Acts 10:1

Caesarea. That is, Caesarea Palestinae, situated on the Mediterranean coast, not Caesarea Philippi. It was the capital of the Roman province and the usual residence of the Roman procurator of Judea. It was doubtless a cosmopolitan city and a center of commerce.

Cornelius. Luke may have learned the details of this story during one of his stays at Caesarea. The conversion of Cornelius marks a new stage of expansion in the growth of the church. Cornelius was a Roman officer, but he was not completely a heathen. He was “devout” and “feared God,” and gave alms to the people. Even so, in Jewish eyes he was a Gentile, for he was uncircumcised. Consequently his admission into the church marks a new stage in the expansion of Christianity. It is understandable, then, that the apostles in Jerusalem gave special consideration to his case. The striking, supernatural features of Cornelius’ conversion must have been an important factor in leading the apostles to accept the fact that an uncircumcised Gentile might become a Christian. It took the church several years more, however, to realize fully that Gentiles should enjoy exactly the same status and privileges as circumcised Jews.

Centurion. A centurion commanded about 100 men. He ranked as a minor officer who had immediate command of the soldiery and was chiefly responsible to see that they executed their duties and to maintain discipline. Centurions did not often rise to higher positions in the Roman army. Cornelius was a Roman citizen.

Of the band. Greek ek speires, “from the cohort,” indicating that Cornelius was not commander of the cohort, but an officer in it. The cohort, the administrative unit of the Roman auxiliary forces, consisted of either 500 or 1,000 men.

Italian band. This was probably the Cohors II Italica, which is known to have been stationed in Syria during the Jewish-Roman War, and apparently was there earlier, at the time of the present narrative. This cohort is thought to have been made up of freedmen, or at least of men who were non-Roman in origin. It was an auxiliary cohort of archers.