Jun 6 2013
Cornelius’ House
Acts 10:1-11:18
As Peter entered the house he was shocked to see that it was crowded with Romans. These were Cornelius’ friends and family; a mixture of military personnel and civilians with their wives and a few others. Never before had Peter preached to Gentiles, and certainly not this type. Romans! But this was Caesarea, the military headquarters of Judea, and this was Cornelius the Centurion’s house, a man who was in command of a hundred soldiers. God had told Peter to respond to Cornelius’ request to come, but he did not expect such an audience.
Now these Romans had served long enough in Judea to know that a Jew wasn’t supposed to enter a Gentile’s home, so Peter quickly explained that had God had spoken to him and had shown him that he was not to consider a Gentile impure or unclean. Just the day before God had given Peter a vision More
Apr 18 2014
The moral law in our hearts
Acts 10:1-29, 44-48 Cornelius: a moral Roman hears the good news
What is this business of following ones conscience? People believe in it so strongly. And it’s not just the religious; atheists think it’s a good thing too. The Bible verse above is about Cornelius who was a Roman soldier in New Testament times. He was neither Jew nor Christian, but believed in God and gave generously to the poor. The Jews recognized this and respected him for it. But he wasn’t the only Gentile to have a conscience, there were others. Seeing this among Greeks and Romans, the apostle Paul said ‘When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them’ (Romans 2:14-15).
Paul is saying that many people who do not know God’s law find the law within them. Their hearts tell them what is right and wrong and they practice the essence of the law given to Moses. More