Who was present in Cornelius' house when Peter preached?
Peter preached in Cornelius' home to Cornelius and the Gentiles gathered there. The context describes it as a household, likely his immediate family and possibly some of his closest Roman officers, though the exact number is unknown. They were Gentiles, and the Holy Spirit came upon them while Peter preached.
Les explains that Peter was in the home of Cornelius, and the text does not specify how many Gentiles or Romans were present. It was a household, so it could not have held a large number. Les suggests it was probably Cornelius' immediate family and maybe some of his closest Roman officers. While Peter was yet preaching, the Holy Spirit came upon those Gentiles, evidenced with tongues, which caused Peter to stop in amazement because he expected a different order. Les notes that Peter had not yet explained Paul's Gospel of salvation by the cross, but he proclaimed that the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, the Son of God, was the vehicle for salvation.
And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
More Questions
How many people were saved when Peter went to Cornelius's house?
At Cornelius's house only a single household was converted, not hundreds, yet the evidence was there that those Gentiles had been saved without any of the attending requirements of Judaism.