Introduction

Let’s review the context. (a) Peter traveled through the towns of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, building up the church. (b) In Lydda, Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, was healed. (c) In Joppa, Tabitha (Dorcas) was raised from the dead. (d) Peter stayed at the house of Simon the tanner in Joppa. From here, the story transitions to two visions.

Caesarea

(1) Caesarea is a port city located about 31 miles (50 km) north of Joppa and served as the Roman Empire’s capital for governing Judea. (2) Originally known as Strato’s Tower, it was transformed by Herod the Great into a large Greco-Roman city (25-13 BC). As a result, Caesarea became a port city with access to anywhere in the empire. Additionally, Herod constructed an aqueduct over 12 miles (20 km) long (delivering water from the Carmel mountains). (3) From AD 41 to 44, Herod Agrippa I stationed his army in this city, but Cornelius had his vision before that period. (4) Although it was a Gentile city, many Jews also lived there. In AD 66, an incident occurred where 20,000 Jews were killed in a single day, which led to the outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War and eventually the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Cornelius, a centurion

(1) A soldier’s service typically lasted a span of 20 years, from age 17 to 37. Although the pay was good, only about half survived the full 20 years. (2) To become a centurion, at least 15 years of experience was required. It is said that their salary was 15 times that of a regular soldier. The qualities required of a centurion included being non-aggressive, having the ability to make calm judgments, and being resolute in battle if attacked. (3) A centurion was the commander of 100 soldiers (sometimes 80). An infantry cohort was composed of 600 men (with six centurions), and there were five cohorts stationed in Caesarea (3,000 soldiers and 30 centurions). In Jerusalem, one cohort was stationed (600 soldiers and six centurions) (ref. John 18:3). A legion was a military unit consisting of ten cohorts (6,000 soldiers and 60 centurions). (4) Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian cohort. All 600 soldiers in this cohort were from Italy. The time for the salvation of the Gentiles was approaching. The salvation of Cornelius is directly connected to the salvation of us Gentile Christians. The stories in the Bible are history itself. Let us remember this and be encouraged by this.