Roman centurions were not known to be soft.  They had 100 soldiers underneath them and were expected to maintain a high level of discipline.  They were often combat veterans and were known to the dirty work of the Emperor’s wishes.

Yet here is a strange story about a century.  He was a centurion in the Italian Regiment and while he was supposed to be scary, he was well-loved.  Especially among the poor.  He was literally a God-fearing man that caught the attention of the Almighty.

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.  He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.  One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.

Man looks at the external–a scary, perhaps sometimes violent, soldier and leader.  But God looks at the heart and sees what he does in secret.  For Cornelius, this meant praying and using his position of influence to help the poor.

Then Cornelius was given specific instructions.

Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.  He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.  He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Notice that the centurion was not afraid to share his experience with his attendant soldiers.  He was public about his vision and his experience with an angel.  More than that it seems he obeyed immediately.

While this was happening God was writing a story in Peter’s heart.  Peter was a Jew.  Jews did not eat or even enter the house of a Gentile.  Especially not a Roman centurion.  It was against the Jewish law to do so (v. 28).

So God gave Peter a vision of unclean animals.  Peter was told to kill and eat but Peter was horrified.  He had no plan to go against the Law and eat unclean animals.  The vision happened three times.

The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.  They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.  So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

So Peter went with them.  He entered the house he was forbidden to enter.  And he preached to them the Word of God, that Jesus was the Messiah.  As he was preaching to them the Holy Spirit fell on them.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.  For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

The circumcised believers with Peter were astonished.  It truly was shocking.  Because God as confirming that even the Gentiles were recipients of salvation.  This was mind-blowing for the Jewish people.

But here were Gentiles.  Speaking in tongues in the same way that happened at Pentecost.

Then Peter said,  “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”  So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

The response to the gospel?  It wasn’t filling out a card or saying the sinner’s prayer (although that’s not a bad thing).  But it was baptism.  Baptism in water was how they united themselves with Christ.

This was an earth-shattering revelation to the church.  So much so that the church in Antioch had to send someone to check up on what was happening as news was making the rounds.

But the gospel is this:  It is for all people.  There is neither Jews nor Gentiles in salvation.  God’s salvation is for everyone.

And of all people God used to bring the message of salvation and open the door, it was a Roman centurion.  A person who was generally hated and yet God saw there was more than just a fancy uniform and a strong demeanor.  He saw a man who cared and who sought after Him.

Wonder who else God sees?