December 4, 2024

An Officer and a Gentile Man

Treasures

The year was approximately AD 38. The place: Caesarea, the Roman capital of Palestine. Caesarea, named in honor of Caesar Augustus, had been built by Herod the Great only 50 years earlier. It was so well constructed that it was considered one of the most attractive cities in the entire Roman Empire, and frequently referred to as “Little Rome.”

Because it was the seat of government where both the Roman governor and King Herod Agrippa had their royal residences, it was guarded by a cohort of 600 Roman soldiers called “the Italian Cohort.” Six centurions were each in charge of a regiment of 100 men within the Band. Cornelius, the main character of this Bible account, was a centurion and a member of the Italian Cohort with 100 men under his command.

Centurions were paid as much as five times the pay of an ordinary soldier, so Cornelius was socially prominent and wealthy. He was a loyal Roman officer, but instead of worshipping the pagan gods of Rome, he and his entire family worshipped the true God of Israel. That is the setting of this groundbreaking story found in Acts 10 of the New Testament.

It was nearly 3:00 in the afternoon when a slave entered the chamber where the centurion Cornelius sat reading security reports. Cornelius looked up, “Aristarchus, you’re back! Did you take the money to that poor Jewish family?” “Yes sir, I did,” the servant replied. “They were very thankful, and wanted me to tell you how helpful your gift was.”

Cornelius smiled and said, “Tell them to thank God. It is He who has blessed me with such riches. I would be a poor believer indeed if I did not share my material blessings with those in need. Now I have been informed that there is a family near the harbor whose father has recently died. Take this money, along with this letter of consolation, to his widow and family.”

Aristarchus carefully counted out the money, then said, “This is very generous, sir! You are becoming well-known throughout all Caesarea for your generosity.”

Cornelius watched his faithful servant departing, then informed the guard at the door, “Please see that no one disturbs me for the next hour, as I’ll be taking time to pray” (Acts 10:1–3). But not half an hour had passed when suddenly the great doors of his chamber flew open. The guard jumped back and out raced Cornelius, visibly shaken, and shouting for his two personal servants to come immediately!

Fearing that some urgent security matter had arisen, the guard nervously held his sword. “What is it, sir?” he questioned. The servants came running across the hall. Cornelius ushered them into his room, then motioned to the guard, saying, “You, too, come in!”

The two servants and the soldier listened intently as Cornelius, speaking excitedly and pacing back and forth, told them what had just happened. Then he said, “Because you all believe in God, I know I can trust you to carry out this important mission. You will leave for Joppa just before sunrise tomorrow morning. It is just 35 miles down the coast by horseback” (Acts 10:7–8).

It was about 12:30 the next day when the three men arrived at the outskirts of the dusty Jewish port city of Joppa. The little town lay still and quiet, baking under the noonday heat. After asking for directions, they made their way down the cobblestone street toward the seashore. Within minutes, they arrived at the gate of a large run-down house. A short distance beyond the house they saw the Mediterranean and seagulls circled over the nearby waves where Roman cargo ships and small fishing boats lay tied. From within the house came the aroma of food cooking, mixed with the strong smell of leather being cured and tanned.

One of the men knocked on the gate and called out, “Is this the house of Simon the tanner?” The door of the house swung open, and Simon stood there, wiping his hands on a dirty, greasy apron tied around him. A little anxiously, he looked at the men outside his gate; two men dressed in Roman tunics stood there. Behind them stood a Roman soldier in full battle gear, a spear in his hand.

“Yes, I’m Simon. What can I do for you?” he queried.

“Is Simon Peter a guest in your home?” the men asked. Simon the tanner paused, not knowing what to answer and wondering if his guest was in trouble. Suddenly a strong, burly man, dressed in simple rough clothing, his beard and hair streaked with gray, appeared in the doorway behind him. In a voice full of authority he spoke, “I am the man you are looking for. What brings you here?”

The Romans answered, “The centurion Cornelius, who is an upright and God-fearing man and well thought of in the Jewish community, has been instructed by an angel of God to summon you to his house. There he is to hear whatever you have to tell him.” A most unusual introduction indeed! But Peter was not surprised, and striding forward, he swung open the gate and invited the strangers in (Acts 10:21–23).

Once inside, the strangers excitedly told Peter that Cornelius had been praying in his house about three o’clock the day before, when suddenly an angel clothed in brilliant white garments had appeared before him. “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a remembrance before God,” the angel told him. “Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man called Simon Peter who is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea” (Acts 10:3–6).

Looking intently at the strangers, Peter said, “Until one minute ago I was on the roof terrace in prayer, and just now the Lord told me to come downstairs, because three men were looking for me. He told me that He had sent you, and that I was not to hesitate to go with you!” (Acts 10:17–20).

News of this unusual encounter spread, and soon the house was filled with Christians from Joppa. That night it was decided that six of them would accompany Peter and the Romans to Caesarea, so at sunrise the next morning they embarked on the journey. Sometime after midday, they saw the magnificent Roman capital of Caesarea ahead, with its extensive harbor constructed of great stone blocks, where Roman galleys rested and deep-sea cargo vessels unloaded goods from distant lands.

Passing through the city, the group came to a villa. A slave quickly opened the door for them, and then disappeared to summon his master. Peter observed the mosaic tiles and the painted murals on the walls and felt somewhat out of place in such a fine residence.

Cornelius was expecting them, and upon seeing Peter, fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter reached out his hand, saying, “Stand up, I am only a man myself.” Rising to his feet, Cornelius greeted Peter and his companions, and began speaking with them as he escorted them to the banquet room. Peter looked around with surprise, for the room was filled with Roman nobles and soldiers, as well as men and women of all ages. “These are my relatives and friends,” Cornelius explained. “I knew they would also be very interested to hear what you had to say, so I invited them” (Acts 10:24–27).

Peter looked about on the gathering and said, “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean! So when I was sent for, I came without any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” (Acts 10:28–29).

Cornelius then recounted his vision, explaining how the angel had told him to send for Peter, who would tell him how he and all his household could be saved. Then he said, “Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to tell us” (Acts 10:30–33).

Peter then began to speak. “You surely know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing people.”

Cornelius was indeed aware that less than ten years earlier, the former Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, had sentenced Jesus Christ to death on the cross. As a Roman centurion, it was his business to know what was happening in the land, and he had heard of Jesus, that He was a great teacher, but he did not know about His message of salvation.

Gesturing to himself and the six other rough-clad bearded Jews with him, Peter said, “We are eyewitnesses of everything He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by crucifixion, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day!” Peter spoke with such authority and conviction that everyone in the room sat on the edge of their seats listening intently.

“And we saw Him,” Peter continued. “We ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.” Looking around the roomful of nobles and officials, Peter said, “And everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:37–43).

This was what they had been searching for, how to obtain forgiveness for their sins and to be reconciled to God. At that moment, everyone in the room believed and opened their hearts to accept Jesus, and experienced a miraculous spiritual rebirth! Even as Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon them and they broke out in joyous praise of God (Acts 10:44).

And the believers who had come with Peter were astonished to see that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 10:47–48).

A total transformation had come that day to the lives of Cornelius, his household, his relatives, and his friends! Through the power of God’s Spirit, they were all “born again” through faith in Jesus. Cornelius begged Peter and his friends to stay with them for a few days, to teach them more about this new life, and how they as Roman nobles and army officers should live their Christian faith, so Peter and his companions stayed for several days to teach them. By the time they left, there was a strong new group of Christian believers amongst the Roman rulers of Caesarea.

As is the case with so many people in the world today, Cornelius had heard about Jesus. He knew Jesus was a good man and a great teacher who healed and helped people, but he did not know that Jesus had died on the cross for his sins and to reconcile him to God. Jesus had made a way for him to become a child of God and receive the gift of eternal salvation promised to all who would receive Him (John 1:12; 1 Peter 2:24–25).

This event was monumental in the history of the early church, as God revealed through the salvation of Cornelius and his friends and family to the apostles and all the followers throughout Judea that the Gentiles could also receive the Word of God and become Christians (Acts 11:1). God’s gift of salvation through faith in Christ is for all people. “For God so loved the world [and every person in it] that He gave His Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

From an article in Treasures, published by the Family International in 1987. Adapted and republished December 2024.

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