The Cornelius incident in the light of its Jewish setting

As the primitive community struggled with its self understanding in relation to Judaism it faced two basic issues: (1) Who is Jesus, and what are the implications of this answer? and (2) What place were contemporary (1st century) Jewish traditions, attitudes, and observances to have in the new faith? Implicit in these were such additional matters as the fact and implications of the presence of the final age, the status of Israel in the divine economy, Jewish separatism, particularism, and privilege. Also implied were hermeneutical questions including both the place and relevance of the OT and Intertestamental developments, and the means and scope of Christian salvation. All these affect not only the nature of Jewish Christianity, but also the legitimacy of the Gentile mission. The description of the activities of the primitive Church in Acts 2-6 -- preaching, teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayers, communion of goods, developing organization, and confronting internal disorders -- are all paralleled in one or another of the Jewish groups of the time. Thus, we may conclude, that to the casual observer, the first believers in Jerusalem looked just like one more Jewish sect or party. They were distinguished only by what they believed about Jesus of Nazareth. Something of the nature of this belief is indicated by the titles of Acts 2-7, where Jesus is referred or alluded to as Lord (2:36; 7:59,60), Christ\Messiah (2:20, 31,36,38; 3:6,18,10; 4:10, 26; 5:42), the Crucified (3:36), the Holy One (2:27; 3:14; 4:27,30), the Just One, (3:14), the Archegos 2 (3:15; cf. 5:31), child\servant (3:13, 26; 4:27, 30), prophet [like Moses] (5:22; 7:37), savior (5:31), stone (4:11) and Son of Man (7:56). Each of these titles has messianic implications and when applied to Jesus identify him as the Messiah. Although there were a variety of expectations about the meaning and nature of the work of the Messiah, in a Jewish context, to assert his presence also carried the affirmation that the final age had dawned. And this implied radical, although ill-defined, changes in divine activity and in the socio-historica1-re1igious situation of God\u27s people