How do the visions, summons and Gentile reception converge?

Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian band in Cæsarea, is religious, fears God with his household, gives much alms and always prays. About the ninth hour an angel appears in a vision and calls him. Afraid, he asks what it is. His prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. He should send for Simon Peter at Joppe, lodging with Simon the tanner by the sea, who will tell him what to do. Cornelius relates this to two servants and a Lord-fearing soldier and sends them.

As they approach Joppe the next day, Peter prays in the house’s higher parts around the sixth hour. Hungry while food is prepared, he enters ecstasy and sees heaven open and a vessel like a great linen sheet lowered by four corners, containing beasts, creeping things and birds. Told to rise, kill and eat, he objects that he has never eaten common or unclean things. The voice tells him not to call common what God cleansed. This happens three times before the vessel returns to heaven. While he considers the meaning, the messengers ask for him at Simon’s gate. The Spirit tells him three men seek him and he should go without doubt, for the Spirit sent them. They explain Cornelius’s angelic instruction to invite him and hear his words. Peter lodges them and leaves the next day with some Joppe brethren.

At Cæsarea Cornelius waits with kinsmen and special friends. He falls at Peter’s feet and adores him, but Peter raises him, saying he too is a man. Entering to the gathering, Peter explains that a Jew’s association with another nation is regarded as an abomination, but God taught him to call no man common or unclean. He asks why he was summoned. Cornelius describes the vision four days earlier at the ninth hour, the man in white declaring his prayer heard and alms remembered, and the instruction to summon Peter. He sent immediately, and now all wait for what the Lord commanded Peter.

Peter perceives that God respects no persons: in every nation those fearing him and working justice are acceptable. The annotation includes Gentiles but presupposes true faith, citing Hebrews 11:6. It rejects inferring that all religions please God, asserting that only true religion comes from God while others come from the father of lies. These are the edition’s statements, rather than additional speech by Peter.

Peter describes God’s word of peace to Israel through Jesus Christ, Lord of all, published through Judea beginning in Galilee after John’s baptism preaching. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Ghost and power, doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil. The witnesses saw his deeds, his killing on a tree and his manifestation after God raised him on the third day. God showed him not to all but to chosen witnesses who ate and drank with him. He commanded preaching of his appointment as judge of living and dead. The prophets testify that believers receive remission through his name.

While Peter speaks the Holy Ghost falls on all hearers. The faithful of the circumcision marvel at grace poured on Gentiles, hearing tongues and praise. Peter asks whether anyone can withhold baptismal water from those receiving the Holy Ghost as they did. He commands baptism in Jesus’s name, and they request that he stay some days.