Person New Testament
Cornelius
Cornelius was a centurion of the Italian Regiment stationed at Caesarea, a devout and generous man who feared God. An angel told him to send for Peter, and while Peter preached in his house the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and everyone with him, and they were baptized.
Why it matters. Cornelius and his household are the first Gentiles recorded as receiving the Spirit and baptism, the turning point that opened the church to the nations.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
Connections
Cornelius participates in Cornelius and the first Gentile believers
Explicit in ScriptureHigh confidenceThe text names Cornelius in this event at the cited verses.
Evidence:Follow Cornelius and the first Gentile believers in the graph
Appears in Scripture
Named in 10 verses across 1 book. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.