The First Gentile Convert
Cornelius was a Roman Centurion stationed in Caesarea, the administrative capital of Judea. His story, detailed extensively in Acts Chapter 10, is arguably the single most important narrative in the Book of Acts after the day of Pentecost, as it marks the moment God unequivocally revealed His plan to include the Gentiles, without requiring them to first become Jewish proselytes.
The Man of Devotion
Cornelius held a high military rank, commanding the Italian band (a cohort of Roman soldiers). Yet, despite his position in the worldly, pagan Roman hierarchy, the Bible offers a powerful description of his personal piety and character:
“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” (Acts 10:1-2, KJV)
The phrase “feared God” (or phoboumenous ton Theon) identifies him as a “God-fearer”—a Gentile who had abandoned pagan idolatry, worshipped the God of Israel, and followed Jewish morality, but had not yet fully converted to Judaism (by circumcision or submitting to the whole Law). His devotion was manifested in:
- Sincere Prayer: He prayed “alway.”
- Generous Charity: He gave “much alms to the people.”
- Family Leadership: His entire household shared his devotion.
The Divine Intercession
God recognized Cornelius’s sincere, pre-salvation faith and devotion. One day, while praying, an angel appeared to him with explicit instructions:
“He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius… Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:” (Acts 10:3-5, KJV)
At the same time, the Apostle Peter was prepared through a dramatic vision in which God commanded him to eat ceremonially unclean animals, effectively abolishing the Old Covenant dietary laws. God’s message to Peter was a rebuke against racial and religious prejudice: “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (Acts 10:15, KJV).
The Conversion and the Great Transition
When Peter arrived, Cornelius gathered his entire family and close friends. Peter began to preach the Gospel—the message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The pivotal moment came when the Holy Spirit interrupted Peter’s sermon:
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 10:44-45, KJV)
The Holy Spirit’s immediate descent upon these uncircumcised Gentiles was God’s undeniable sign that salvation was now fully accessible to all nations through faith in Christ alone, without the prerequisite of Jewish legalism. Cornelius and his entire household were then immediately baptized, solidifying their place as the first Gentile Christians.
Cornelius and the Prophetic Defense of the Truth
The story of Cornelius is crucial for those defending the truth:
- The End of Partiality: It forever destroyed the notion that God shows “respect of persons” (Acts 10:34, KJV). Salvation is based on grace through faith, not race or national covenant.
- The Fulfillment of Global Prophecy: Cornelius’s conversion fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would bring salvation and light to the Gentiles, expanding the covenant community to include the whole world, a key aspect of the coming global Kingdom at the Lord’s Return.
Cornelius is the eternal example that genuine seeking after God will always be rewarded by the Gospel’s glorious revelation.