Question
Was Cornelius (from the Acts) a half Jew or just possible married to a Jew woman, or none?
Response
It is evident to me from all that is said in both Acts 10 and the first half of Acts 11, along with the significance of why God dealt with Cornelius as He did, that Cornelius was a ‘pure Gentile’, so to speak; i.e., he himself was a Gentile, and any wife and family were also Gentiles. A few of the main things that testify to this are as follows:
1. What Acts 10:1 says about Cornelius is consistent with him being a ‘pure Gentile,’ as I call it. As it says, he was “a centurion of the band called the Italian band”. And even though it is impossible to prove that there were not exceptions to the rule, since this was his military status it was more or less the rule that he would be not only Roman in his citizenry, but also ‘pure Roman–Italian’ so to speak, in his lineage, birth, and marriage.
2. The vision that God gave to Peter in connection with having him go to Cornelius not only pertained to Cornelius, but also to those of his household. So this testifies to the fact that not only was Cornelius ‘pure Gentile’, but so were “all his house”. And of course, Peter’s vision signified the fact that God had now changed the status of the Gentiles in His sight and that they were no longer to be looked upon by Peter as “common or unclean”.
3. As Acts 10:24-29 relate, when Peter arrives at Cornelius’ house and begins talking to him and those of his household, together with “his kinsmen and near friends”, Peter acknowledges that they are all Gentiles and addresses them all as such.
4. Also as Acts 10:34-35ff relate, when Peter began to preach unto Cornelius, and all those with him, he not only addressed them all as Gentiles by nature, but he once again underscores that they are all partakers of this change of status that God has showed him that the Gentiles now possess in His sight.
5. Likewise Acts 10:44-45 testify that Cornelius and “all his house”, along with those of “his kinsmen and near friends” that were come together with him, were all Gentiles. Moreover, this is also understood to be the case by the members of the remnant of Israel in Judea, as Acts 11:1-3 and 11:18 relate.
These are a few of the main things that make it clearly evident to me that Cornelius, along with “all his house” were ‘pure Gentle’.
In addition to these things within Acts 10 and 11 itself, there is also the issue of the great significance that pertains to why God dealt with Cornelius and his house as He did, and its relationship to all of the unexpected and peculiar things that had been going on since the time at the end of Acts 7 when the final installment to God’s program with Israel was both scheduled and ready to get underway. And, of course, the great significance to what God did with Cornelius and his house has to do with the issue of God further informing Israel’s apostles and making it evident to them (along with the members of the remnant of Israel through them) that His program with Israel was no longer continuing on as it had been, and that He had brought in a great dispensational change. Simply put, by what God sets forth in Acts 8 and 9 He first makes it evident that His program with Israel is not proceeding on as per what was expected and as per what was prophesied. Then by what He sets forth in Acts 10 and the first half of chapter 11 God also makes it evident that He has brought in a great dispensational change, because He now teaches Peter (and the rest of the remnant of Israel through him) that He has changed the status of the Gentiles before Him and that He is now dealing with them in an unprophesied and unprecedented manner. And this indeed does constitute a great dispensational change.
Therefore because of the great significance that belongs to the issue of God dealing with Cornelius and “all his house” this too testifies to the fact that Cornelius and “all his house” (including a wife) were ‘pure Gentiles’ who being Gentiles by nature were all formerly “common or unclean” both to God and to Israel, before God changed the Gentiles status in His sight.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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