19 And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Lo, three men do seek thee; 20 but having risen, go down and go on with them, nothing doubting, because I have sent them;' 21 and Peter having come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, 'Lo, I am he whom ye seek, what 'is' the cause for which ye are present?' 22 And they said, 'Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for thee, to his house, and to hear sayings from thee.' 23 Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him, 24 and on the morrow they did enter into Cesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kindred and near friends, 25 and as it came that Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at 'his' feet, did bow before 'him'; 26 and Peter raised him, saying, 'Stand up; I also myself am a man;' 27 and talking with him he went in, and doth find many having come together. 28 And he said unto them, 'Ye know how it is unlawful for a man, a Jew, to keep company with, or to come unto, one of another race, but to me God did shew to call no man common or unclean; 29 therefore also without gainsaying I came, having been sent for; I ask, therefore, for what matter ye did send for me?' 30 And Cornelius said, 'Four days ago till this hour, I was fasting, and 'at' the ninth hour praying in my house, and, lo, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 and he said, Cornelius, thy prayer was heard, and thy kind acts were remembered before God; 32 send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one doth lodge in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, shall speak to thee; 33 at once, therefore, I sent to thee; thou also didst do well, having come; now, therefore, are we all before God present to hear all things that have been commanded thee by God.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 10:19-33
Commentary on Acts 10:19-33
(Read Acts 10:19-33)
When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexed with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas. Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat our spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken as kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to join us in religious exercises. Cornelius declared the direction God gave him to send for Peter. We are right in our aims in attending a gospel ministry, when we do it with regard to the Divine appointment requiring us to make use of that ordinance. How seldom ministers are called to speak to such companies, however small, in which it may be said that they are all present in the sight of God, to hear all things that are commanded of God! But these were ready to hear what Peter was commanded of God to say.