Wednesday, May 6, 2015
1 Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a
centurion of the Cohort called the Italica, 2 devout and
God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish people and pray to God constantly.
Cornelius’
Cohort was an auxiliary unit of archers, men who are expert at hitting a mark
or target.
Sin is the act of
violating God's will. Sin can also be viewed as
anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God; or
as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined
as "to miss the mark" to have a hardened
heart, a loss of love for God, a disposition of the heart to depart from God
because of inordinate self-love
Cornelius
walked with God because he lived the Shema Israel. Every day, every action
of his was metaphorically target practice aiming to love God as he understood
Him with his whole heart, mind, soul and strength. Cornelius exemplifies the
proper attitude toward wealth and was completely occupied with good deeds and alms-giving.
Cornelius
was a non-Jew who would have been regarded as a righteous gentile and is assured
a place in the world to come if he knowingly or even unknowingly followed the seven
Noahide laws[1]
as traditionally enumerated which are:
1. Do
not deny God.
2. Do
not blaspheme God.
3. Do
not murder.
4. Do
not engage in incestuous, adulterous or homosexual relationships.
5. Do
not steal.
6. Do
not eat of a live animal.
7.
Establish courts/legal
system to ensure law and obedience.
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