Who was Cornelius in Acts 10?
Cornelius was a certain man in Caesarea, a centurion of the band called the Italian band. A centurion was a Roman officer who had command of a hundred troops. He appears in Acts chapter 10 as the narrative returns to Peter.
Les explains that Acts chapter 10 comes back to Peter after Saul has been converted. Peter is only touched on here and a little in chapters 11 or 12 before he fades from the book of Acts, which then focuses on the Apostle Paul and the Gentiles. In verse 1, Cornelius is identified as a certain man in Caesarea, a centurion of the band called the Italian band. Les defines a centurion as a Roman officer who had command of a hundred troops.
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
More Questions
What was God's bigger purpose in saving Cornelius's household?
God did want the house of Cornelius saved, but the bigger purpose of that event was to prepare Peter for Acts 15, so that Peter could come to Paul's defense and remember that God had already saved Gentiles through Peter's preaching twelve years earlier.