The baptism of Cornelius
1 ① There was in Caesarea a man named Cornelius, captain of what was called the Italian Battalion. 2He was a religious and God-fearing man together with his whole household. He gave generously to the people and constantly prayed to God.
3One afternoon at about three he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming towards him and calling him, “Cornelius!” 4He stared at the vision with awe and said, “What is it, sir?” And the angel answered, “Your prayers and your alms have just been recalled before God. 5Now send some men to Joppa and summon a certain Simon also known as Peter; 6he is the guest of Simon, a tanner, who lives beside the sea.”
7As soon as the angel who spoke to him departed, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those attached to his service, 8and after having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
9The next day, while they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up to the roof at about noon to pray. 10He became hungry and wished to eat, but while they were preparing food, he fell into a trance. 11The heavens were opened to him and he saw an object that looked like a large sheet coming down, until it rested on the ground by its four corners. 12In it were all kinds of four-legged animals of the earth, reptiles and birds.
13Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14But Peter replied, “Certainly not, Lord! I have never eaten any defiled or unclean creature.” 15And again a second time the voice spoke, “What God has made clean, you must not call unclean.” 16This happened three times and then the sheet was taken up again into the sky.
17While Peter was still puzzling over the meaning of the vision he had seen, the messengers of Cornelius arrived at the gate asking for the house of Simon. 18They called out to inquire whether Simon, also known as Peter, was staying there. 19At that moment, as Peter continued pondering on the vision, the Spirit spoke to him, “There are men looking for you; 20get up and go downstairs and follow them without hesitation, for I have sent them.”
21So Peter went and said to the men, “I am the one you are looking for. What brings you here?” They answered, 22“He who sent us is Captain Cornelius. He is an upright and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jewish people. He has been instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, so that he may listen to what you have to say.” 23So Peter invited them in and put them up for the night. The next day he went off with them and some of the believers from Joppa accompanied him. 24The following day, he arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was expecting them; he had called together his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter was about to enter, Cornelius went to him, fell on his knees and bowed low. 26But Peter lifted him up saying, “Stand up, for I too am a human being.”
27After talking with him, Peter entered and found many people assembled there. 28Then he said to them, “You know that it is forbidden for Jews to associate with anyone of another nation or to enter their houses. But God has made it clear to me that no one should call any person common or unclean; 29because of this I came at once when I was sent for. Now I should like to know why you sent for me.”
30Cornelius then answered, “Just three days ago at this time, about three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house when a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said to me: ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer, and your alms have been remembered before him. 32Send some one, therefore, to Joppa and ask for Simon, also known as Peter, who is guest at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you at once and you have been kind enough to come. Now we are all here in God’s presence, waiting to hear all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”
34Peter then spoke to them, “Truly, I realize that God does not show partiality, 35but in all nations he listens to everyone who fears God and does good. 36And this is the message he has sent to the children of Israel, the good news of peace he has proclaimed through Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of all. 37No doubt you have heard of the event that occurred throughout the whole country of the Jews, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism John preached. 38You know how God anointed Jesus the Nazarean with Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were under the devil’s power, because God was with him; 39we are witnesses of all that he did through out the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem itself. Yet they put him to death by hanging him on a wooden cross.
40But God raised him to life on the third day and let him manifest himself, 41not to all the people, but to the witnesses that were chosen beforehand by God – to us who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from death. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness that he is the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. 43All the prophets say of him, that everyone who believes in him has forgiveness of sins through his Name.”
44Peter was still speaking when the Holy Spirit came upon all who listened to the Word. 45And the believers of Jewish origin who had come with Peter were amazed, “Why! God gives and pours the Holy Spirit on foreigners also!” 46For indeed this happened: they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
47Then Peter declared, “Can we refuse to baptize with water these people who have received the Holy Spirit, just as we have?” 48So he had them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. After that they asked him to remain with them for some days.
- Acts 10,1 This is a new intervention of the Holy Spirit so that the Church would go beyond the Jewish world and the Gospel would reach other people. Cornelius (like the Ethiopian of 8:27) is a God-fearing man, that is to say, a foreigner who believes in the one God of the Jews, without being a member of the Jewish community. The heavens were opened to him (v. 11). He may have seen a tent coming down - an image of God's dwelling place in the world - which contained creatures considered unclean. The Jewish religion included a whole series of prohibitions for believers. It distinguished between clean animals, namely those which could be eaten, and unclean ones which could not. The same regulations applied to people; Jews could not mix with non-Jews. Thus Peter's vision, in which he is invited to eat unclean animals, means that he must not hesitate to go and stay in the house of Cornelius the Roman. We do not know if Peter would have hesitated to baptize a non-Jew (and uncircumcised) as Cornelius was. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit forced his hand. At last someone of another race is baptized! In many places today as well, the Church is in danger of being reduced to a closed social group, and, perhaps, of becoming antiquated. Popes and bishops invite us to go forward and to mmmmm dialogue with all people. Yet it would seem that only the intervention of an angel could convince us to go to other people. He sent his people (v. 36). Peter presents Jesus. Jesus' life was that of an authentic prophet, who comes to continue the work of previous prophets, spokesmen of God's word. But, in Jesus, God was offering the good news of peace, that is, God was reconciling humankind with himself, once and for all. We are easily reminded of one of Paul's central points: see Rom 5:1-11; 2 Cor 5:11-21 and Eph 2:14-16. Judge of the living and the dead (v. 42). This expression comes from religious concepts of the time, making a distinction between the judgment of those who would witness Christ's return at the end of the world (the living) and those who had died before (the dead). See the same in 1 Thes 4:17. One receives forgiveness through his Name. Through his Name, that is to say, through his own power and effectiveness. This confirms Jesus' divine authority.
