Contemplative Bible Reading

Some thoughts about Bible verses

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Giving and Prayer – from an Outsider

December 25th, 2010 · No Comments

Acts 10:1-2 (New International Version 2010)

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.

Here we have an officer in the Roman Army named Cornelius. “Cornelius” is not a Jewish name, so I believe he was not a Jew, i.e., not one of the chosen people of God. Cornelius was an outsider, but note two things that he did:

  • gave to those in need
  • prayed to God

These are two fundamental actions of a Christian: love God and love my neighbor. And these things are being done by an outsider, by a person who is neither a Jew nor a follower of Jesus (yet).

I could speculate about Cornelius in several different ways. For now though, I’ll try to contain myself to one direction. Cornelius is yet another example in the Bible of a person who is not on the “inside” in that he has not been taught what the prophets relayed from God to the Jews in the Old Testament. He has also not (yet) been taught about Jesus of Nazareth and how that Jesus was the Christ, the one anointed to redeem mankind. Nevertheless, Cornelius “gets it.”

Cornelius understands fundamentally how God wants me to live in this world.

The ways of God are a mystery to many. At the same time, they are plain to some persons who notice God.

Tags: Acts · New Testament

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