Acts 10:1-48.
Cornelius (Gr. Kornelios, “one-horned”; transliteration of lat. Cornelius, “having horns”, a very common Roman name). Centurion of the Italian company in Caesarea (Act 10:1). His devotion and piety were honored by God with a vision directing him to contact Peter, and with the gift of the Holy Ghost as a sign of divine acceptance of the Gentiles. Peter baptized him with his family as apparently the first uncircumcised Gentile officially received into the Christian church (ch 10). Cornerina. See Sardius. Cornet. See Horn.
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
Roman centurion of the Italica cohort in Caesarea, in whose house the apostle Peter stayed. C., those of his house and other inhabitants of the city of Caesarea were the first Gentiles to convert to Christianity and to be baptized, Acts 10, 1-48.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
(gr., kornelios, of a horn). A pious and God-fearing centurion of the company called the Italian (Acts 10:1-2). While stationed at Caesarea, in obedience to instructions received in a vision, he sent for Peter to learn how he and his family could be saved (Acts 11:14). Any doubt that Peter was acting improperly in sharing the message with this first Gentile convert is dispelled by a double consideration of Peter’s preparatory vision (Acts 10:9-16) and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the house of Cornelius ( Acts 10:44-47). On this basis, Peter defended his conduct in the face of his critics in Jerusalem (Acts 11: 1-18).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(of a horn). Roman centurion at Caesarea. The first Gentile to convert to Christianity, and was baptized by Peter after he had the “Pentecost of the Gentiles”, from Acts 10:44-48.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
Roman soldier, “centurion of the company called the Italian, pious and God-fearing with his whole household”. He lived in †¢ Caesarea, which was then the administrative center of the Roman government. Through a vision of God, he sent for Peter, who was in Joppa and who had also been warned by the Lord for his call. The apostle went to Caesarea. C. wanted to worship him, but Peter stopped him. After hearing the centurion’s story, Peter preached the gospel and C. and his household converted and were baptized. Most scholars think that C. was not a complete Jewish proselyte, but a sympathizer, but that he believed in God and prayed, and also did many good deeds.
Luke tells the account of his conversion shortly after narrating that of Paul. It is evident that both have enormous importance for the development of evangelical preaching throughout the world. With C. the door is opened to the gentiles in the church of God. Many affirm that on this occasion Peter, through his sermon (Acts 10: 34-44), used the † ¢ keys (Mat 16:19) of the kingdom of heaven to open that door. He had already done it for the Jews with his message on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 14-41). The outpouring of the Holy Spirit surprised “the faithful ones of the circumcision who had come with Peter.” Before that seal of God, “no man could forbid the water” for these Gentiles to be baptized. “When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision quarreled with him over the case of C. But when the apostle recounted what had happened, “they kept silent and glorified God” because “God also has given repentance to the Gentiles for life† (Acts 10 and 11). It is generally thought that the name “la Italiana” used for the company commanded by C. (Acts 10:1), was because the soldiers had been recruited in Italy, but there are some who think that the reference is to “Italica” , that is, the Roman colony of Seville, Spain. If this last thesis is true, it is possible that C. was Spanish.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, BIOG HOMB HONT
vet, a devout centurion from Caesarea (Acts 10). He was “fearing God”, that is, he was a proselyte of Judaism, zealous and charitable. However, he was not saved by his good works (Acts 11:14). God spoke to him through a vision, and called Peter, believing in the Lord through his preaching; he received the Holy Spirit, along with the friends who were with him, and was baptized. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Cornelius is of immense importance for the early church, as it marked the entry of the Gentiles into its midst (the Samaritans of Acts 8 were half-Jewish). Henceforth the Spirit was given to all those who, whatever their origin, would hear with faith the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. But he specifies in this respect that Cornelius and his friends, at the moment of his conversion, were baptized with the Holy Spirit like the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 11: 15-17); that is, that, according to 1 Cor. 12:13, they were thereby joined to the body of Christ, erasing all previous distinctions of race, religion and social status.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Name of the Roman Centurion of Caesarea, fearful of God and the first Roman authority whose conversion to Christianity is narrated (Acts 10. 2-44). He is the figure that marks the passage of the Roman world to the Christian faith, as the minister of Queen Candaces of Ethiopia (Acts 8. 26-40) signified the passage of the Gentiles of the East to the same path of salvation.
In the third century there was a Pope with this name between 251 and 253.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
Centurion or army officer who was in command of one hundred soldiers in the Italian band. (See ARMY OFFICER.) This garrison was stationed at Caesarea, where Cornelius had his house. His Roman name may indicate that he came from a noble family in the imperial city. He was a “devout man” who “made many gifts of mercy to the people and continually prayed to God, a righteous man and to God, and about whom all the nation of the Jews reported well.” It was to this man that an angel appeared in a vision in the fall of 36 CE and said: “Your prayers and gifts of mercy have ascended as a remembrance before God.” Then the angel told him to call Peter, who was in Joppa. (Acts 10:1-22.)
When Peter arrived, Cornelius told the apostle in the presence of “his relatives and his intimate friends”: “We are all present before God to hear all the things that Jehovah has commanded you to say.” (Ac 10:24, 33) “While Peter was still speaking, the holy spirit fell on all those hearing the word.”† So it was that those who were part of this group, of which Cornelius figures as the most notable character, they became the first uncircumcised Gentiles to receive “the free gift of the holy spirit.” (Ac 10:44, 45) Immediately afterwards they were baptized in water. Nothing more is known about the life and activity of Cornelio after this event.
Why was the conversion of Cornelius a particularly notable event?
Cornelius was not a proselyte to Judaism, as some have claimed, although he was familiar with the writings of the prophets, gave gifts of mercy to the Jews, feared God, prayed constantly, and used the name Jehovah. The Scriptures give conclusive proof that this army officer was an uncircumcised Gentile in the fullest sense of the word. Had Cornelius been a proselyte, Peter would not have said that it was unlawful for him, a Jew, to associate with this “man of another race,” in view of what was written in the Law concerning the alien resident. (Le 19:33, 34; Ac 10:28) Had they been a proselyte, the six other Jews with Peter would not have been “amazed” to see the holy spirit being poured out “upon people of the nations” . (Ac 10:45; 11:12) Furthermore, what reason would the “supporters of circumcision” have had for discussing this matter with Peter if Cornelius had been a proselyte? (Ac 11:2.)
Actually, Cornelius was the first of the uncircumcised Gentiles who became Christians. This went to show that by this time it was no longer necessary for Gentiles to become Jewish proselytes, like the Ethiopian eunuch, before being accepted into the Christian congregation. “For a certainty,” Peter exclaimed on that historic occasion, “I perceive that God is not partial, but that, in every nation, he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”—Ac 10:34, 35. Peter was the first in opening the Way to the Jews at Pentecost; Likewise, on this occasion he was the first to bring the good news of salvation to the uncircumcised Gentiles. James later recognized that it had been the † œfirst time† that God had directed his attention to † œthe nations †. (Ac 15:7, 14)
Source: Dictionary of the Bible
In Acts. 10.1ff a Roman centurion from Caesarea in Palestine, one of the class of Gentiles known as “God-fearers” for having joined Jewish religious practices, such as alms-giving and prayers, for which Cornelius receives special mention. Cornelius was a name common in the Roman world from the time that Publius Cornelius Sulla emancipated 10,000 slaves in 82 BC and enrolled them in his own Gens Cornelia. The Cornelius of Acts is particularly notable as the first Gentile convert to Christianity. When he, his household, and his friends heard Peter’s preaching, they believed and received the Holy Spirit, after which they were baptized by Peter’s order. The importance of this event in Luke’s view is enhanced by its repetition (cf. Acts 11:1–18; 15:7, 14). The “company called the Italian”, to which Cornelius belonged, was an auxiliary company made up of Roman citizens, whose presence in Syria in the ss. I AD is proven by the inscriptions.
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Douglas, J. (2000). New Biblical Dictionary: First Edition. Miami: United Bible Societies.
Source: New Bible Dictionary
(Kornelians)
Centurion of the Italic cohort, whose conversion and that of all his household at Caesarea is recorded in Acts 10. The Roman name Cornelius indicates that he either belonged to the distinguished gens Cornelia or was a descendant of one of their freedmen, the latter seems the most likely. The cohort of which he was a centurion was probably Cohors II Italica civium Romanorum, which a newly discovered inscription proves was stationed in Syria before AD 69.
The description of Cornelius as a “religious and God-fearing man (…) who gave many alms to the people” tells us that…