When the apostles were left to themselves, however, they continued still to minister only to the Jews. It required a special revelation from heaven, to arouse them to the fact that the Gospel was for the Gentiles also. There lived in Caesarea a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius was a devout and God-fearing man, though a Gentile, and prayed much that he might learn what to do to gain eternal life. One day an angel appeared to him, and instructed him to send messengers to Joppa for one Simon, surnamed Peter, who should tell Cornelius what to do. Cornelius sent two of his men immediately to seek out Peter. Meanwhile, Peter, at Joppa, "went up upon the housetop to pray 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 heaven opened, and a certain vessel 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 four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have {294} never eaten anything that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This vision appeared to Peter three times; and while he was pondering on the meaning of it the messengers of Cornelius arrived. Peter hurried to Caesarea to minister to Cornelius; and when he saw that God had blessed Cornelius, Peter understood the meaning of the vision. "Of a truth," said he, "I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him." [Sidenote: The preaching of Barnabas and Paul.] Thenceforth, the apostles preached to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. Paul and Barnabas told the truth fearlessly to the Jews themselves. "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldst be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life were saved." [Sidenote: "Other sheep."]