19 And, while Peter was turning the vision over in his mind, the Spirit said to him, See, three men are looking for you. 20 Go down, then, and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them. 21 And Peter went down to the men, and said, I am the man you are looking for: why have you come? 22 And they said, Cornelius, a captain, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by all the nation of the Jews, had word from God by an angel to send for you to his house, and to give hearing to your words. 23 So he took them in for the night. And the day after, he went with them, taking some of the brothers from Joppa with him. 24 And the day after that, they came to Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having got together his relations and his near friends. 25 And when Peter came in, Cornelius came to him and, falling down at his feet, gave him worship. 26 But Peter, lifting him up, said, Get up, for I am a man as you are. 27 And saying these words, he went in, and saw that a great number of people had come together; 28 And he said to them, You yourselves have knowledge that it is against the law for a man who is a Jew to be in the company of one who is of another nation; but God has made it clear to me that no man may be named common or unclean: 29 And so I came without question, when I was sent for. What then is your purpose in sending for me? 30 And Cornelius said, Four days from now I was in my house in prayer at the ninth hour; and I saw before me a man in shining clothing, 31 Who said, Cornelius, your prayer has come to the ears of God, and your offerings are kept in his memory. 32 Send, then, to Joppa, and get Simon, named Peter, to come to you; he is living in the house of Simon, a leather-worker, by the sea. 33 So, straight away, I sent for you; and you have done well to come. And now, we are all present before God, ready to give attention to all the things which the Lord has given you to say.
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.