The Angelic Commission

Acts 10:4–8 (NKJV)

4 And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.” 7 And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually. 8 So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

To summarize what we studied thus far regarding Cornelius: we concluded that Cornelius was attracted to Judaism and the God of the Hebrews, but was not able to be accepted in the fellowship because he wasn’t circumcised according to the Mosaic Law. In spite of his Roman heritage and inability to keep the Hebrew law, he was observed as devout by the Christian church in his search for truth as Luke recorded (vs.37). He was not a Hellenist Jew who were often called “God fearers” that served Israel, but remained citizens of Gentile nations; but rather was one who feared God and who still served a Gentile nation; making a distinction between what is considered to be a true Jew and a Gentile. We also uncovered his desperation to know God, and that he was humbled to the point that he sought God daily in Word and prayer for the spiritual blessing of his whole household. Cornelius was a man seeking eternal life over the honor and blessings that the god of this world offered (2Cor.4:4). He was not willing to feed from the hands of Caesar or trust in his false graces; for he knew the corruption of his own nation. Cornelius was a man that lived according to his conscience and was a man seeking to inform his conscience with the truth.

Therefore he is seen as a righteous man by his own peers (vs.22), but as we discovered from our previous study and context that the Spirit in the church had not, as of yet, observed this man justified; until later on in the extended context when the Spirit is poured out on his house (vs.37). That is important to note here because those who observed this man’s life were not qualified to justify him. Therefore he is observed as a just man by his peers, but awaiting the witness of his justification by the Spirit. Often times there are members in the church of God who are not justified by the witness of the Spirit, but are seen by the members of the community of faith as just and righteous men. However in their heart of hearts they are lacking the witness of the Holy Spirit. They outwardly do righteous things, but they are unable to understand spiritual truth (1Cor.2:14). It is also possible to lack justification from men, but possess the witness of the Spirit (Mk.6:11). Our eternal justification doesn't depend on the witness of our peers, but on the Spirit of God who unites us to the faith, in Jesus Christ, and reconciles us to the Father.

We also came upon an angel of God calling to Cornelius by name. God always singles out men by name when calling them out for specific service to Him. During the time that Cornelius spent praying over the Old Scriptures for answers, an angel of God approached him. Since Cornelius did not fully commit himself to Judaism, which required circumcision for inclusion in the fellowship; he was therefore most likely searching to know the will of God concerning the Gentiles and how God observed them throughout the history of Israel. Cornelius was a wise man and didn’t just take a man’s word for it and wouldn’t be led by blind faith (Matt.23:24, Rom.2:17-20). Because he was a soldier, he was a discerning man, and knew that men cannot be trusted; but he maintained a sense of conscience about himself and was not lazy to do the hard work of gathering all insight regarding the issues of his day. Through reading the Old Scriptures he was meeting with the Author of Life face to face; but from a Gentile perspective. Cornelius knew that this particular Word could be trusted because it witnessed to his conscience, and he was only beginning to receive the witness of God; for the Old Scriptures are only half of God’s testimony (vs.37).

And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, “What is it, lord?” So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

Before I go about explaining the text, let me first give my rendering from the original, and spare you the boring work of why I translated it this way. “Therefore he gave him strict attention, and increasing in amazing terror and trembling asked, "Who are you – Lord?” First, it is clear that Cornelius is surprised by the event and doesn’t recognize who has just miraculously appeared in the midst of his presence. He responds with fear and astonishment at the realization that this object knows his name, but out of startlement and confusion he doesn’t recognize the object and proceeds to question who is calling for his attention. The Greek pronoun and verb Ti esti (Who be) is what gives us the illustration of Cornelius’s startlement. The question asked is, “Who goes there,” and continues with the exclamation of, “Lord?” That is to say he assumes the answer to his question, “Is that you, Lord?” Cornelius is not asking for orders from the object, “What is it,” (NKJV) but is in a state of confusion as to what is happening to him and who has entered into his presence.

Therefore the angel responds not by identifying himself as Lord, but directs all his attention to the throne room of God. We also know from the extended context that this object was clearly an angelic being and not a man of flesh and blood (vs.22, 30). Lord willing we will look at the comparison of the bright presence of this angel versus the Light that appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus later. We should discover the difference in power and brightness of the nature of the two objects, but for now let’s notice that Saul’s experience was much more terrifying and noticeable to other witnesses; and that the Light did identify Himself as the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that this angelic presence was not the Light of the Lord Himself but was clothed in Light (vs.30). Therefore he was an angel in the appearance of a man, but with the startling power of God, who was watching over the actions of Cornelius by the divine direction of the throne room of God, and the prayers of Philip and the saints in Caesarea.

Revelation 5:8 (NKJV)

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:2–4 (NKJV)

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand.

I’m not going to go down a rabbit trail and exegete these passages in Revelation, but I want to draw your attention to the fact that, in the eternal perspective and presence of God’s throne room, prayers are being offered to God as sacrifices by the saints, who have been justified by His grace. The context gives clear recognition that God hears and attends to the prayers of His saints. In fact, the context of Rev. 8 is of the coming trumpet judgments that will be poured out on the earth. These prayers are mentioned within this context to show that the intercessory prayers of the saints will be taken into account before judgment comes to the earth. It is also good to be reminded that these are not all intercessory, but may have some imprecatory effects also. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Revelation 6:10 (NKJV) It is my understanding that the prayers were only heard by God in an intercessory sense because of the alms. It was the alms that caused God to look upon Cornelius with salvific favor. Notice it says they came up as a memorial before God. The praying saints were indebted to the kindness and favor that Cornelius bestowed upon them in Caesarea (vs.30-31).

Cornelius was not buying his favor into the graces of the saints in Caesarea, nor was he committing the same sin that Herod committed, to appease the complaints of the lazy people of Tyre and Sidon for the sake of peace by giving the children’s bread to the dogs (Acts 12:20; Mk.7:27). No, Cornelius was sincere in his alms giving for the special needs of the poor who were out of work or could not work. He reserved his alms giving for the people that he served in the city and the people that were required to endure the taxation of the Caesar of Rome. Cornelius was a rich man and had many slaves and soldiers who worked for him and still had an overflow to bless others. With Philip evangelizing the city, the slaves of Cornelius’s household may have had contact with the preaching of Philip and were among the saints of Caesarea. The extended context shows that Cornelius was exposed to the knowledge of Christ (vs.37). Lord willing it will be clearer to us later, but it may be referring to his time in the study of the Scriptures (vs.43) or through the word that came to him through the saints, and possibly Philip (vs.39). Most likely Cornelius was stationed in Caesarea for some time and would have been laboring to understand the people of his post and how to interact with them.

. . . So he said to him, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God.

The original language does seem to indicate that it was the prayers of Cornelius and not the prayers of the saints that “came up for a memorial” before God; but I find it impossible for them to have risen to God without the proper mediation. If the prayers and alms were a memorial on behalf of the circumcision or the unconverted Hellenist Jews who lived in Caesarea, it is doubtful that God would have ‘remembered’ them as just and righteous (vs.31). Therefore the Spirit, working through a body of believers, who would have been interceding, would be necessary for the works of Cornelius to be heard by God.

Matthew 10:32–11:1 (NKJV)

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” 1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities.

The reconciliation of peace cannot come through Judaism, but through Jesus Christ alone. Peace cannot come through father, mother (Mary in particular), or through any human mediation; but only through the keys of the kingdom of God operating through the local church, which has been established by Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus said, “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” What Christ is laboring to say here, is that those who receive the Word of God from a prophet will receive the prophet’s reward, and those who accept a righteous man in the name of Righteousness (Christ Himself) will receive the righteousness of God, and those who contribute to the discipleship of the little children, merely in the name of another disciple, will not lose the reward of the righteous – the righteousness of God. Therefore I believe it to be, that the evangelistic efforts of Philip had reached Cornelius in some way, to keep him from praying and giving alms in the name of the disciples of Judaism, and was being steered toward the Christian faith; for he was seeking to know the truth from the Old Scriptures for himself, and all his alms giving was “remembered” on behalf of the saints in Caesarea.

Again, this soldier was a man who did not turn off the alarms in his conscience, but listened carefully with reason to the Spirit of God working in his heart and opening him up to understand the truth. You have a prophet in Philip, a righteous man in Peter, and now a new disciple of the Way in Cornelius, who are exercising the keys of the kingdom in the name and righteousness of Jesus Christ; and together with their gifts they make up a portion of the body of Christ that will soon receive the singular gift of the Holy Spirit to implant a permanent church in Caesarea. This is another reason why the church should keep a list of the names of their committed membership for the purpose of church discipline. Even if a member is only contributing a cup of cold water, as a disciple without the assurance of justification, they are considered to be active members of the church and should not lose their reward of the other righteous members of the body when the Spirit acts on their behalf; for when the whole body operates as one, the whole body receives the same reward. And Glory be to God in the highest! The rewards of the righteous and just spill over to the other disciples as a blessing towards their salvation. The prayer of Cornelius was of the caliber of a new disciple praying, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief; and do not pass me by.”

Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter.

It’s beginning to become clear why the Lord is working for the salvation of Cornelius. He has the gift of administration with the ability to send laborers for harvesting. Peter is a great catch for Cornelius because of his apostolic gift of authority to pass on the keys of the kingdom and make official the calling of this church in Caesarea. Here Cornelius will be used to protect the church and to send them away on their missionary travels. Caesarea is a strategic sea port that will be of great importance in the missionary travels of Paul and Barnabas, and most likely the traveling messengers who brought word, and the epistles of the missionaries of the Greek and Roman provinces to Israel.

He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.

The angel knows specifically where to send the men having the heavenly vantage point of Eternity in throne room of God. The angel gives specific detail of the house which is by the sea in Joppa. He gives him the trade of the man, so that he can identify the specific house by the sea which would have ‘tanning’ equipment. He also gives the name of the master of the house, who is called Simon. The angel also provided both names of the apostle to avoid confusion for the men who Cornelius sends to summon Peter. The angel then leaves the rest of the commissioning authority at the liberty of the apostle Peter, who is well equipped at this point, through the series of revelations regarding the Gentiles, to lead Cornelius into fellowship with the Spirit of God and provide practical applications about the Gospel.

And when the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from among those who waited on him continually.

After the angel concluded the instructions and went out from him, Cornelius immediately called two male house slaves, and one godly soldier; for the protection of the message and their journey to Joppa and back. The latter half of the verse could be translated, “Cornelius called two of his male house slaves, and one godly soldier; those who were persistently loyal to him.” The English translations give the impression that all of Cornelius’s slaves and soldiers were loyal to him, but I don’t believe the original grants that liberty. The Greek verb proskartereo (waited) doesn’t mean involuntary service, but a measure of sincere devotion and persistent loyalty regarding the honor (not the pride) of Cornelius. In other words they were devoted to him personally and were closely associated with him in his motivations and pursuits. These men trusted him with their lives and were treated more like family than like slaves. It is possible that this soldier was a personal body guard of Cornelius, who also lived in his house, and who also was being discipled by him to fear the Lord. It is also good to notice that the two men were house slaves.

The Greek noun oiketon (house slave) reveals that the nature and character of the slaves was of the position of management within the house of Cornelius. If Cornelius was consistently busy with the affairs and politics of the city and his nation, the aid of house slaves was absolutely necessary to manage his household affairs. These would have been loyal and faithful men who looked after personal things when Cornelius was away and were also used to dispatch instructions back and forth between the conquered cities of the Roman Empire. It is even possible that the men were former soldiers of the Italian Regiment who desired to remain with Cornelius as loyal friends. We do not know for sure that Cornelius was married or if he had children, but we know that he did possess slaves. It is important to note that these are adult slaves. Previously, in verse 5, the angel used the Greek noun andras (men) which describes the type of slaves that Cornelius sent. These were male slaves as opposed to women slaves, and particularly adult slaves as opposed to children. In other words these were full grown men and describes the type of slaves who were among his household. This will be important later when we consider the baptism of this house. Because soldiers were often pulled away as young men from their families before having a chance to marry, the soldiers often had nothing to go back to after their service was complete. Therefore these men knew nothing but service to the army and chose to sell themselves as personal slaves to the Roman officers to continue in some form of service to the army and feel useful to society.

So when he had explained all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Cornelius has been given a grace of life that most cannot attain, even with all of the common graces bestowed upon them. The providences of God throughout all of the life of Cornelius had to be working in his favor to bring him to this stage of life. He is granted the ability to expound on the message that was mediated to him, and has within his own power to send forth others to relay the message to another. The message is a summons (by God) not by Cornelius, to come and give an account of the stewardship of the manifold graces in Christ Jesus that Peter was entrusted with (1Pet.4:10). God’s common grace had already prepared Cornelius for ministry; however he needs to be more acquainted with the facts and history of the Covenant with the Jews, and with the facts regarding its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and even now the gift of the New Covenant in the coming of the Holy Spirit and the administration of grace. In conclusion, Cornelius has been granted the power to send and protect missionaries, and as in this case, in particular, the apostle Peter. Our application here is to get into the game, so to speak, and be about the business of sending out qualified men who will proclaim the manifold wisdom of God, not primarily to join the military and proclaim democracy at the end of a barrel.

Ephesians 3:8–13 (NKJV)

8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.