“A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.—Cornelius is 'devout' (eusebes, 'pious toward God') and a 'God-fearer' (phoboumenos ton theon, sebomenos ton theon), a technical term for Gentiles attracted to Judaism without full conversion. His almsgiving (dikaiosynē, often 'righteousness' or 'alms' in this context) and prayer exemplify the Gentile righteous; yet all his piety cannot constitute salvation without Christ. He stands at the threshold, prepared by grace.
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