Acts 10:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,

NIV: At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.

NASB: Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort,

CSB: There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment.

NLT: In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.

KJV: There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

NKJV: There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,

Caesarea Maritima is a seaport in Samaria on the coast of the Mediterranean. It is traditionally the capital of the Roman leaders, though Pilate chose to live in Jerusalem. It was built by Herod the Great and named after Caesar Augustus. There is another Caesarea in Philippi, north of the Sea of Galilee, where Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah (Mark 8:27–29). At the time of these events, the leader in Caesarea is probably Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1).

In literal terms, a centurion is a commander of 100 soldiers. However, they were often in command of many more men. Centurions were typically wise and well-disciplined, good leaders who could control their soldiers. It was a centurion who had such faith he assumed Jesus could heal at a distance (Matthew 8:8–9). Although a centurion would have been in command of the soldiers who mocked and beat Jesus (Matthew 27:27–31), a centurion also realized Jesus was the Son of God (Matthew 27:54). It was also a centurion who was wise enough to stop the soldiers from beating Paul, a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25–26), and a centurion who helped save Paul from an assassination attempt (Acts 23:16–19). Yet another took Paul's advice during the voyage to Rome and saved the crew, the soldiers, and the prisoners (Acts 27:30–44).

Cohort is from the Greek root word speira. Formally, it means the tenth part of a legion. Informally, it is any unit of soldiers. That it was an Italian cohort probably means the men were from Rome and not natives of other cities in the Roman Empire. This suggests Cornelius was a Roman centurion, stationed in the capital city of the Rome-backed king, yet he rejected emperor worship and the Roman pantheon of gods. That such a man chose, instead, to worship the Jewish God (Acts 10:2) is no small thing.

Acts 10:1–8 introduces the first group of Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit. Cornelius is a Roman military leader stationed in Caesarea Maritima, the coastal city that serves as the headquarters for Herod Agrippa I. Cornelius is a devout follower of the Jewish God, although probably not a full proselyte. While praying one day, an angel appears and tells him God has heard his prayers and appreciates his charity. He is to send for Peter in Joppa and hear what the apostle has to say. What follows is the opening of the gospel to all Gentiles.

Peter has been a dominant voice in the spread of Jesus' message to Jews and proselytes. Now he brings the gospel to Gentiles. An angel tells Cornelius, a centurion, to ask Peter to come to him. Peter is praying when he receives a vision of food—including non-kosher food—and God's voice telling him to eat. When the centurion's messengers arrive, Peter realizes the dream meant that Gentiles are no longer unclean. He follows the messengers and tells Cornelius' household about salvation through Jesus. Before Peter can lay his hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit falls on them.

Jesus told the disciples they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Oddly, the disciples didn't understand this meant the Holy Spirit would come upon Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles alike. After several years reaching Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem (Acts 1—7) and Samaritans in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25), God calls Peter to bring the message to Gentiles. Peter's witness that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 11) clears the way for Paul's ministry to Gentiles in modern-day Turkey, Greece, and Italy (Acts 13—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.