Acts 10:1-2

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Acts 10:1-2

In just these couple of verses, we learn so much about this man, Cornelius. He was a centurion in the Roman army. As with all armies, the Romans broke down the soldiers into groups with commanders over each. A legion would have 6,000 men  and within that legion were bands or cohorts of 600,  and within those bands were groups of 100 soldiers led by a centurion. That was Cornelius.

We are also told that he was He was “a devout man” or what was termed in those days, a “God Fearer.” He was not a Jew but was seeking to know and follow the true God. He was so convinced, that he led his family to fear God as well, his faith came through in his compassion for those in need, and also in his prayer life. He was quite a man but he was lacking one thing, eternal life which was only found in Jesus, and God would fill that need by sending Peter to share the Gospel with this centurion. 

The world is full of Corneliuses today, people who are seeking real life, searching for the truth about God, and doing their best to try to measure up. They just need someone who is willing to go and tell them about Jesus. Are you willing to be a Peter?

 Pastor Doug Hardin