Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 10:30

"And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel," — Acts 10:30 (ASV)

Cornelius told all about his vision, described how he sent for Peter, and invited him to relate “everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Few preachers have ever had a more receptive audience than Peter had on this occasion.

Peter’s sermon in Cornelius’s house is a precis of the apostolic kerygma. It is similar structurally and in content to his earlier sermons in 2:14–40 and 3:11–26, though it contains more information about Jesus’ precrucifixion ministry than those two sermons (cf. also 4:8–12; 5:29–32). Peter told more about Jesus’ earthly ministry because a Gentile audience, even though knowing something about Jesus of Nazareth from living in Palestine, would require more details of Jesus’ life and work than a Palestinian Jewish audience would.