The vision seen by Cornelius

[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team: 

REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]

 

Acts X :  1-8

Vision of Cornelius the Centurion.
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout (1664). Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.

[1] And there was a certain man in Caesarea, named Cornelius, a centurion of that which is called the Italian band; 

[2] A religious man, and fearing God with all his house, giving much alms to the people, and always praying to God. 

[3] This man saw in a vision manifestly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him: Cornelius. 

[4] And he, beholding him, being seized with fear, said: What is it, Lord? And he said to him: Thy prayers and thy alms are ascended for a memorial in the sight of God. 

[5] And now send men to Joppe, and call hither one Simon, who is surnamed Peter:

[6] He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side. He will tell thee what thou must do. 

[7] And when the angel who spoke to him was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a soldier who feared the Lord, of them that were under him. 

[8] To whom when he had related all, he sent them to Joppe.

[1] Vir autem quidam erat in Caesarea, nomine Cornleius, centurio cohortis quae dicitur Italica, [2] religiosus, ac timens Deum cum omni domo sua, faciens eleemosynas multas plebi, et deprecans Deum semper : [3] is vidit in visu manifeste, quasi hora diei nona, angelum Dei introeuntem ad se, et dicentem sibi : Corneli. [4] At ille intuens eum, timore correptus, dixit : Quid est, Domine? Dixit autem illi : Orationes tuae et eleemosynae tuae ascenderunt in memoriam in conspectu Dei. [5] Et nunc mitte viros in Joppen, et accersi Simonem quemdam, qui cognominatur Petrus : [6] hic hospitatur apud Simonem quemdam coriarium, cujus est domus juxta mare : hic dicet tibi quid te oporteat facere. [7] Et cum discessisset angelus qui loquebatur illi, vocavit duos domesticos suos, et militem metuentem Dominum ex his qui illi parebant. [8] Quibus cum narrasset omnia, misit illos in Joppen.

Notes

    Note. — St Peter’s visit to the churches and his miracles at Lydda and Joppe are related as leading up to his visit to Cesarea, and to the admission of Cornelius into the Cnurch.

    These miracles prepared the way for the reception of the Gospel, and, by receiving Cornelius, St Peter was fulfilling: Christ’s command : Going therefore, teach ye all nations (St Matt, xxviii. 19; but before opening the door of the Church to Gentiles, St Peter had need of a special revelation as to how this was to be effected.

    1. there was. The best MSS. read: “A certain man .... named Cornelius .... saw in a vision,” etc.

    Cornelius. He may have belonged to the “Cornelian gens,” which had attained such fame through the Gracchi and Sulla, but plebeians also bore this name, since a number of freedmen had this honour conferred on them by Sulla himself. In any case the name and position point to a Roman, for, whatever were the nationalities of the rank and file in the armies of Rome, the officers were always Romans.

    centurion. An officer in charge of one hundred soldiers. Cornelius was not in command of the whole cohort, but of one of the subdivisions ; - this is more clearly indicated in the Greek (ἐκ σπειρης).

    Several centurions of good reputation are mentioned in the New Testament, e.g . —

    (a) The centurion whose servant Jesus healed, and of whom the Jews said: He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him (St Luke vii. 4)

    (b) The centurion who superintended the guards at the Crucifixion, and who said : Indeed this was a just man (St Luke xxiii. 47).

    (c) The centurion Julius, who, treating Paul courteously, permitted him to go to his friends, and to take care of himself (infra, xxvii. 3).

    the Italian band. Strictly speaking, the “band” or “cohort” (σπειρα ) was the tenth part of a legion, and it numbered about something between four and six hundred men. The commander was called a military tribune, and the band was divided into “ centuries,” over each of which a centurion was placed. The word “ cohort,” however, was also applied, as here, to auxiliary detached bodies of provincial troops, consisting of about six hundred men, and divided into six bands, each under a centurion. This Italian cohort was evidently raised in Italy, and sent to serve in Syria. It may probably be identified with that mentioned in an ancient inscription as (cohors militum Italicorum voluntaria quae est in Syria), “ a cohort of Italian volunteers that is in Syria.” (See Akerman’s Numismatic Illustration of the New Testament, p. 33.) It was not one of the famous Italian legions which were of later date, since Nero established the first of these, and Marcus Aurelius, the second and the third.

    2. A religious man. Although a Gentile and uncircumcised, Cornelius worshipped the true God. Had he been a proselyte, faithful of the circumcision (ch. x. 45) would not have been so astonished that he and his friends had received the Holy Ghost, nor would they have reproached St Peter with taking food at his table.

    with all his house. Being devout himself, Cornelius watched over those under him, and endeavoured to lead them to the worship of the true God; hence we find in his service “a soldier who feared the Lord.”

    giving much alms. Cornelius obeyed the precept of the Law : I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor brother (Deut. xv. 11).

    to the people (τῷ λαῷ). To the poor Jews, who could have applied to him the words of “ the ancients of the Jews ” concerning another devout centurion. He loveth our nation (St Luke vii. 5).

    always, praying to God. Special stress is laid on the centurion’s piety ; thus we are told he was religious, that he prayed about the ninth hour, i.e. at the stated hour of prayer, and that his prayers and alms had ascended before God.

    3. a vision. See Annot. on ch. ii. 17.

    manifestly — i.e. “openly” or “evidently ” (φανερως). All the circumstances point to a definite objective vision. Cornelius was not, like St Peter, in a trance, but conscious and praying. He saw the angel coming in, he heard him speak and saw him depart. He had the evidence of two of his senses.

    the ninth hour. (See Annot. on ii. 15.) About three o’clock in the afternoon.

    saying to him: Cornelius. Those to whom an angel appeared were generally seized with fear, hence we find God’s messenger calling them by name to reassure them, e.g. —

    (a) But the Angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard (St Luke

1. 13).

    (b) And the Angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God (ibid. verse 30).

    4. seized with fear. He was dazzled by the beauty and the glory of the heavenly messenger.

    are ascended. The metaphor is taken from the incense or the smoke of the burnt offerings mounting upwards. Cf. Let my prayer be directed an incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice (Ps. cxl. 2). St Paul also speaks of the alms of the faithful bestowed on him as an odour of sweetness, an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to God (Pliil. iv. 18).

    The handful of flour, mixed with oil and incense, which was part of the meal offering, was called a “memorial.’' It was burnt by the priest upon the altar of holocausts. Cf. And when he hath offered it, he shall take a memorial out of the sacrifice, and burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour to the Lord (Lev. ii. 9). Hence the prayers and alms of Cornelius the Centurion were as agreeable to God as the “ memorial ” from the altar of the Jewish Temple.

    5. who is surnamed Peter. “ Simon” was a common name among the Jews, e.g. Simon the tanner, Simon the magician, etc., hence the surname is carefully given. St Peter was chosen to baptize Cornelius because such an important innovation as receiving Gentiles, without binding them to keep the Mosaic Law, needed the authority and sanction of the visible Head of the Church.

    6. whose house is by the seaside. He dwelt outside the town on account of his trade.

    The angel gives three directions for finding the apostle : —

(a) His name and surname.

(b) The name and trade of his host.

(c) The situation of the house.

    Tanneries were always built near the sea or by a river, as the tanner cannot dispense with water.

    he will tell thee, etc. These words are not found in the best Greek MSS., nor in the oldest versions. But although not authentic here, they were uttered by the angel, for the messengers of Cornelius make this assertion (verse 22). St Peter places them on the angel’s lips (see infra, xi 14).

In these last two passages the authenticity of these words is undisputed.

    7. when the Angel .... was departed, etc. Cornelius obeyed promptly, and sent “ immediately ” (see verse 33) to St Peter.

two of his household servants. See Annot. on ix. 38. The two were sent for greater security, while the Roman soldier was a further protection.

    8. when he had related all, Cornelius took the three into his confidence. “ All ” would include the relation of the vision, and the command to send for Peter to hear words of him.

    he sent them to Joppe, Joppe was thirty Roman miles from Cesarea (a distance equivalent to twenty-six English miles), and the messengers set out late in the afternoon. As the matter was urgent, they perhaps journeyed all night, and consequently arrived at their destination at noon the following day.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.