Peter and Cornelius

Peter and Cornelius in Caesarea

ACTS 10 COMMENTARY ◄
Acts 10:16-23 Peter's Vision

Acts 10:24-33 Peter and Cornelius

Acts 10:34-35 Fear of God

ACTS 10:24-27 24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.” 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.

What did Peter mean by telling Cornelius, "Stand up: I myself am also a man" (Acts 10:26)?
One possibility is that he was correcting Cornelius' misperception that he - Peter - wasn't a man - i.e., that Cornelius was mistaking him for an angel. But this is unlikely since Peter had already learned about Cornelius from his emissaries and knew that Cornelius knew that humans don't need to be dispatched to inform and escort angels. It is more likely that Peter was telling Cornelius not to fall down and worship another human being, for only God is worthy of worship.

Which human being today claims to be a descendant of Peter?
The Roman Catholic pope.

What is the least he should do when people kneel in front of him?
Do as Peter did: lift them "up, saying “Stand up; I myself am also a man” (Acts 10:26).

ACTS 10:28-33 28 Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?” 30 So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ 33 So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God.”

What else had Peter figured out by this time?
The timing of the vision he saw about unclean food was intended to change his attitude toward gentiles: "God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28).

How much time had elapsed between the angel's appearance to Cornelius and Peter arrival at Cornelius' house?
Since the angel appeared to Cornelius at about 3 PM on the first day, and Cornelius told Peter, "I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour..." (Acts 10:30), it was before 3 PM ("the ninth hour") on the third day, so less than 72 hours had elapsed between the angel's appearance and Peter's arrival.

Then was Cornelius wrong to say that he saw the angel "four days ago" (Acts 10:30)?
Since any part of a day was counted as one day, Cornelius was correct. He sent his emissaries on the first day. They arrived in Joppa at around noon the second day and stayed overnight. On the third day, they started to journey back with Peter and his "brethren from Joppa" (Acts 10:23), and arrived on the fourth day.

When did Cornelius prepare to share the Gospel?
Evidently even before hearing it himself: "Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends" (Acts 10:24).

Why?
Those are the people he loved and cared about.

Do you love your relatives and close friends?