An elite leader in the Roman armed forces, Cornelius surprised most everyone with his generosity and devout faith in God. Not the Roman pantheon of gods, but the one true God.

How Cornelius arrived at such faith we do not know. But he followed the Lord and influenced those around him in the same direction. A visit from an angel led to an invitation for a visit from Peter.

Cornelius, along with his friends and family, eagerly accepted the good news from Peter. The Holy Spirit fell on all those present, confirming their faith. Then Peter baptized each in the name of Jesus Christ.

Up to this point, the newly forming Christian faith existed as a sect of Judaism. Boundaries held the faith in check. Hard for me to picture today, but this interaction with Cornelius exploded the theological perceptions of many of the early Jesus followers.

In Cornelius the faith jumped the fire line and spread to the Gentiles. Jesus came for everyone, and when he said go to all the world, he meant Roman centurions, Jewish merchants, and you and me.

The gospel continues to jump barriers, showing up in unexpected places. Why should I be surprised? God’s actions astonished Peter (Acts 10:45). I should expect no less today.

Acts 10 in week seventeen of reading the Bible cover to cover

Photo by Landon Parenteau