The book of Acts
Peter and Cornelius the Centurion
Chapter 10
Caesarea was a port city built by Herod the Great about thirty miles North of Joppa, which became the residence of the Roman procurator and was of strategic importance to the Roman army. One of the men living there, called Cornelius, was “a centurion of the so-called Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always”.
Centurions always appear in a favourable aspect in the New Testament (Matthew 8:5, Luke 7:2, 23:47, Acts 10:1, 22:25, and 27:3). A Roman legion was ideally composed of 10 cohorts, each cohort of 6 centuries, each with 100 men. Roman provinces had cohorts made up of volunteers coming from Italy, as indicated by Luke, in whose loyalty the Roman procurator could trust.
Although Cornelius was a Gentile, he knew and believed in the true God, but we do not know how he came to know Him. It may possibly have been through contact with godly Jews. Cornelius served God in the manner he considered appropriate, according to his knowledge, and “in every nation whoever fears God and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (10:35). God therefore arranged for him to come to know the gospel so that he might be saved (cap. 11:14). The evangelist chosen by God for this task was Peter, and God intervened directly in order that the two might meet when Peter was lodged nearby in the home of Simon the tanner in Joppa.
God gives this one answer to the often-asked question: "What happens to those who are ‘good’ but do not know the Gospel, and so have no chance to accept or reject Christ?" The answer is that God will bring light to such person, in one form or another. It can be through personal contact with a Christian, a tract, a message through the radio, television or internet, etc. Many come to the light when looking for it in the Bible, which speaks for itself.
God first gave a vision to Cornelius: it was not a dream, and could have happened when Cornelius was praying, at three o'clock in the afternoon, after the noon meal. His vision was that of an angel addressing him by his name "Cornelius!" He was distinguished by his bright clothing, and Cornelius trembled. He respectfully called him "lord" and asked, "What is it?"
The angel declared that his prayers and alms had ascended as a memorial before God (as the smoke of incense - Revelation 8:4), and commanded him to send men to Joppa and call Peter over. Cornelius immediately obeyed and chose three men: two household servants and a devout soldier for their protection; he told them what had happened and sent them with this task. It was already late, and they had to stay overnight on the way, arriving at Joppa after noon the next day.
Meanwhile, God prepared Peter to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentile Cornelius, because Peter still held prejudices against the Gentiles due to the Judaism in which he had been brought up. This religious barrier was impassable for men, and still exists today, not only in Judaism but also in Islam and various sects and religious institutions calling themselves Christian. It prevents their partisans from hearing and coming to the knowledge of the true Gospel of Christ.
It was noon, the meal was not yet ready and hungry Peter went up on the housetop (a slab that covered the house rather than the roof) to pray. His hunger was conducive to what followed. He fell into a trance (a state in which a person finds himself as if moved out of their bodies and the sensitive world), and in that state he saw heaven opened and an object “like a great sheet bound at the four corners being lowered to him and let down to the earth”, containing a variety of mammals, reptiles and birds.
A voice commanded him to rise, kill and eat those animals. It is possible that Peter recognized the voice of the Lord Jesus, because he was not afraid and said confidently that in no way would he do it because “he had never eaten anything common or unclean" giving to understand that he was not going to start eating them now. Maybe Peter thought he was being tested, because there were animals there whose meat was forbidden to the Jews by the Law of Moses. He called Him "Lord", but did not intend to obey Him.
The believer should never say "not at all" to the Lord, for it is clearly a disobedience. However, on this occasion Peter did so three times (as he had denied the Lord three times previously). The second time the voice rebuked him, "What God has cleansed you must not call common". He had called "common" what God had given him to kill and eat, so he was trying to show he was even more pious than his Lord was. It is an illustration of the obstinacy on the part of someone when he discovers that God is opposed to his own preferences and prejudices. We see too much of that today.
The law of Moses ceremonially distinguished between "clean" and "unclean" animals so that it was not permitted to eat the meat of the "unclean". However, since the day of Pentecost, when the church was baptized with the Holy Spirit, a new period began when the Law of Moses was replaced by God's grace (Galatians 5), to reach the world. Among other things, Jews (the "circumcision") were no longer to be distinguished from Gentiles (the "uncircumcised"), nor "clean" animals from "unclean", etc.
This was what God was teaching Peter by means of the vision of animals. Therefore, as Peter could now eat everything, because all that was unclean was cleansed by disabling the Law, the distinction between Jews and Gentiles had ceased, for the grace of God reaches all.
The object was taken up into heaven again, and Peter was left reflecting, perplexed about what would be the purpose of that vision. Since his childhood Peter had learned to distinguish between "clean" and "unclean" foods, and perhaps he did not understand it when the Lord had once said "Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him?" thus declaring pure all food. (Mark 7:18-19).
The answer came quickly: he heard the voice of the men sent by Cornelius at the door, asking if he was staying there. While he still meditated, the Spirit instructed him to go down and to go with them, doubting nothing, because it was He who had sent them. Peter had been chosen by God to open the door of salvation to the Gentiles, who he had always regarded as unclean, foreign, distant and without God. The Gentiles, represented by the unclean animals, were to receive the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish converts.
Peter spoke to the messengers of Cornelius, and after hearing about his good character and his vision of the angel who had sent for him, Peter lodged them that night and went with them the next day, still accompanied by the six brethren from Joppa. They spent the night on the way, and entered into Caesarea the next day, the third after Cornelius had his vision.
Cornelius had gathered at his house his relatives and closest friends to receive Peter and, seeing him, he fell at his feet and worshipped him. Peter promptly lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." It is also a warning to those who, even today, "worship" and bend over in front of a statue they regard as the "Saint" Peter and those who claim to be his successors.
Peter explained to all around him that he had learned from God that he "should not call any man common or unclean": he had discovered the purpose of his vision of animals.
At the request of Peter, Cornelius told him his own vision, and Peter declared that he admitted that God is no respecter of persons.
Peter announced the "word of God ... preaching peace through Jesus Christ," and gave his own testimony concerning "Jesus of Nazareth", starting from the baptism of John the Baptist and ending with His death and resurrection. He then declared that the Lord Jesus commanded him to testify that “it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead" and that according to all the prophets "through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
Even before he finished, Cornelius and his relatives and close friends believed in Jesus Christ and were saved. Instantly they received the Holy Spirit of God, which was manifested to Peter and the other brethren by speaking in tongues and glorifying God the same way as had happened with the disciples at Pentecost (11:15). In view of this, Peter instructed them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
The order of events in the conversion of both Jews and Gentiles continues until today: hearing the Word (believing - v.44), receiving the Holy Spirit (a spontaneous gift of God - v.44, 47) and being baptized (v. 48).
R David Jones
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,
2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.
3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!"
4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.
5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.
6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do."
7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.
8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."
14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."
16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.
17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.
18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.
19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.
20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."
21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"
22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."
23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.
25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man."
27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.
28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?"
30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31 and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'
33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.
40 Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly,
41 not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
42 And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
43 To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Acts chapter 10