Acts 10:1

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the company called the Italian,

Acts 10:1 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 10:1

There was a certain man in Caesarea
This was the Caesarea formerly called Strato's tower, not Caesarea Philippi; for the former, and not the latter, lay near Joppa:

called Cornelius;
which was a Roman name, and he himself was a Roman or an Italian:

a centurion of the band called the Italian band;
which consisted of soldiers collected out of Italy, from whence the band took its name, in which Cornelius was a centurion, having a hundred men under him, as the name of his office signifies.

Acts 10:1 In-Context

1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the company called the Italian,

2 a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always.

3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, Cornelius.

4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms {lit. thine acts of mercy} are come up for a memorial before God.

5 And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter;