Acts Chapter 10

“There was a certain man in Caesarea, etc.] 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.”

“ACCESSION AND BAPTISM OF CORNELIUS AND HIS PARTY; OR, THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THE GENTILES. (Acts 10:1-48) CÃ&brvbrsarea--(See on Act 8:40). the Italian band--a cohort of Italians, as distinguished from native soldiers, quartered at CÃ&brvbrsarea, probably as a bodyguard to the Roman procurator who resided there. An ancient coin makes express mention of such a cohort in Syria. [AKERMAN, Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament.]”

“In Cesarea - See the notes on Acts 8:40. Cornelius - This is a Latin name, and shows that the man was doubtless a Roman. It has been supposed by many interpreters that he was “a proselyte of the gate”; that is, one who had renounced idolatry, and who observed some of the Jewish rites, though not circumcised, and not called a Jew. But there is no sufficient evidence of this. The reception of the narrative of I Peter Acts 11:1-3 shows that the other apostles regarded him as a Gentile. In Acts 10:28, Peter evidently regards him as a foreigner - one who did not in any sense esteem himself to be a Jew. In Acts 11:1,…”

“And there was a certain man - The first fruits of the Gentiles, in Cesarea - Where Philip had been before, Act 8:40; so that the doctrine of salvation by faith in Jesus was not unknown there. Cesarea was the seat of the civil government, as Jerusalem was of the ecclesiastical. It is observable, that the Gospel made its way first through the metropolitan cities. So it first seized Jerusalem and Cesarea: afterward Philippi, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome itself. A centurion, or captain, of that called the Italian band - That is, troop or company. Acts 10:2”

“10:1-8 a Roman army officer: Literally a centurion, the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in the Roman army, in command of a century, a subdivision of roughly 100 men. Luke often describes centurions in favorable terms (10:22; 21:32; 22:25-26; 23:17, 23; 27:6, 11, 43; 28:16; Luke 7:1-10; 23:47). It was important for Luke to show that Christianity was not hostile to Roman officials or institutions and could, like Judaism, be permitted in the Roman Empire (see Acts Book Introduction, “Purposes of Acts: Politics”). • a captain of the Italian Regiment: A regiment included six centuries; a Roman legion was…”

“Cir, am 4045, ad 41 in: Act 8:40, Act 21:8, Act 23:23, Act 23:33, Act 25:1, Act 25:13 a centurion: Act 22:25, Act 27:1, Act 27:31, Act 27:43; Mat 8:5-13, Mat 27:54; Luk 7:2 Italian: The Italian band, or rather cohort, σπειρα \[Strong's G4686\], (a regiment sometimes consisting of from 555 to 1,105 infantry), is not unknown to the Roman writers (see Tacitus); and Gruter gives an inscription in which it is mentioned, which was found in the Forum Sempronii, on a fine marble table. Act 27:1 Acts 10:2”