Acts 10:1-8

A God Fearing Man!

If you ask most people what you have to do to get into heaven (assuming they believe in heaven or an afterlife), the overwhelming response will be some form of “be a good person.” Most, if not all, religions and worldly philosophies are ethically based. Whether it’s Islam, Judaism, or secular humanism, the teaching is common that getting to heaven is a matter of being a good person—following the Ten Commandments or the precepts of the Quran or the Golden Rule. But is this what Christianity teaches? Is Christianity just one of many world religions that teach that being a good person will get us into heaven? Let’s examine Matthew 19:16–26 for some answers; it is the story of the rich young ruler. The first thing we note in this story is that the rich young ruler is asking a good question: “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” In asking the question, he acknowledges the fact that, despite all his efforts to be a good person thus far, there is something lacking, and he wants to know what else must be done to obtain eternal life. However, he is asking the question from the wrong worldview—that of merit (“What good deed must I do?”); he has failed to grasp the true meaning of the Law, as Jesus will point out to him, which was to serve as a tutor until the time of Christ (Galatians 3:24). The second thing to note is Jesus’ response to his question. Jesus asks a question in return: why is he inquiring into what is good? Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, namely, that no one is good and no one does good except God. The young man is operating under a false premise: that a good person is able to earn his way into heaven. To make His point, Jesus says that, if the young man wants eternal life, he should keep the commandments. In saying this, Jesus is not advocating a works-based righteousness. Rather, Jesus is challenging the young man’s suppositions by showing the man’s shallow understanding of the Law and human ability.

Caesarea was one of the most important cities in Judea during the first century. Many call the city Caesarea Maritima-which in Latin literally means “Caesarea by the Sea”—in order to distinguish it from the city of Caesarea Philippi and from another Caesarea, one in Cappadocia. A number of significant events in the Book of Acts are connected to Caesarea by the Sea.

For instance, Acts 10 depicts Simon Peter’s journey from Joppa to Caesarea where he met the Roman centurion Cornelius, who was of the Italian Regiment stationed in Caesarea. Cornelius became the first Gentile convert of the early church and it was in Cornelius’s household that God publicly opened the doors of the church to the Gentile world. Despite being a Roman, Cornelius was a worshiper of God, a Jewish proselyte known and respected by the Jewish community (Acts 10:22). Cornelius was a devout man who regularly prayed and gave to charity.

What we could get out of this passage is that “Everyone Needs to Believe in Christ for Salvation”. That includes people who are good and have distinguished themselves by good works. Perhaps you may know someone who is not a Christian, but is even better than most Christians in his conduct and his attitudes. Perhaps you may have thought to yourself, “This person is already doing so much good to others. He is so kind and considerate, always putting others before himself. Does he really need to believe in Christ to be saved?”

Well, according to what we read in our passage of Scripture, Cornelius was someone like that. He was a Roman, but he had turned away from idolatry. In ancient times the Romans were known to be pagan idolaters, worshipping the many gods in their many temples. But Cornelius was an exception – he worshipped only the living and true God. He is described in v.2 as “a devout man, and one that feared God.”

Besides that, Cornelius was a Roman centurion. This means that he was a military commander of at least a hundred men. A centurion is equivalent to the rank of a captain today. In verse 1 we are told that he was assigned to the Italian band or regiment at Caesarea. Caesarea was the capital of the Roman province of Judea in Israel, which was a trouble spot because of frequent uprisings by the Jews. Thus the soldiers assigned to this regiment were Romans from Italy as they alone would be loyal, experienced and skilled enough to maintain the Roman domination of Judea. In such a situation, a Roman centurion could easily abuse his power over the Jews. But Cornelius did not do this. His own household servants described him as “a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews…” (v.22a) Cornelius treated everyone so justly and fairly that even the Jews spoke highly of him.

They were utterly amazed that though he was not a Jew, he had done so much to help the poor among their people. Verse 2 tells us that he “…gave much alms to the people.” And he took time to render such help to them despite all his official duties. As a centurion of the Italian regiment, Cornelius probably had many great responsibilities to attend to. But that did not stop him from setting aside time for prayer. In the same verse we are told that he “prayed to God alway.” This indicates that he was habitually seeking for God’s help even in the midst of his daily work.

Devoutness and Worship:

Cornelius, despite being a Roman in a predominantly pagan society, turned away from idolatry and worshipped the living and true God (Acts 10:2).Described as "a devout man, and one that feared God," he dedicated himself to honoring God in his daily life (Acts 10:2).

Ethical Integrity:

As a Roman centurion, Cornelius held a position of authority but was known for his just and fair treatment of others (Acts 10:22).He earned a good reputation among both Romans and Jews, demonstrating integrity and respect for all people (Acts 10:22).

Generosity and Compassion:

Cornelius was generous towards the poor and needy, giving "much alms to the people" despite his demanding military duties (Acts 10:2).His kindness and consideration for others extended beyond his immediate responsibilities, reflecting a compassionate heart (Acts 10:2).

Dedication to Prayer:

Despite his busy schedule as a centurion, Cornelius consistently made time for prayer, seeking God's guidance and help in all aspects of his life (Acts 10:2).His habitual prayer life underscored his dependence on God and his commitment to spiritual growth and connection (Acts 10:2).

Despite his great responsibilities Cornelius also found time to be a helpful influence on his family, on his servants, and on his soldiers. Here we are told that he “feared God with all his house,”which refers to his family members and household servants. According to v.7 at least one of his soldiers had become devout like him, because he was a personal attendant of Cornelius. His good influence even extended to his relatives and friends, as they were all waiting eagerly with him for God’s messenger to come, as seen in v.24 – “The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.”

Thus we have seen what an exceptionally just and god-fearing man Cornelius was, even though he was a centurion from an utterly pagan nation. Someone may then say, “Such a man surely deserves to have a place in heaven!” But the truth which is so clearly revealed in this passage is that despite all his good works, Cornelius still needed to be saved, and the only way he could be saved was through hearing the Gospel.

This can be seen in Acts 11:13,14 in which an angel spoke to Cornelius, “13 And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; 14 he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’”

This means that Cornelius was not saved yet, despite all the good works he had done! Notice that the angel did not say to him, “Congratulations to you Cornelius! You are such a good man and you have done so well that God is pleased to reward you now with eternal life in heaven!”

Instead of congratulating him, the angel actually gave him a warning from God! This is mentioned in the message that Cornelius told his servants to relay to Peter in v.22 – “The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.””

This warning from God implies that Cornelius would be in great danger if he did not get to hear the Gospel. He would then receive what he deserved, which is eternal death! But how can this be? What had he done to deserve eternal death? Let us understand that like every one of us, Cornelius was a sinner. This truth is stated in Ecclesiastes 7:20, which says, “Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins..”

Matter of fact Paul does remind us in Ephesians 2:3 “among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Here Paul says the unbeliever's destiny is that of a child "of wrath." This indicates a person who is under judgment. Prior to knowing Christ, Paul and his readers were subject to judgment "like the rest of mankind." There is a universal judgment that exists upon all who do not know Christ. This is why we are called to believe in Jesus by grace through faith

Ephesians 2:8–9“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” and seek to share Him with others worldwide.

What can we take away from this is first:

Good Works and Salvation:

Despite Cornelius being exceptionally just and god-fearing, his good works alone did not secure his salvation (Acts 11:13-14).The angel's message to Cornelius emphasized the necessity of hearing the Gospel from Peter for salvation (Acts 11:14).

Warning and Divine Intervention:

The angel's message to Cornelius included a warning from God, indicating the seriousness of Cornelius's need to hear the Gospel (Acts 10:22).This warning underscored that without the Gospel, Cornelius would face eternal death, highlighting the universal need for salvation despite moral goodness.

Universal Sinfulness:

Like all humanity, Cornelius was a sinner despite his outward goodness (Ecclesiastes 7:20).His own conscience would have convicted him of sins, acknowledging his imperfection before a holy God.

Misconceptions about Good Works:

Many people mistakenly believe that their good works earn favor with God, but Scripture teaches that without true knowledge of God's plan for salvation, such works are insufficient (Romans 10:3).Our righteousness apart from faith in Christ is likened to "filthy rags" in God's sight, emphasizing the need for faith and knowledge of God's Word (Isaiah 64:6).

 No matter how good Cornelius was, he was a sinner. He himself probably knew about certain sins he had committed in his heart and in his thoughts. His conscience would have convicted him of things he had done which he should not have done, and things he had not done which he should have done.

But someone may ask, “Shouldn’t all his good works at least count for something?” Many people mistakenly think that God must surely be pleased with all the good works they have done. Little do they know that God is not at all pleased, but angered by their works. The apostle Paul wrote about this in Romans 10:2-4 concerning his fellow Jews – “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” Let us understand that without having the right knowledge from God, all our best efforts to be good and to do good for others, or even for God Himself are but filthy rags in God’s sight. Isaiah 64:4 tells us “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags...” Whatever zeal or sincerity we have would be misdirected if they are not according to the knowledge of God’s Word.

If you have been relying on good works to save you, please understand that this is impossible. Good works can never save any sinner. And since all men are sinners, all men will stand condemned before God. Perhaps you may wonder why God has set such an impossible standard for us to reach.

Why will He not lower His standard and make it a little easier for us to have eternal life in heaven? The reason is that God is a holy God. And because He is holy, He requires us to be holy like Him, and that means to be sinless. By His very nature, God cannot tolerate any sin in His sight.

Landing the plane!

In considering the story of Cornelius in the Bible, it is important to note that being religious is not enough to save a person. Cornelius was as devout as they come, and he worshiped the one true God. Yet he still needed to hear the gospel and respond to it positively. That’s why God sent Peter, so that Cornelius could hear of the death and resurrection of Christ, which Peter clearly preached (Acts 10:39–40, 43). It was only after Cornelius and his household received the message about Jesus that they received the Holy Spirit and were born again. The story of Cornelius not only shows the necessity of the gospel but it indicates that God will move heaven and earth to bring the gospel to those who are ready to receive it.