting for food, he falls into a trance.

T9he next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.

Peter sees heaven opened and something like a great sheet lowered by its four corners. It contains creatures of every kind, and a voice tells Peter to get up, kill, and eat.

11He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. 13Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

Peter refuses because he has never eaten anything impure or unclean, but the voice answers that he must not call impure what God has made clean. This exchange happens three times before the sheet is taken back into heaven.

14“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” 15The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” 16This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven.

Section summaryThe next day in Joppa, while Cornelius's men are nearing the city, Peter goes up to pray and falls into a trance. He sees a great sheet of animals lowered from heaven, resists the command to kill and eat, and hears three times that he must not call impure what God has made clean.
Role in the chapterThis section prepares Peter before the messengers arrive. The vision begins loosening categories he has long lived with so he can receive what God is about to do.