An Angel Appears To Cornelius
AN ANGEL APPEARS TO CORNELIUS
ACTS 10:1-8
Notice how Cornelius responds to the vision with prompt obedience.
Cornelius’ status is referred to in a few verses in this chapter—10:2,4,22,35. What sort of picture can you build up of this man’s character from these descriptions?
From a professional standpoint he was a Roman centurion and a Gentile (10:1), but a Gentile who was attracted to the Jewish faith and way of life, although not a fully committed proselyte. Persuaded by Jewish monotheism (belief in one, righteous God) and morality, he is known by the technical term of “God-fearer” (10:2), and this for him was no empty profession, as an angel, and his servants, and Peter, all confirm. What an excellent set of character references he had!
Cornelius is chosen for the signal honor of receiving the gospel and its benefits at the hands of Peter as the latter exercises the “power of the keys.” See Matthew 16:19. He is the first-fruits of the great Roman world to be led to faith in Christ under the apostolic ministry and his conversion is a notable watershed in the book of Acts, as 11:17-18 recognize.
Notes 10:1: “Italian Cohort”—a company of 600 men. There is evidence that Cohors II Italica was stationed in Syria in AD 60–70, and Caesarea was the military headquarters of Roman government in Palestine. 10:2: these are the marks of Jewish piety, characteristic of a “God-fearer” (see too in 13:16,26; 16:14; 18:7). 10:3: at 3 p.m. the vision came, but probably it was too late for the men to set off for Joppa, some thirty miles away, that day. So they left on the next day (10:9) and arrived at noon. 10:4: almsgiving is likened to a Levitical sacrifice (Leviticus 2:2,9,16; cf. Psalm 141:2: Hebrews 13:15f.; Philippians 4:18). 10:6: Simon lived by the seaside where he (a) used seawater for his trade, and (b) caused no ceremonial (nor social!) offense to the Jews who abhorred that odorous trade.