What time did Cornelius pray?
Acts 10 records Cornelius praying during the day’s ninth hour, 3 p.m., the traditional time when the daily sacrifice of the tamid lamb was offered in the Temple to atone for the sins of Israel as a nation and to perpetually renew the collective covenant with Yahweh. (One can see the connections with Calvary that the Gospel authors later made concerning the timeframe of Christ’s death and the rending of the veil in the Temple in light of this fact). While Cornelius was not a Jew, he apparently followed a similarly constructed day of prayer for which the ninth hour served as the exact midpoint between noon and dusk. (Many contemporary monastic orders still follow a similar regiment).
Is the Gospel universal?
It is widely recognized that the spread of the Gospel is universal in scope, razing the boundaries between nationalities, classes and people. It seems a worthwhile endeavor then to examine the first non-Israelite to be convinced of the truth of the Christian message.
What verse in Acts 10 talks about sharing a meal with the Gentiles?
Acts 10 verse 23. There were no doubts about sharing a meal with these men. It was too late to set out and, by providing lodging for them, Peter was already taking the first step towards accepting Gentiles. So, the following morning the party leave for Caesarea.
What was Peter doing before he arrived in Jerusalem?
Just before their arrival, Peter was on the roof of Simon’s house in prayer and meditation. He had a problem – whether or not the gospel should be taken to the Gentiles. It had probably been a topic of conversation when he had spent those two weeks with Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 9:28): He was “very hungry” but was fasting till the hour of prayer – at which point he fell into a trance (verse 10).
Who built Caesarea?
Caesarea was a fine modern city 30 miles north of Joppa, built by Herod the Great to the honour of Augustus Caesar. It was the headquarters of the Roman forces of occupation and the capital of the Roman province of Judea; but most Romans were hated as conquerors.
Who directs Philip to go to the south?
At the beginning of the scene it is actually “an angel of the Lord” who directs Philip, telling him to “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (Acts 8:26).
Who was the Ethiopian Eunuch?
Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it.".
What scripture did Philip speak about Jesus?
Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:34-35). Isaiah 52-53 is the most significant prophetic passage which was applied to Jesus and his passion for the early Christians and it is the entrée for Philip’s evangelization.
Where did the Spirit find Philip?
At the end of the scene the Spirit acts even more directly, as it “snatched Philip away” and he “found himself at Azotus” (Acts 8:39-40), a distance difficult to determine with precision, since we do not know exactly where Philip was, but a distance of many miles or kilometers.
Was Eunuch a slave?
Whether he was a slave cannot be determined definitively, but eunuchs often were, and it was not unusual for such a slave to have a high-ranking position in a royal court, such as the chief of the treasury (Page, Acts, 134).
Who was the first Gentile convert to Christianity?
The Story of the First Gentile Conversion to Christianity. Cornelius kneels at the feet of Peter. Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Cavalry.". Cornelius in the Bible was a god-fearing gentile centurion of the Roman army whose Christian conversion is recorded in ...
How did God show his acceptance of Gentiles into the church?
Through the outpouring of the gift of the Holy Spirit, God dramatically demonstrated his acceptance of Gentiles into the church . Peter, seeing these Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had on Pentecost, gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
What was Cornelius' point of interest?
Cornelius and his household were the first Gentiles to be taken into the Christian church, showing God intended for the church not to be just another sect of Judaism but something entirely new. Peter had been steeped in the Jewish tradition of shunning Gentiles, therefore he did not understand ...
What did Peter do when he accepted the invitation of Cornelius?
When Peter accepted the invitation of Cornelius, he realized God was creating a new covenant. Before Paul preached to the Gentiles, God had already set this groundbreaking precedent that they were part of his plan of salvation .
What did Paul do after Cornelius' conversion?
About ten years after Cornelius' conversion, Paul defended his mission to the Jerusalem Council of the church, with Peter and James supporting him. Centurions are generally spoken of positively in the Bible. The fact that a Roman had abandoned the mythical gods of his country and turned to the God of Abraham, Isaac, ...
Who was Cornelius in the Bible?
Cornelius in the Bible was a god-fearing gentile centurion of the Roman army whose Christian conversion is recorded in the book of Acts, chapter 10. The salvation of Cornelius and his household marks a key turning point in the early church's commission to take the gospel "to the ends of the earth" as Jesus had instructed (Acts 1:8).
Where did the angel tell Cornelius to go?
The angel told Cornelius to send to Joppa, to the house of Simon the tanner, where Simon Peter was staying. He was to ask Peter to come to him at Caesarea. Cornelius' two servants and a loyal soldier set out on the 31-mile journey.
Who was the first gentile convert to Christianity?
Cornelius was a God-fearer so outstanding in his piety that God chose him to be one of the first gentile converts to Christianity. We know of only two gentiles who preceded him in Christian faith: the proselyte Nicolas (Acts 6:5) and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36–37).
When did Cornelius convert?
The year of Cornelius's conversion was probably in the late 30s (see Appendix 1).
Why is the New Testament so kind to officers of the army that held the Jewish nation in servitude?
It is an interesting question why the New Testament is so kind to officers of the army that held the Jewish nation in servitude. Perhaps they picture the kind of convert that Jesus was seeking in the gentile world. He was looking for all those in every nation who would be willing to serve as faithful and conscientious soldiers of the Lord.
What was the centurion's role in the Roman army?
The centurion was the backbone of the Roman army. Exercising personal supervision of all men under his command, he was chiefly responsible for good morale in the ranks. On the battlefield, he made many decisions that might turn the outcome to victory or defeat. Officers at this level of command had a reputation for being unusually capable and dependable. 4
Why was the Lord patient with Peter?
The Lord was patient because Peter’s objection was based on conscience, and his conscience in this matter was shaped by his understanding of God’s law. Within the limits of his own thinking, Peter was trying to do right. Still, his refusal to obey may be faulted for lack of humility and good sense.
Why would Peter have consented to stay in such a place?
Why would Peter have consented to stay in such a place? As an old fisherman, he probably welcomed a chance to look out at the vast waters of the Mediterranean and watch the boats plying back and forth outside Joppa's harbor, doubtless with some fishing boats among them. Going up to the roof would not only have afforded the view he desired, but also given relief from the smells below.
Where did Peter see the vision?
It is no accident that Scripture tells us where Peter was when he saw the vision. Perhaps the visit to Simon’s workshop had raised in Peter’s mind the question of whether Old Testament restrictions against unclean animals were still in force during the Church Age. He could see the remains of dead animals all around, maybe some he had always loathed. As he pondered whether he could under any circumstances eat these untouchables, his first reaction was probably a decisive, no. The vision later given to him on the roof was therefore a stiff challenge to his own deep-seated preferences.
What language was Philip in the Bible?
There is little reason to doubt that the Hellenist Philip, whose primary language was Greek, would have trouble communicating with this official. Asia of course plays a key role in the Bible: by Greek definitions, the holy land was part of Asia, and right on the boundary of Africa.
Who saved Jeremiah's life?
In the OT, an African “eunuch” becomes one of Jeremiah’s few allies and saves his life (Jer 38:7-13). More importantly, God promised to welcome foreigners and eunuchs (Isa 56:3-5), of which this man becomes the first example.
Why is the Cornelius narrative important?
The Cornelius narrative is also important because it signals a shift in the thinking of the Jerusalem church, and was the gentile-conversion account widely known to them.
When was the kingdom in view discovered?
In view of her title, the kingdom in view is the actual ancient Nubian kingdom of Meroë, which was rediscovered in 1722 and identified archaeologically in the early twentieth century. Nonfiction writers on Meroe sometimes speculated about the location.
Where did Jesus' followers come from?
The first followers of Jesus therefore were from Western Asia, from the Middle East, more specifically from Galilee and Judea and then Samaria. But the first non -Jewish follower of Jesus (ethnically speaking) was from Africa.
Is Luke the first gentile Christian?
The other consideration in establishing that this official is the first gentile Christian is the question that some have raised about whether it is a true story. Most scholars recognize that Luke is writing history, and most scholars who have actually read ancient historiography recognize that historians recounted stories that came to them, rather than inventing stories from whole cloth. Luke clearly believed this story, which presumably goes back to Philip himself.
Who did Jesus send to the Gentiles?
Jesus sent the Apostle Paul to the Gentiles. Jesus appeared to Paul ( Acts 9) and named Paul his “chosen instrument to proclaim [his] name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel” ( Acts 9:15 ). Paul spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel and making disciples among Gentiles as well as Jews.
What does "gentile" mean in the Bible?
Meaning and Examples. “Gentiles means nations, ” according to Smith’s Bible Dictionary. The term Gentile doesn’t really describe who someone is, but rather who they are not – a Jew. A Gentile is one belonging to any nation or people group other than the Jewish people group. Emily Hall Editor, Salem Web Network. 2019 10 Apr.
How did God demonstrate his heart for the nations?
God declared and demonstrated his heart for the nations from the beginning in the way he reached out to Gentiles and welcomed them into the faith. 1. God reached out to Gentiles. Nineveh: The Assyrian city, Nineveh, was a sinful Gentile city in desperate need of repentance, unbeknownst to them.
What does the Bible say about Gentiles worshipping in heaven?
The Bible described Gentiles worshipping in heaven. God showed the Apostle John a vision of heaven, recorded in the Book of Revelation. In it, God’s kingdom was full of people – Jews and Gentiles – worshipping their savior.
What did the Jews view as unclean?
Jews viewed Gentiles as inherently unclean, which was a significant problem in the early church. Throughout Paul’s ministry, he spoke out against this stigma and preached Jesus to the Gentiles ( Romans 3:22, Romans 10:12, Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11 ). The Apostle Peter’s stigma about Gentiles was also challenged.
Why did God separate the Jews?
God insisted on this separation not because the Jewish ethnicity was anything holy in itself, but to protect the purity of their faith. Still, Jews were often drawn astray to the gods of other nations ( 1 Kings 11:1-6 ). Gentile converts were welcome, but not their sinful beliefs and practices.
What did Paul say about salvation?
God’s salvation was, as Paul said, “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” ( Romans 1:16, Romans 2:10 ). Jesus intentionally interacted with Gentiles in front of his disciples, leaving them an example of God’s heart for the nations. 1. Jesus desired the Gentiles (the nations) in his kingdom.
Where did the Israelites go to escape the city of Jericho?
Safely escaping the city, the two spies returned to Joshua and reported that the "whole land was melting with fear.". The Israelites crossed the Jordan into Canaan where they laid siege to the city of Jericho. The city was completely destroyed, and every man, woman, and child in it was killed. Only Rahab and her family were spared.
What did Rahab hear about the Israelites?
She heard the stories of their escape from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the wanderings in the wilderness, and their recent victory over the Amorites.
Why was Rahab saved?
Second, Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was saved because of her faith in "God in heaven above and on the earth below" ( Hebrews 11:31 ). Likewise, Christians are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
What did Rahab's faith enable her to do?
Fifth, Rahab’s faith enabled her to turn away from her culture, her people, and her religion and to the Lord. Commitment to a true faith in God may necessitate setting priorities that are contrary to those of the world, as we are exhorted to do in Romans 12:2. Finally, once we come to Christ, our pasts no longer matter.
Who was Rahab's husband?
Only Rahab and her family were spared. Ultimately, Rahab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Her son was Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Joseph, the legal father of Jesus, is her direct descendant. Rahab was a young Canaanite prostitute and as such not a very likely candidate for a heroine of the faith.
Was Rahab the first Gentile convert?
She was, in fact, the first recorded Gentile convert.
Did Rahab put the scarlet cord out of the window?
Rahab had to put the scarlet cord out of the window. Christians must accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and then go on to live in a manner that verifies that our faith is real. Fourth, Rahab could have indicated the location of her home in any number of ways.