2/3/2016

Cornelius the Centurion

AllthatweknowofCorneliusiscontainedintheBookofActs(chapters10and11).AcenturionwasaRomanarmyofficer,theoreticallyinchargeofahundredmen.SeveralcenturionsarementionedintheNew
Testament(M8:5=L7:2M27:54=L23:47a10:122:2523:17,2322:2327:1),andtheyareconsistentlyportrayedfavorably.
CorneliusiscalledaGodfearerthatistosay,hewasamonotheist,aGentilewhoworshippedtheOneGod.TheJewstraditionallyrecognizedthatsuchGentileshadaplaceintheFamilyofGod,andtheyare
mentionedalongwiththepriests(HouseofAaron),theLevites(HouseofLevi),andtheJewsorIsraelites(HouseofIsrael)inPs115:913,Ps118:24,andPs135:1920.InNewTestamenttimes,anestimatedtenper
centofthepopulationoftheRomanEmpireconsistedofGodfearers,Gentileswhorecognizedthatthepaganbeliefinmanygodsandgoddesses,whoaccordingtothemythsaboutthemweregiventoadultery,
treachery,intrigue,andthelike,wasnotareligionforathoughtfulandmoralworshipper,andwhohadaccordinglyembracedanethicalmonotheismbeliefinOneGod,whohadcreatedtheworld,andwhowasthe
upholderoftheMoralLaw.AlthoughonlyafewofthemtookthestepofformalconversiontoJudaism,undergoingcircumcisionandacceptingtheobligationsofkeepingthefoodlawsandrituallawsofMosesandhis
rabbinicalinterpreters,mostofthemattendedsynagogueservicesregularly.
Cornelius,then,wasaRomancenturion,andaGodfearingman.Oneday,ashewaspraying,anangelappearedtohimandtoldhimtosendamessengertoJoppaandaskPetertocomeandpreachtohim.Peter,
meanwhile,wasgivenavisionthatdisposedhimtogowiththemessenger.WhenPeterhadpreachedtoCorneliusandhisfamilyandfriends,theHolySpiritfellonthem,asonthefirstChristiansatPentecost(A2),and
theybegantospeakinothertongues.Thus,therewasampleevidencetoconvinceJewishChristianswhohesitatedtobelievethatitwasthewillofGodthatGentilesshouldbebroughtintotheChurch.
CorneliuswasthefirstGentileconvertedtoChristianity,alongwithhishousehold,andLuke,recordingthisevent,clearlyregardsitasaneventoftheutmostimportanceinthehistoryoftheearlyChurch,thebeginning
oftheChurch'sdecisiontoadmitGentilestofullandequalfellowshipwithJewishChristians.CorneliuslivedinCaesarea,thepoliticalcapitalofJudeaunderHerodandtheRomans.(GiventhatJerusalemwasaholy
citytotheJews,itwouldhavebeenneedlesslyprovocativefortheRomanstoestablishtheirheadquartersthere.)Althoughheisnotmentionedagain,heandhishouseholdpresumablyformedthenucleusofthe
Christiancommunitythatwefindmentionedlater(A8:4021:18)inthisimportantcity.
PRAYER(traditionallanguage)
O God, who by thy Spirit didst call Cornelius the Centurion to
be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to thy Church
in every nation a ready mind and will to proclaim thy love to
all who turn to thee with unfeigned hope and faith; for the
sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with
thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

PRAYER(contemporarylanguage)
O God, who by your Spirit called Cornelius the Centurion to be
the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to your Church in
every nation a ready mind and will to proclaim your love to all
who turn to you with unfeigned hope and faith; for the sake of
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Unlessotherwiseindicated,thisbiographicalsketchwaswrittenbyJamesE.Kieferandanycommentsaboutitscontentshouldbedirectedtohim.TheBiographicalSketcheshomepagehasmoreinformation.

http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/97.html

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