Cornelius the Centurion

Cornelius (Greek: ) was a Roman centurion 2.

who is considered by Christians to be the rst Gentile to
convert to the faith, as related in Acts of the Apostles and,
perhaps the Gospel according to John. 2 Signicance

1 Biblical account

Cornelius was a centurion in the Cohors II Italica

Civium Romanorum, mentioned as Cohors Italica in the
Vulgate.[2] He was stationed in Caesarea, the capital of
Roman Iudaea province.[3] He is depicted in the New Tes-
tament as a God-fearing man who always prayed and was
full of good works and deeds of alms. Cornelius receives
a vision in which an angel of God tells him that his prayers
have been heard, he understands that hes chosen for a
higher alternative. The angel then instructs Cornelius to
send the men of his household to Joppa, where they will
nd Simon Peter, who is residing with a tanner by the
name of Simon.{Acts 10:5} In this painting by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout an angel appears
to the Roman centurion Cornelius. The angel tells him to seek out
The conversion of Cornelius comes after a separate vision
St. Peter.[6] The Walters Art Museum.
given to Simon Peter (acts 10:1016) himself. In the vi-
sion, Simon Peter sees all manner of beasts and fowl being Cornelius was the rst Gentile converted to
lowered from Heaven in a sheet. A voice commands Si- Christianity.[7] Florentine Bechtel summarizes the
mon Peter to eat. When he objects to eating those animals importance of Cornelius baptism:
that are unclean according to Mosaic Law, the voice tells
him not to call unclean that which God has cleansed.[4]
The baptism of Cornelius is an important
When Cornelius men arrive, Simon Peter understands event in the history of the Early Church. The
that through this vision the Lord commanded the Apos- gates of the Church, within which thus far
tle to preach the Word of God to the Gentiles. Peter only those who were circumcised and observed
accompanies Cornelius men back to Caesarea.[4] When the Law of Moses had been admitted, were
Cornelius meets Simon Peter, he falls at Peters feet. Si- now thrown open to the uncircumcised Gen-
mon Peter raises the centurion and the two men share tiles without the obligation of submitting to the
their visions. Simon Peter tells of Jesus ministry and the Jewish ceremonial laws.[3]
Resurrection; the Holy Spirit descends on everyone at the
gathering. The Jews among the group (presumably they
Certain traditions hold Cornelius as becoming either the
were all Jews if Cornelius was the rst gentile convert, see
rst bishop of Caesarea or the bishop of Scepsis in
Jewish Christians) are amazed that Cornelius and other
Mysia.[3][5]
uncircumcised should begin speaking in tongues, praising
God. Thereupon Simon Peter commands that Cornelius
and his followers be baptized.[5] The controversial aspect
of Gentile conversion is taken up later at the Council of 3 Commemoration
Jerusalem (acts 15), but has its roots in the concept of
"proselytes" in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of His feast day on the General Roman Calendar is 2 Febru-
the Hebrew Bible) and Jewish Noahide Law. ary. He is commemorated in the Orthodox tradition on
[4]
Peter later chose not to eat with Gentiles in Antioch after 13 September.
some Jews criticized him. The apostle Paul publicly con- Cornelius is honored with a commemoration in the
fronted Peter for being hypocritical as related in Galatians liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United

1
2 7 EXTERNAL LINKS

States of America on February 7.[8] When Governors Is-
land, New York, was a military installation the Episcopal
Church maintained a stone chapel there dedicated to him.
The Greek-French philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis is
named after him.[9]
[4] Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion, Orthodox Church
in America
[5] The Departure of St. Cornelius the Centurion, Coptic
Orthodox Church Network
[6] Vision of Cornelius the Centurion. The Walters Art
Museum.

4 Gallery [7] Kiefer, James E., Cornelius the Centurion, Biographical

sketches of memorable Christians of the past, Society of
Archbishop Justus
Images of St. Cornelius Chapel, Governors Island, New York
[8] Cornelius the Centurion, the Episcopal Church

[9] Franois Dosse. Castoriadis. Une vie. Paris: La Dcou-

verte, 2014, p. 13.

7 External links
Chapel exterior
Saint Cornelius the Centurion at the Christian
Iconography web site

The Story of the Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centu-

rion at Governors Island, New York Harbor, Writ-
ten for the Day of the Consecration, October 19,
A.D. 1906. by Morgan Dix

Three military saints in the

reredos (Cornelius on the right)

Stained glass window based on

Acts 10

5 See also
Biblical law in Christianity

6 Notes and references

[1] Jones, Terry. Cornelius the Centurion. Patron Saints
Index. Retrieved 2007-03-18.

[2] Bromiley, Georey W., International Standard Bible En-

cyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1979, p. 297

[3] Bechtel, Florentine. Cornelius. The Catholic Encyclo-

pedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company,
1908. 24 Apr. 2013
 3

8 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1 Text
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