Acts 10:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Great praise belongs also to the latter, because he gave alms and prayed, and was pious while holding such command.

Therefore the writer naturally mentions this man's office, so that no one may say that the Scriptural narrative is inaccurate.

“Of the cohort,” it says, “called the Italian, devout and fearing God with all his household.” He says this so that you may not think what happened to him was done because of his rank.

When Paul had to be converted, no angel appears, but the Lord Himself. He sends him not to one of the Twelve, but to Ananias.

Here, by contrast, He sends the chief apostle, just as He sent Philip to the eunuch. He condescends to their weakness and teaches how one must act with such people.

Christ Himself often comes to those who suffer grievously and cannot themselves come to Him.

Notice, I ask you, another praise of almsgiving here, as there in the account of Tabitha.

In this Italian cohort there was a certain centurion, a pious man who feared God with all his household. He gave much alms to the people, that is, to the Jewish people, and always prayed to God.

He was not only not a Jew, but he was not a Jewish proselyte. He was simply a Gentile (Acts 10:28, 34 and following; Acts 11:1, 18).

Yet, as is clear from his being called a man who feared God and always prayed to God, he was already no idolater. He understood the falsehood of paganism and acknowledged the one God, the Creator and Ruler of the world.

His living among the Jews probably contributed much to this elevation of his religious contemplation.

That he knew the religious beliefs of the Jews and respected their faith is shown by his special mercy toward the Jewish people, in the midst of the pious disposition that generally distinguished him.

The same is indicated by the fact that he loved to pray to God at the hours of prayer observed by the Jews.

“He is staying with a certain Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.”

When the angel departed, Cornelius at once sent servants and a soldier to Joppa, to invite the Apostle Peter to come to him in Caesarea.

The Apostle was living in Joppa at that time in order to preach the word of God.

After a wondrous vision and instruction, the Apostle Peter came to Cornelius and catechized him with the words of the Gospel teaching.

Then the Holy Spirit descended upon all who heard the word of God, and they began to speak in various tongues. After this Cornelius was baptized with his whole household.

Holy Scripture is silent about Cornelius's later fate. But there is a tradition that for some time he shared the labors of the Apostle Peter, who later consecrated him as bishop.

He converted many idolaters to the truth, worked miracles by the power of God, endured tortures from the pagans for confessing his faith, and reposed in deep old age.

The life of the holy hieromartyr Cornelius, now glorified, was distinguished by piety and especially by mercy toward neighbors. This drew upon him the saving power of God's grace.

It teaches us, my beloved brethren, the truth that without mercy and without love for one's neighbor, one will not be saved.

Saint John Chrysostom teaches this great and saving truth in this way: “Christian, even if you abstained from food and slept on the ground instead of a bed, even if you ate ashes and always wept, you still do nothing great if you do not care for your neighbor's benefit.”

This explains the great importance that the writer plainly assigns to this event. He sets it forth in great detail and repeats it in chapter 11 almost word for word with the same detail.

This was the first example in apostolic history of a Gentile entering Christianity directly, without any mediation of Judaism, even in the form of a proselyte of the gate, and with visible divine favor.

This was an epoch in the history of the apostolic Church. For this reason the writer sets this event forth so vividly.

The extraordinary character of this event therefore stands in close connection with its wondrous character and course.

Finally, the very calling of Peter in particular indicates the special importance of this event.

Philip the evangelist lived in Caesarea (Acts 8:40 and the note), but Cornelius was not commanded to turn to him. He was told to send to another city for Peter.

The first instance of a Gentile's conversion to Christ takes place through the mediation of Christ's first apostle. The importance of the fact of the conversion corresponds to everything wondrous in its accomplishment.

He offered prayers and alms, which he also gave to the Jews. For this they loved him, as the Jews of Capernaum loved their centurion (see Lk 7:5).

His household imitated him in everything. Constancy in prayer should evidently be understood as observing the times and hours at which the Jews prayed.

Even the ancient prophets foretold a wondrous conversion of the Gentiles to the Lord (see Isa 56:6; 9:12). This was partly fulfilled in Cornelius, as is clear from what is said about him here and below.

Still, he had not reached the height of that divine calling which was being given to the chosen at that time. Yet he was plainly a chosen vessel.

And so the Lord prepared him for a wondrous calling, instructive both for him and for all people like him. This formed a difficult question in a general and determining sense even for the apostles themselves.

Therefore God's ordering of this matter was, so to speak, legislative. It resolved all perplexities concerning this question, which had grown from the soil of Jewish exclusiveness.

Many could not quickly free themselves from this exclusiveness, even after becoming full Christians and even being numbered among the pillars of the Church.