Centurion Cornelius
Encyclopedia
Cornelius was a Roman
centurion
who is considered by Christians to be the first Gentile
to convert to the faith
, as related in Acts of the Apostles
.
, Cornelius is depicted in the New Testament 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. The angel then instructs Cornelius to send the men of his household to Joppa, where they will find Simon Peter
, who is residing with a tanner by the name of Simon.
The conversion of Cornelius only comes after yet another vision
given to Simon Peter himself. In the vision, Simon Peter sees all manner of four-footed beasts and birds of the air being lowered from Heaven
in a sheet. A voice commands Simon Peter to eat. When he objects to eating those animals that are unclean to Mosaic Law
, the voice tells him not to call unclean that which God has cleansed or purified.
When Cornelius' men arrive, Simon Peter understands that the vision permits the conversion of the Gentiles. When Cornelius himself meets Simon Peter, Cornelius falls at his feet in adoration. Picking Cornelius up, Simon Peter welcomes him. After the two men share their visions, and Simon Peter tells of Jesus' ministry
and the Resurrection
, the Holy Spirit
falls on everyone at the gathering. The Jews among the group (presumably they were all Jews if Cornelius was the first gentile convert, see Jewish Christians
) are amazed that Cornelius and other uncircumcised
should begin speaking in tongues
, praising God. Thereupon Simon Peter orders that Cornelius and his followers be baptized
.
The controversial aspect of Gentile conversion is taken up later at the Council of Jerusalem
, but has its roots in the concept of "proselytes" in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible
) and Jewish Noahide Law. See Biblical law in Christianity
for details.
, mentioned as Cohors Italica in the Vulgate
.
The Catholic Encyclopedia
summarizes the importance of Cornelius' baptism as follows:
. His feast day on the Roman calendar
is 2 February.
Cornelius is honored with a feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
on February 7. When Governor's Island, New York
, was a military installation the Episcopal Church maintained a stone chapel there dedicated to him.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
centurion
Centurion
A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy...
who is considered by Christians to be the first Gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
to convert to the faith
Conversion to Christianity
Conversion to Christianity is the religious conversion of a previously non-Christian person to some form of Christianity. It has been called the foundational experience of Christian life...
, as related in Acts of the Apostles
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age...
.
Biblical account
Stationed in Caesarea, the capital of Roman Iudaea provinceIudaea Province
Judaea or Iudaea are terms used by historians to refer to the Roman province that extended over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel...
, Cornelius is depicted in the New Testament as a God-fearing man who always prayed and was full of good works and deeds of alms
Alms
Alms or almsgiving is a religious rite which, in general, involves giving materially to another as an act of religious virtue.It exists in a number of religions. In Philippine Regions, alms are given as charity to benefit the poor. In Buddhism, alms are given by lay people to monks and nuns to...
. Cornelius receives a vision in which an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
of God tells him that his prayers have been heard. The angel then instructs Cornelius to send the men of his household to Joppa, where they will find Simon Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
, who is residing with a tanner by the name of Simon.
The conversion of Cornelius only comes after yet another vision
Peter's vision of a sheet with animals
According to the story in Acts 10, Saint Peter had a vision of a sheet full of animals being lowered from heaven. A voice from heaven told Peter to kill and eat, but since the sheet contained unclean animals, Peter declined...
given to Simon Peter himself. In the vision, Simon Peter sees all manner of four-footed beasts and birds of the air being lowered from Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
in a sheet. A voice commands Simon Peter to eat. When he objects to eating those animals that are unclean to Mosaic Law
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
, the voice tells him not to call unclean that which God has cleansed or purified.
When Cornelius' men arrive, Simon Peter understands that the vision permits the conversion of the Gentiles. When Cornelius himself meets Simon Peter, Cornelius falls at his feet in adoration. Picking Cornelius up, Simon Peter welcomes him. After the two men share their visions, and Simon Peter tells of Jesus' ministry
Ministry of Jesus
In the Christian gospels, the Ministry of Jesus begins with his Baptism in the countryside of Judea, near the River Jordan and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry...
and the Resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
, the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
falls on everyone at the gathering. The Jews among the group (presumably they were all Jews if Cornelius was the first gentile convert, see Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians
Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....
) are amazed that Cornelius and other uncircumcised
Circumcision controversy in early Christianity
There is evidence of a controversy over religious male circumcision in Early Christianity. A Council of Jerusalem, possibly held in approximately 50 AD, decreed that male circumcision was not a requirement for Gentile converts. This became known as the "Apostolic Decree" and may be one of the...
should begin speaking in tongues
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
, praising God. Thereupon Simon Peter orders that Cornelius and his followers be baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
.
The controversial aspect of Gentile conversion is taken up later at the Council of Jerusalem
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem is a name applied by historians and theologians to an Early Christian council that was held in Jerusalem and dated to around the year 50. It is considered by Catholics and Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of the later Ecumenical Councils...
, but has its roots in the concept of "proselytes" in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
) and Jewish Noahide Law. See Biblical law in Christianity
Biblical law in Christianity
Christian views of the Old Covenant have been central to Christian theology and practice since the circumcision controversy in Early Christianity. There are differing views about the applicability of the Old Covenant among Christian denominations...
for details.
Significance
It is believed that Cornelius was a centurion in the Cohors II Italica Civium RomanorumCohors II Italica Civium Romanorum
Cohors II Italica Civium Romanorum was a Roman cohort from Italia formed from Roman citizens. It is mentioned as Cohors Italica in Acts 10:1 and is associated with Cornelius the Centurion....
, mentioned as Cohors Italica in the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
.
The Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
summarizes the importance of Cornelius' baptism as follows:
Role in tradition
Certain traditions hold Cornelius as becoming either the first bishop of Caesarea or the bishop of Scepsis in MysiaMysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...
. His feast day on the Roman calendar
Roman Catholic calendar of saints
The General Roman Calendar indicates the days of the year to which are assigned the liturgical celebrations of saints and of the mysteries of the Lord that are to be observed wherever the Roman Rite is used...
is 2 February.
Cornelius is honored with a feast day in the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
Calendar of saints (Episcopal Church in the United States of America)
The veneration of saints in the Episcopal Church is a continuation of an ancient tradition from the early Church which honors important people of the Christian faith. The usage of the term "saint" is similar to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Those in the Anglo-Catholic tradition may...
on February 7. When Governor's Island, New York
Governors Island
Governors Island is a island in Upper New York Bay, approximately one-half mile from the southern tip of Manhattan Island and separated from Brooklyn by Buttermilk Channel. It is legally part of the borough of Manhattan in New York City...
, was a military installation the Episcopal Church maintained a stone chapel there dedicated to him.
Cultural references
- Cornelius is a main character in several works of literature, including Sholem AschSholem AschSholem Asch, born Szalom Asz , also written Shalom Asch was a Polish-born American Jewish novelist, dramatist, and essayist in the Yiddish language.-Life and work:...
's novel The Nazarene (1939). - Cornelius is also the title and subject of a song by the Christian Rock/Pop band NewsboysNewsboysNewsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
.
External links
- St. Cornelius page at Christian Iconography