Acts 10:33, commentary and pictures

After a holy angel appeared to him in answer to his fasting, prayer and alms, Cornelius at once sent men to Joppa for Peter and gathered his household, kinsmen and near friends into his house to hear him.
His greeting to Peter declares that they are all now present before God with eager, reverent readiness to hear everything God has commanded Peter to teach, while Peter himself had been prepared on the housetop and came without gainsaying though held back at every step by tradition against associating with Gentiles.
The meeting marks the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles, Christ's death having broken down the barrier so that salvation is no longer restricted to the Jews and the circumcised but Gentiles who believe are fellow heirs in fellowship with the saints.
God knew Cornelius by name and exactly where Peter was lodging, yet the angel did not preach the gospel directly, because it is God's way to connect honest seekers of greater light with people entrusted to share it so that light passes from one to another in personal gospel work.
Cornelius and his friends are therefore the model for all hearers, receiving the Scriptures as God's own voice with open, attentive, teachable hearts, setting aside preference and prejudice to learn and obey through God's messenger.

Setting and Plain Meaning

An angel, holy and sent in answer to fasting and prayer, appeared to Cornelius with the assurance that his prayers and alms had been remembered before God, and warned and directed him to send for further light. In immediate obedience Cornelius sent men at once to Joppa for Peter, promptly acting on the instruction and then welcoming Peter's arrival. His sending was not delayed, but done immediately because through Peter God would give him greater knowledge.

While waiting in Caesarea he called together into his house his kinsmen and near friends with his household, gathering relatives and others to hear Peter and learn how to be saved. God knew Cornelius by name because he had received and improved all the light given him, and gave him exact knowledge of where Peter was to be found. He was told with every particular to send men to Joppa to call for Simon Peter, lodging with Simon a tanner by the seaside, who would tell him what he ought to do. The whole transaction shows the Lord knows every person by name and just where each lives, with the spirit and acts of each.

Cornelius met Peter with reverence, welcomed him as one sent by God, related his experience and the words of the angel, and affirmed that Peter had done well to come. His declaration that he had sent at once means that he and all assembled were now all here present before God, gathered in God's presence to hear all things commanded Peter of God. That presence meant eager, reverent, willing and humble readiness to receive God's message through His appointed messenger, with full readiness to receive the gospel and further light. On the other side Peter had been prepared on the housetop to learn God's purpose to give the gospel to the Gentiles. He took up the duty laid on him by divine command with reluctance at every step because of human tradition against Jews associating with Gentiles, a custom God had shown him not to treat as binding, yet he came without gainsaying to preach Christ.

Gospel Opened to Gentiles

Cornelius welcoming Peter with his household gathered to hear all that God had commanded was the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles, so that the message of salvation was no longer restricted to the Jews and the circumcised. Those Gentiles who accepted it were to be received as equal to Jewish believers, without being required to be circumcised. Peter was carrying out pioneering work among them, breaking through longstanding barriers to teach what God commanded. Their eagerness to receive God's word prepared for their hearing the gospel and being saved, for God's message is not restricted to the circumcised.

God had carefully worked to overcome the prejudice against Gentiles introduced by Jewish training. Peter came despite a human tradition against Jews associating with Gentiles, a custom God had shown him was not binding. He was taught not to belittle those who had no opportunity of hearing the truth and not to call any man common or unclean, so he came without gainsaying to preach Christ to Gentiles. The vision prepared him to understand that Gentiles were not to be treated as unclean or excluded from God's promises, and their gathering before God ready to hear reflected the new phase in which they were to be treated as equal to Jewish disciples.

Christ's death had broken down the barrier between Jew and Gentile, even though the apostles still had to overcome prejudice that kept Gentiles from sharing the gospel's privileges. Through Christ the Gentiles share equally in the blessings and privileges once associated with the Jews and are not excluded from God's promises. Their welcome of Peter opened the way for the gospel to reach them, whom God brought into fellowship with the saints and made fellow heirs in Christ. In Christ alone Jews and Gentiles are by faith joined and made complete.

More than one man was converted there, for Peter himself still needed to be converted on this point and was converted also. Prepared on the housetop to learn God's purpose to give the gospel to the Gentiles and to take away the barrier, he was appointed to become the human instrument in the hands of heavenly agencies, with heaven and earth united in the work.

Though Cornelius was devout, sincere, and accepted of God according to the light received, his prayers and alms were acceptable only as far as his knowledge went and could not take the place of Christ Jesus, in whom all fullness dwells. Having believed the Word promising a Messiah, he had to receive the fulfillment of the promise and obtain an advance in faith and new experience to do his work intelligently. His gathering with those in his house in willing readiness expressed readiness to receive the further light and knowledge God was sending, for sincere service according to light already received was accepted but they still needed to advance in truth and learn of Christ. He had followed the light he already received and was seeking more, longing for light from heaven, and God compassionately sent him a special message by directing Peter to bring him that light.

His gathering to hear Peter marked the first important Gentile conversion. The conversion of Cornelius and his household was only the firstfruits of a harvest to be gathered from the world, and from that home in a heathen city a widespread work of grace was carried on. Peter declared there that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him.

The wider chapter shows God giving Peter a vision when about to send him to preach to the Gentiles. This proves the word of God alone is the rule of faith and practice by which all will be judged, and visions are not given for a new rule of faith but for the comfort of His people and to correct those who err from Bible truth.

Peter's experience in the home of Cornelius corroborated the promised blessing of the Spirit, in which when the promised power comes upon believers they speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance, matching the experience of the early apostles.

God Works Through Messengers

God links those seeking greater light with people entrusted to share it, deliberately directing Cornelius to send promptly for Peter and welcome him, with his household gathered before God ready to hear all things God had commanded Peter to teach. He knew exactly where Peter was to be found, lodging with Simon a tanner by the seaside at Joppa, and gave Cornelius exact knowledge of that place with every particular worked out beforehand. The angel could have told Cornelius the gospel message directly, but that is not His way. He purposed a personal connection so the light already given to Peter would be carried by Peter to Cornelius and all his family, and so Cornelius and Peter would become acquainted in gospel missionary work.

In every age He in heaven sends messengers to set in operation a train of circumstances bringing honest-hearted, inquiring people into connection and cooperation with those of His people who can best reach their individual needs, so that they may learn the truth and receive advanced light. Some have special knowledge adapted to help one class of inquirers and others are trained in a different way best fitted to help another class. The whole transaction proves the Lord knows every person by name and just where each lives and the spirit each possesses and every act of life. Heaven is much nearer to the Christian engaged in the work of soul-saving than is supposed, with ministering angels passing through the churches noting faithfulness in individual duty.

He employs angels to communicate with human beings, as in the vision to Cornelius. Angels are guides for His messengers on earth, who are all taught of God, with instruction often given by immortal messengers and angels sent as powerful helpers of His chosen messengers. Instruction came by clear divine representation in vision showing the messenger what to speak, sometimes repeated again and again, giving divine guidance about what to speak to the company gathered before God to hear all things commanded through His messenger.

Because He joins His church together so that what He gives to one is passed on to others, believers must unify and come into close connection with God and with one another and give Him room. They are to love one another and deal gently, honestly, justly, truly and righteously instead of building up self by pointing at the wrongs of others, hating, and tearing others down. The account teaches His regard for every human being, and each should treat his fellow man as one of the Lord's instrumentalities for the accomplishment of His work in the earth. It illustrates that He sends people to places where others need divine help and guidance even when the work or destination is not their own choice, as Peter arrived at the Roman centurion's home as God's representative.

Ready Hearers of Truth

Cornelius and his friends stand as the model for all who hear preaching, gathered with the sense of being in God's presence to hear all that God had commanded to be spoken to them. Their example teaches hearers to listen attentively in faith, expecting to receive a message from God through His messenger and to be profited by it. This requires setting aside personal preferences and prejudices, coming with an attentive and teachable spirit, and receiving the preacher as God's messenger rather than merely as an orator. Those who assemble to hear the truth should come with that same expectation of gaining spiritual good.

Their words reveal the good-ground hearer, receiving the Scriptures as God's own voice with an open heart and understanding. Such a hearer shows sincere willingness to learn and obey, with willing and humble readiness to receive truth through God's appointed human messenger. Cornelius had gathered his household and others in this spirit, welcoming Peter as one sent to speak God's commands. Their open, attentive readiness to receive light is the pattern for all, with minds and hearts likewise open to receive every ray of light that shines. None should feel that all worthwhile light has already been received, but day by day all should accept and cherish the truth as it is in Jesus, by which believers are sanctified and conformed to the divine likeness.

Cornelius represents a sincere seeker among the nations, who followed the light already received and longed and prayed for light from heaven. He promptly obeyed the angel's instruction to send for Peter, gathered others before God to hear the teaching commanded to be given, and received Christ with gladness when He was revealed. God compassionately sent him a special message and directed Peter to bring him that further light. Those who so value God's wisdom and seek truth will be led to the truth and become its faithful witnesses, inviting others to receive it and support God's work.

A small company of such anxious seekers, all present before God waiting to be fed with gospel truth, pictures destitute companies in regions beyond gathered at camp meeting waiting to hear the truth. The same spirit is to be brought to conference meetings, where all are present before God to hear what He commands through those speaking on matters affecting the cause. This means laying aside diligence in unimportant business, worldliness, and selfishness that hide Jesus, treating the meetings as sacred, and showing whole-souled interest rather than indifference in appearance and attention. Minds are to be kept uplifted to God in earnest prayer for spiritual eyesight to discern the great things of God so that nothing needed is lost, with each placing himself in the channel of light with the companionship of heavenly angels to gain knowledge for intelligent engagement in the work.

Call to Mission Work

The tenth chapter of Acts is given as instruction to be read and prayed over until understanding is opened. It teaches how God works upon human minds to bring one who feared His name into the fullness of truth. That working breaks the power of oppression and tyranny and dispels ignorance and superstition.

When understanding is opened, earnest work for souls in the home field is to begin at once. Arousing to home mission duty is urgent, for unless this is done there will be failure in the day of God. The work is to be given as freely to the Jews as to the Gentiles, with no barriers erected.

Cornelius stands as the pattern for many who fear God and follow principles of righteousness though not yet fully informed regarding truth for this time. They work in every sphere upon principles God accepts, live devout exemplary lives, and shine as bright lights even in high positions among worldly men. Though they have not received the whole truth, they serve God with sincere earnest purpose as acceptably as those with greater light.

As God worked for Cornelius, so He works for them by visitation of angels from heaven to give advanced light and knowledge of God. He places them in connection with men of superior knowledge of His Word and guides His servants by angels to souls nearer the kingdom than is supposed. In this way He prepares the way for them to take the place of those given Bible truth who disappointed the Saviour, and He guides those who truly serve Him along the path to everlasting life.

Cornelius of Caesarea shows the kind of men of responsibility, influence, and position whom God sees and would connect with the church. Their sympathies are with the truth and they are ready to hear all that is commanded of God, yet the threads binding them to the world still hold them and they lack moral courage to take their stand with the lowly. They therefore need special care and more determined, personal effort than the poorer and more lowly. If converted they will give strength and solidity to the cause rather than objectionable elements, becoming true, sanctified and ennobled through the truth, with spiritual discernment to stand for God in true integrity as His witnesses.

Their readiness teaches that earnest, devoted, determined efforts should be made for such associations as the W.C.T.U. Among them are souls as honest as Cornelius, seeking light, whom it is the Lord's design to gather out. Patient, loving work can gather such seekers even from among those opposed to the message.

Cornelius then joined the church and became a useful worker for God. As a man of influence he could accomplish a great work together with believers in Jesus Christ, in whom alone Jews and Gentiles are by faith joined and made complete.