Cornelius (Part 2)

It was common for Roman troops to oppress and disrespect the people they conquered and ruled. But what about Cornelius? He was an officer in the army of a pagan empire. He was not an arrogant man. He was a kind man. Obviously, he did not consider himself superior to the Jewish people. On the contrary, he showed them courtesy and respect. Basically, what he did, was adopt the God of the people Rome had conquered. How must have this gone over with his fellow Romans who believed in pleasing multiple deities? To honor the Roman gods was paramount in Roman military culture. The Roman Army's religious rituals were many. They were important to them. They believed victory depended upon their devotion to the deities. Cornelius, on the other hand, rejected paganism. It is obvious he did not worship Roman deities. Since Cornelius was a Gentile, he had no "official" place of worship. He was a "devout" man, the Bible says. The word "devout" is of Greek origin. It means reverence demonstrated in active deeds. The emphasis is on "deeds." In the book of Acts 10:2, the Amplified version of the Bible states: "A devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household, and he gave much alms to the people, and prayed continually to God." Cornelius was a devout Gentile. The following quote is found in Acts 10:1,2 from the "Good News For Modern Man" version of the New Testament. "There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army regiment called 'The Italian Regiment.' He was a religious man; and his whole family worshiped God. He did much to help the Jewish poor people, and was constantly praying to God." What a volunteer he was!