And Peter stayed in Joppa many days with a tanner named Simon.
ACTS of the Apostles 9:43 NASB20
In fact, an angel has just told a Roman centurion the day before where he can send his ambassadors to find Simon Peter.
What’s for lunch? – a scene in Joppa
Some quoted text from NASB20 + CLICK Below to read ALL of Acts 10 in: 1550 Stephanus New Testament; Easy-to-Read English Version; Conferenza Episcopale Italiana; Russian Synodal Version
ACTS 10: of Simon Peter in Joppa
.. Peter went up on the housetop about [noon] the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and wanted to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance..
Has that ever happened to you?
You’re hungry.. but you doze off while the sounds and aromas of lunch or dinner fill you with dreams rather than the action of coming to the table to eat.
But Simon’s trance is no ordinary dream!
CLICK trance ABOVE for full definition of ἔκστασις [ek'-stas-is]
an alienation of mind
He saw something coming down through the open sky. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. 13 Then a voice said to him,
“Get up, Peter; kill anything here and eat it.”
“By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything [common or profane] unholy and unclean.”
15 But the voice said to him again,
“God has made these things pure. Don’t say they are unfit to eat.”
16 This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back up into heaven. Peter wondered what this vision meant.
A Roman Soldier with two men at the gate
.. behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked directions to Simon’s house, and they appeared at the gate; and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.
ACTS of the Apostles 10:17b-18 NASB20
From the roof of the home of Simon the tanner (where the gate would be clearly visible) as the Apostle emerges from his trance he hears these men.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him,
“Behold, three men are looking for you.
“Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.”
ACTS of the Apostles 10:20 NKJV
Goyim guests for lunch! גוים
Simon Peter, the Apostle forgiven by the risen Christ for his own doubt just beyond the gate of Jesus’ trial, must certainly wonder what the Lord has in store for him by sending these UN-jewish Roman guests to him. Yet obediently, Peter descends from his noon-time prayers and roof-top trance to meet these Romans at Simon’s door.
“Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”
22 The men said, “A holy angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house. He is an army officer. He is a good man, one who worships God, and all the Jewish people respect him. The angel told him to invite you to his house so that he can listen to what you have to say.”
Roman house guests in Jewish Joppa
The Apostle Philip, of course, has already preached the Gospel in Caesarea. But these Romans from their own capital city up the coast have not come to our jewish port of Joppa from him.
Their journey between these two coastal ports takes most of a day on foot [~10-14 hours]. The ~60 km [~40 mile] trip by Cornelius' men from the early hours of the morning by have been by chariot. These Romans have arrived around lunch time.
23 Peter asked the men to come in and stay for the night.
Lunch, Evening meal, Prayer together, conversation between these Romans and Peter and Simon.
And then, no doubt, an early prayer and breakfast for all..
On the following day he entered Caesarea…
The Gospel Mission of Peter to Romans at Caesarea —
To be continued…
