Written by Stefan Johnsson
The Word
There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment. 2He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God. 3About three in the afternoon he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius!”
4 Looking intently at him, he became afraid and said, “What is it, lord?”
The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 6He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him. 8 After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
-Acts 10:1-8 (HCSB)
Reflection
I find these verses fascinating because of what they share about Cornelius. Let’s dive in and discuss this in detail.
“He was a devout man and feared God…” – Remember that Cornelius was a Roman and not a Jew. Even though we do not know where Cornelius was born, we do know his cohort of soldiers was formed in Italy, so we can presume that he was not from Caesarea or the surrounding areas, but was stationed there by Rome. He came to know the Jews through his daily interactions, and thus, indirectly came to learn about Yahweh. The truth of God must’ve affected him greatly, because he not only gave up the pagan gods, but turned to worship Yahweh as his own God. That speaks significantly to him as a person. So it is safe to say that Cornelius would’ve attended the Synagogue as a non-Jew (an uncircumcised Gentile who had not fully accepted the Jewish religion) and would’ve done a lot of charitable works through his interactions with the locals.
“….he became afraid and said, ‘What is it, lord?’” – This phrase has me thinking. Only God(and Jesus) is treated as Lord. Could Cornelius have seen the risen Jesus at that point or just misused the term lord because he was afraid of the angel in front of him? Not sure we will ever find out, but to think that Jesus would’ve come directly to a Gentle who believed in God, makes you wonder. Also, Peter only heard God’s voice and received a vision, but didn’t see any angel. Interesting parallel there that we can draw. Christians know God’s voice(the Holy Spirit), so we are told to listen. For people who do not yet know God, they may see Him in a dream, vision, or in person.
“…he called two of his household slaves and a devout soldier.” – As Cornelius most likely knew that the Jews were out to kill and imprison Christians, he sent people he could trust to find Peter, two household slaves and a devout soldier. According to verse 2, it is probable that the slaves(or servants) would’ve also feared God and kept whatever they were doing a secret for their master. The interesting tidbit though, is that Cornelius handpicked another soldier who was a devout believer in Yahweh. Cornelius confided in a soldier who he had probably spoken to many times in the past and had also come to believe in God, and then sent him on this very important mission. And as this request came from God and was of utmost importance, only a true believer could be entrusted and sent.
Application
We never know where God’s Holy Spirit works and how He does it. God had prepared Cornelius before he was born for this vital role in the spread of the gospel message to the Gentiles. He had opened the hearts of the Roman soldiers who lived and worked in Judea to become an example of God’s goodness to the nations. Luke wanted to share this important moment to help Christians see that God had planned for this from the very beginning.
We should never assume God has closed the door on a certain group of people who He has prepared for His glory. Our job, just like it was for Peter, is to share the gospel message to anyone who will hear. And God still brings people to believers today, especially in the Middle East. Be open, listen to God’s voice, and He will use you.
Prayer
Father in Heaven, thank You for opening my heart to the gospel message. Let me be a witness for Your glory to the nations of this world. Help me to hear and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit so I can be open and available as You need me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
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