Throckmorton column: Cornelius first gentile baptized

The story of Cornelius is quite fascinating. He was a Roman officer, a gentile, and a commander of 100 soldiers. He was a devout believer and worshiper of God but knew little about Jesus.

Acts 10:1-2 describes him this way: “At Caesarea, there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. A centurion was an officer in the ancient Roman army who commanded 100 legionaries. A centurion was chosen for his size, strength, swordplay abilities and discipline. In modern times, he would have been roughly equivalent to a captain.

Cornelius and his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Cornelius prayed and gave alms, not as the Pharisees — to be seen and heard by men — but out of sincerity to God. As Acts 10:2 notes, he was “a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always.”

We are not told how or when Cornelius knew God, but that is insignificant to his story. What is important is that he prayed to God regularly. Despite being a gentile, Cornelius was a devout man who feared God. He prayed consistently and gave generously to those in need. His relationship with God was genuine, even though he was not part of the mainstream Jewish community.

Then, according to Acts 10:3, "One day at about three in the afternoon, he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’”

One can only imagine Cornelius’ reaction to hearing his name called out so boldly. Cornelius stared at the angel in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked in Acts 10:4-6. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now, send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’“

God saw Cornelius’s sincerity and recognized his prayers and generous giving as a “memorial offering before God." The Lord answers the sincere prayers of those seeking him by sending the right person or information to them at the right time.

Acts 10:7 continues Cornelius' story: “When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.”

What divine communication! Just like that, God orchestrated a meeting between Cornelius and Simon Peter, bridging the gap between Jews and gentiles. Before this, the ministers of Christ preached the gospel only to the Jews. But now, the door of faith was opened to the gentiles, and the Good News spread like wildfire.

Matthew Henry wrote, “The bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles, and the bringing of those who had been strangers and foreigners to be fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, were such a mystery to the apostles themselves, and such a surprise, that it concerns us carefully to observe all the circumstances of the beginning of this great work, this part of the mystery of godliness. The gospel was never yet designedly preached to the Gentiles, nor any of them baptized — Cornelius was the first” to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, then with water.

Why did Cornelius not go to Peter himself? He speedily sent his two servants and the soldier to Joppa to request Peter to come to him. Had he only been concerned with himself, he would have gone to Peter. But Cornelius had family and friends who could not go with him; thus, he sent for Peter.

What an extraordinary example of God’s willingness to reach those who desire to know Him. God does not play favorites and is there for those who want to find Him. He sent His son because He loves the whole world. That includes each and every one of us!

This passage indicates the inclusion of gentiles into the early Christian community and underscores God’s sovereignty and His desire for all people to come to Him. Let us match Cornelius’ belief and behavior by prioritizing our relationship with God, directing our worship to Him alone, and spreading His love to our families and friends.