Cornelius

By Cameron Magby

On paper, it sure looked like Cornelius had it together. Acts 10:1–2 lists his credentials: a Roman centurion; a God-fearer, meaning he believed in the God of Israel even though he was a Gentile; and he led his family in that same belief. He was charitable, so much so that he gained a reputation of generosity among the Jewish people. And he prayed, often and consistently.

In Greek and Roman society, those who achieved success were awarded a crown made of laurel leaves to signify what they’d accomplished. That practice has led to a common warning today: Don’t rest on your laurels, meaning, don’t let your past achievements stop you from continuing to grow.

It’s easy for us to try to rest on our laurels spiritually. To bring our achieving, doing mindset to our faith. It often sounds something like, “I am such a good Christian. I have given this much, and I always attend church, and God sure is lucky He picked me to follow His orders. I’m mature, so I don’t have anything left to learn.”

And it can cause us to miss Christ.

Cornelius is a great example of the humility necessary to embrace the Word of God. Even with all he had done, when an angel appeared and instructed Cornelius to send for Peter, he obeyed immediately. He gathered his family and friends to hear from Peter. Cornelius was eager to hear what God had to say to him through this man he’d never met.

And when Cornelius, his family, and his friends heard the Word of God—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—they repented and believed while Peter was still speaking, as evidenced by their receiving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44).

The story of Cornelius marks a major shift in the flow of Acts. Jesus promised in Acts 1:8 that the apostles would be witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Peter sharing the gospel with Cornelius and his family—Gentiles—means the message moved into that third phase of going to the ends of the earth.

Why? Because the good news is for everyone, no matter how good or bad we might think we are (spoiler alert: Romans 3:23 reminds us that none of us is actually good). When we see the grace and glory of Jesus, our only response is to repent and believe in His finished work, not ours.

That’s the kind of faith Cornelius responded with. He didn’t rest on his laurels. He gave them to Jesus. May we be a people who approach the Word of God that way. With an eagerness to hear, a desire to be transformed, and a willingness to obey.