King James Version · Under Rome
Acts 10
Touch any underlined name to see who or where it is. Tap a verse number to see where it is taken up elsewhere.
There was a certain man in Cesarea called , a of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and to alway. He saw in a evidently about the ninth hour of the day of coming in to him, and saying unto him, . And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, ? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before . And now send men to , and call for one , whose surname is : He lodgeth with one a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when which spake unto was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to . On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, went up upon the housetop to about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw opened, and a certain descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted of the earth, and wild , and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, ; kill, and eat. But said, Not so, ; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or . And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the was received up again into . Now while doubted in himself what this which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from had made enquiry for ’s house, and stood before the , And called, and asked whether , which was surnamed , were lodged there. While thought on the , said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. Then went down to the men which were sent unto him from ; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? And they said, the centurion, a man, and one that feareth , and of good report among all the nation of the , was warned from by an to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow went away with them, and certain brethren from accompanied him. And the morrow after they entered into Cesarea. And waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. And as was coming in, met him, and fell down at his feet, and him. But took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or . Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me? And said, Four days ago I was until this hour; and at the ninth hour I in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, And said, , thy is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of . 32Send therefore to , and call hither , whose surname is ; he is lodged in the house of one a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before , to hear all things that are commanded thee of . Then opened his , and said, Of a truth I perceive that is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh , is accepted with him. The word which sent unto the , preaching peace by : (he is of all:) That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all , and began from , after the which preached; How of with the Ghost and with : who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for was with him. And we are of all things which he did both in the land of the , and in ; whom they slew and : Him up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto chosen before of , even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he . And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of to be the Judge of quick and . To him give all , that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of . While yet spake these words, the Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the which were astonished, as many as came with , because that on the also was poured out the gift of the Ghost. For they heard them speak with , and magnify . Then answered , Can any man forbid water, that these should not be , which have received the Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be in the name of . Then they him to tarry certain days.
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.