The Jewish population is only .2% of the world’s population (Wikipedia, 20201). And yet, God used this tiny nation to reach the world teaching about His love and plan for salvation. God specifically used Peter so mightily to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. He also used the faithfulness of the Gentile centurion, Cornelius. The story of Cornelius and Peter is found in Acts 10.
The chapter opens up with Cornelius praying to God, something it says in verse 2, that he did continually. While he is praying, an angel appears to him and tells him to send for Simon Peter who is staying in Joppa at the moment. After this vision, Cornelius immediately sends for Peter.
Next, we see Peter praying around noon. He is hungry, but the meal is still being prepared. God puts Peter in a trance and shows him a sheet descending from Heaven with all kinds of clean/kosher animals and unclean animals. Then God tells Peter, “Get up Peter, kill and eat (v. 13).” Because eating unclean animals is strictly forbidden in Jewish law, Peter probably thought this command from God was a test. So he tells God, in bold Peter fashion, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean (v. 14).” Then God replies to him, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” This scene repeats itself three times and then the sheet with the clean and unclean animals is taken back to Heaven.
It really isn’t a coincidence that Peter had to be told three times that God no longer made a division between clean and unclean animals, and nations as well, as Peter will discover. This happening three times was a sure sign to Peter that the voice he heard in the trance and what it was saying was truly from God, Himself. Just as Peter denied knowing Christ three times, and Christ restored Peter to Himself by asking Peter three times to “tend His sheep,” God is sending a divine message to Peter by repeating it three times as well. At this point, there can be no doubt in Peter’s mind, that God is revealing something big to him, but at this point he isn’t sure exactly what. What he does know, is to obey.
While Peter was still trying to decide what this all meant, the Holy Spirit came to him and said, “Behold three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself (v.20).” Of course, it was the men, Gentiles – people considered unclean by the Jews, sent by Cornelius to find Peter. Peter does as the Spirit told him and does the unthinkable – he invites the Gentiles to spend the night, because it was too late to travel back to Caesarea where Cornelius was living. We need to remember that no respecting Jew would ever invite a Gentile into their home, let alone to spend the night. Kudos to Peter who acted so boldly to obey!
The next day, Peter and six Believers in Christ accompany Cornelius’ messengers. When they reach his home, Cornelius is not just there by himself, but has invited his whole family and close friends to come and listen to Peter. Here is a man with such faith in God, that he doesn’t even question whether or not Peter will come, but takes the angel’s word purely on faith that Peter is going to come and speak to them.
Cornelius is just as bold as Peter. He knows that he is considered unclean by Jewish standards, and yet still obeys God and sends for Peter to come into his home, again, something no respecting Jew would ever consider. But when God speaks, he obeys. It seems both Cornelius and Peter are cut from the same cloth.
After Peter and Cornelius exchange stories of how God presented Himself to each of them, Peter, realizing that Gentiles are no longer considered unclean, tells his audience the Gospel. This meeting of Jews and Gentiles is putting into practice the Age of the Church which started at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples. Here too, while Peter is still speaking, the Holy Spirit is poured upon the Gentile Believers that Cornelius had assembled. Seeing the Holy Spirit at work, Peter calls for these Believers to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And so the Gospel goes from being Good News only for the Jews to Good News for all people.
Opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him (vs. 34-35).”
And there you have it. As a Gentile, I am so thankful that God does not show partiality, but loves all humans whom He has created. He loves us all unconditionally. He loves us so much that He has given us the choice to follow Him and accept Jesus as our Savior, and doesn’t treat us as automatons who follow blindly as programmed. God lets us decide, just as Cornelius and his family decided to follow Christ and accept His redeeming grace from their sins.
Does God speak to us today, while we are praying to Him? A resounding, “Yes.” We need only follow Peter’s and Cornelius’ examples. Both men prayed regularly. They had built up a relationship with God and were ready to hear His voice. Even though Peter knew the Christ intimately in person, and Cornelius did not, Cornelius still knew and trusted the God of the Jews for his life, and his family’s lives. This shows us today, that we can trust God and hear from Him just as Cornelius did, even though we have never touched Jesus in the flesh like Peter. God reaches down to His children who seek Him and makes Himself known. We have only to make Him a priority in our lives, spend time with Him, converse with Him, obey Him, and He will make Himself known to us.
Cornelius
Newsboys
And every generation’s got
The fearless few who can’t be bought
They don’t take polls or look around
They act on truth, and then they stand their ground
Come up and see the world stripped bare
The free indeed
They breathe a rarefied air
Yeah, they got spirit
Yeah, they got game
And some get christened
With a righteous sounding name
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
And every generation knows
The doers do, the posers pose
‘Cause every time the pop goes fizz
Another yes-man gets his
Come on and see the big man’s boss
The mind clears out when you’re taking up the cross
Yeah, his burden’s easy
No, it don’t chafe
It’s God’s safe harbour
Why play it safe?
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
Core-strong like a centurion
I wanna be Cornelius
Core-strong like a centurion
I wanna be Cornelius
His kneel is real
His kneel is real
What rhymes with Cornelius?
Helium
The “cor” is before a kneel, a kneel
The “i” is an “e” in us, in us
He’s ready to fight, but not to fuss
We like, we like Cornelius
And history proves the axiom
Surface skimmers choke on scum
Who’s calling deep?
Who opens wide?
Who put the just in justified?
Check, check it out, the view you get
It’s God’s high-wire
There isn’t any net
Show a little spirit
Show you got game
Show you know
(We know, we know)
You know what’s in a name
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
Cor-ne-li-us
He’s ready to fight
But not to fuss
We like, we like
Cornelius
He isn’t a wuss
He never was
We like, we like
Cornelius
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Steven V. Taylor / Peter Furler
Cornelius lyrics © Ariose Music Group Inc.
Resources:
Wikipedia, 2021. Jewish Population by Country. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_population_by_country on Nov. 16, 2021.
Photo Credit: Reyes, M., Feb. 13, 2019. Retrieved from https://www.incourage.me/2019/02/be-bold-for-christ.html on Nov. 16, 2021.
