Acts 10:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.

NIV: Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.

NASB: And he looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, 'What is it, lord?' And he said to him, 'Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God.

CSB: Staring at him in awe, he said, "What is it, Lord?" The angel told him, "Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God.

NLT: Cornelius stared at him in terror. 'What is it, sir?' he asked the angel. And the angel replied, 'Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!

KJV: And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

NKJV: 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.

The person described here is an unlikely follower of the Jewish God: Cornelius, a Roman centurion. He is praying around 3 pm (Acts 10:1–3). His reaction of terror to the angel who has just appeared is common. Gideon, David, Zechariah, Mary, the shepherds, and the women who followed Jesus were all afraid when they saw an angel (Judges 6:22; 1 Chronicles 21:30; Luke 1:12–13, 29–30; 2:9–10; Matthew 28:2–5), and Daniel fell to the ground in fear (Daniel 8:15–17).

"Lord" is from the Greek root word kyrios. Although Jesus is often called Lord in the New Testament, Cornelius doesn't know much about Jesus yet. Kurios also refers to a human in authority, particularly someone who has sovereignty over another. Although the capitalized "Lord" is often reserved for Jesus, the text is clear that this is an angel and not Jesus (Acts 9:5).

"Memorial" is from the Greek root word mnēmosynon. We tend to think of memorials as honoring or recalling a dead person. In this case, it means something that represents or reminds one of another, living or dead. In the Jewish culture, to have a meal with someone was to show allegiance with them; Leviticus 2:16 suggests that the memorial portion of an offering is God's share of the meal. Neither Cornelius' acts nor his persistence saves him, but the angel paints a nice picture of what he is known for in heaven.

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.