Comments on: The Cornelius Factor http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html Looking for the 1st century Church in 21st century America Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:28:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: Mikehttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26418 Mike Mon, 30 Apr 2007 02:07:28 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26418 Dan, Thanks for posting this, albeit I'm reading it a bit late! I wondered if you'd mind responding to something else happening in this narrative on Cornelius.Namely, the fellow is a centurion, and it occurred to me that this invitation to welcome Peter, all of the alms-giving & praying & fearing God: demonstrates a shift of allegiance from Caesar to Jesus, i.e., this is not only about Cornelius' ongoing response to God, but also belonging to new community that has a completely different political horizon. Where the heck am I going with this? I don't know!But, the God-fearing & praying & alms-giving are those unique callings of Christ's community: it doesn't happen, or at least very well, in Caesar's community. There is "risk" littered all over this text: for Peter and for Cornelius...seems like Cornelius, with all of his political power, wasn't part of the rat race, and he was certainly ready to participate in the life-giving community of the Lord. Dan,
Thanks for posting this, albeit I’m reading it a bit late! I wondered if you’d mind responding to something else happening in this narrative on Cornelius.

Namely, the fellow is a centurion, and it occurred to me that this invitation to welcome Peter, all of the alms-giving & praying & fearing God: demonstrates a shift of allegiance from Caesar to Jesus, i.e., this is not only about Cornelius’ ongoing response to God, but also belonging to new community that has a completely different political horizon. Where the heck am I going with this? I don’t know!

But, the God-fearing & praying & alms-giving are those unique callings of Christ’s community: it doesn’t happen, or at least very well, in Caesar’s community. There is “risk” littered all over this text: for Peter and for Cornelius…seems like Cornelius, with all of his political power, wasn’t part of the rat race, and he was certainly ready to participate in the life-giving community of the Lord.

]]> By: Dan Edelenhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26320 Dan Edelen Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:13:39 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26320 Paul,What I wrote to David and Flyawaynet works with your comment, too. I pray more than anything that we Christians find a way to break out of the rat race and get back to being the life-giving community the Lord intended. Paul,

What I wrote to David and Flyawaynet works with your comment, too. I pray more than anything that we Christians find a way to break out of the rat race and get back to being the life-giving community the Lord intended.

]]> By: Dan Edelenhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26319 Dan Edelen Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:12:19 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/04/the-cornelius-factor.html#comment-26319 Flyawaynet,If we were truly live a simplified faith, I suspect that more people would be attracted to the Christian message. But since we tend to wallow in the same overly-complex systems of theology as the rest of the world, we obscure the fact that Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light. Flyawaynet,

If we were truly live a simplified faith, I suspect that more people would be attracted to the Christian message. But since we tend to wallow in the same overly-complex systems of theology as the rest of the world, we obscure the fact that Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden light.

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