Acts 10:1-4 explained: gifts to the poor come up before God

Acts 10:1-4 introduces Cornelius, a centurion in Caesarea described as devout, God-fearing, generous to the poor and constant in prayer. An angel appears to him and says his prayers and his gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial before God. The passage opens the story of the Gospel reaching non-Jewish households, and it shows that his giving and praying had been noticed before he had heard the message about Jesus.

“And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.” Acts 10:4 (KJV)

At about three in the afternoon, the hour of prayer, Cornelius sees an angel who calls his name. Luke notes that Cornelius was afraid and asked what the angel wanted. The reply, in verse 4, is the sentence this page is about: his prayers and his gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial before God.

A memorial is something recalled and kept in view. The angel is not saying Cornelius has earned salvation by his giving. In the rest of Acts 10 Peter makes clear that forgiveness comes through Jesus. The point is that God had noticed this man’s sincere seeking and generosity and was moving to meet him.

Making Heaven Crowded is funded by the gifts of ordinary people, and those gifts pay for the food, water and supplies that volunteers carry through downtown Tampa and Gainesville. A gift does not need to be large to matter. The page on ways to donate lists the options, and the ministry is a registered 501(c)(3), so gifts are tax deductible.

The story is also a reminder that the Gospel reaches people in unexpected places and that a conversation may find someone who has been seeking already. Volunteers who join a walk can see this firsthand, and the guide to what the Gospel is explains the message the team shares.