Articles
The Conversion of Cornelius
THE CONVERSION OF CORNELIUS
Jim McDonald
Cornelius was a Roman centurion who lived in Caesarea, a prominent city in the first century. The Holy Spirit described Cornelius as “a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:2). Such a man would be regarded in today’s world as a saved man but God viewed him otherwise. Although he was a good man, he was not a saved man; he had never been covered by the blood of Jesus. However, God was aware of him (just as He is aware of us) and the life Cornelius lived was one which pleased God.
One day when Cornelius was in prayer, God sent an angel to Cornelius who told him, “Thy prayers and thy alms are gone up for a memorial before God. And now, send men to Joppa and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside” (Acts 10:4-6). Cornelius did not hesitate. He called two of his household servants, as well as a soldier. He told them of the angel’s visit and the angel’s instructions to him. Then Cornelius dispatched the three to go to Joppa and find Peter and then bring him to Caesarea.
Somewhat earlier Peter had left Jerusalem that he might go “through all parts” and came to Lydda where he found a man sick, Aeneas. Peter healed him and the news of that miracle caused many in those parts to believe. Nearby, in Joppa, there was also a group of disciples. One of their number, a dear sister named Dorcas, had died and the brethren, having heard that Peter was in Lydda, sent some of their number there to seek Peter and bring him to Joppa. They did so and when Peter arrived, he went in where the deceased sister lay, and to the great joy of brethren there, raised her from the dead (Acts 9:40-43).
Peter lingered in Joppa for some time, and around noon on one of those days, Peter grew hungry and went on the housetop to pray. As he was praying, he fell into a trance, and the heavens opened and a great sheet was let down by its four corners. The sheet was filled with all manner of four-footed beasts, creeping things, and fowls of the air. A voice said to Peter, “Arise, Peter, slay and eat.” Peter responded, “Not so Lord for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.” The voice then said, “What I have cleansed, call not thou common or unclean” (Acts 10:9-13). The vision was shown three times and while he thought about its significance, the voice commanded Peter to get down because three men were looking for him. Peter was to go with the men without doubting because God had sent them (Acts 10:19-20). Those three men were the ones Cornelius had sent. Peter spoke to the men and told them he was the one they were looking for. He then asked why they were seeking him. The men rehearsed the angel’s instructions to Cornelius who sent them to Joppa to find and bring Peter to Caesarea. Peter received the men, lodged them overnight, and the next day, with Cornelius’ messengers, went to Caesarea, taking with him six brethren from Joppa to observe and witness the coming events.
Four days after Cornelius had sent his messengers to find Peter, they returned and had fulfilled Cornelius’ instructions: Peter was with them. When Cornelius understood that Peter had arrived, he went to meet him and fell down at his feet to worship him. Peter’s words were immediate: “Stand up. I myself am also a man” (Acts 19:26). When Peter entered Cornelius’ home, he found it filled with people. Cornelius had invited many friends and relatives so that with him they could hear words “whereby thou shalt be saved and thy house” (Acts 11:14).
By this time Peter had perceived that God was no respecter of persons. He realized that men of every nation were to have the gospel preached to them. This was just like Peter had preached to the Jews several years before in Jerusalem on the Pentecost after the Lord’s ascension to heaven.
Peter preached the gospel about Jesus to the people in Cornelius’ house, and as he was preaching an unusual thing occurred. The Holy Spirit fell on these Gentiles like it had fallen on the Jews on the day of Pentecost (Acts 10:44-46)! God had promised in Joel 2:28-30 many years earlier that in the “last days God would pour forth His Spirit upon all flesh…” and Peter had, with his own eyes, witnessed the fulfillment of God’s promise to Joel so many years before. Then, he asked the six brethren from Joppa, “Can any man forbid the water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?” (Acts 10:47). No one objected. To have done so would have constituted rebellion against God’s wishes.
The Holy Spirit falling on these Gentiles was a marvelous thing, but while there was a definite purpose for the Spirit’s fall, that purpose was not to save them. These people would be saved through the words Peter spoke to them. Remember that the angel had told Cornelius he was to look for Peter who, after coming to him, would “speak unto him words which would save his soul and those of his household” (Acts 11:14). The fall of the Holy Spirit was not to cause Cornelius to believe, for “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The word did exactly what God intended it to do because several years after this event, Peter spoke of Cornelius’ conversion telling brethren in Jerusalem, “Brethren, ye know a good while ago God made choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe” (Acts 15:7). In his sermon to Cornelius Peter said, “To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). Peter, inspired by the Spirit, spoke to Cornelius and told him words that would save him. Cornelius believed these words. Just as the Lord had said to Nicodemus long before, “Ye must be born anew,” “Except one be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” and, “Except a man be born of the water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, 5), Cornelius and his house had been “born of the spirit” because they believed Peter’s Spirit-directed words.
The record is specific. After the Spirit had fallen on these Gentiles, Peter had asked, “Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized?” (Acts 10:47). After no objections were offered, Peter then “commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48). Peter was to speak to Cornelius “words whereby thou shalt be saved.” When he concluded his words to Cornelius, Peter commanded them to be baptized. Why? No reason was given here. However, he gave a reason to people on Pentecost why they were to be baptized: “for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Where in the Scriptures is any purpose for baptism given other than to be saved (Mark 16:15-16); for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38); to wash away sins (Acts 2:38); to put on Christ (Galatians 3:26-27); to be baptized into his death (Romans 6:3-4); and, to be saved (1 Pet. 3:21)? All of these things mean essentially the same. If God changed the reason for baptism, where did He say it?
So, when Cornelius and his household were baptized in water, they had been “born of the water.” Having been born of the water and of the spirit, these people had been born again; they had experienced the “new birth.” Because Cornelius and his household had been born again, they had been converted to Jesus Christ.
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