We
have looked at many households in the Bible, and now come to a remarkable
series of households in the New Testament, all of which are Gentile, evidently
recorded by the Holy Spirit for a special purpose. The first we meet is, as far
as I know, that of Cornelius. He feared God with all his house. (Acts 10:2). He
was right in seeing that his whole household followed him in his fear of God,
and God takes special note of it. When Peter recounts his visit with Cornelius
to the saints at Jerusalem, he says that the angel told Cornelius to send to
Joppa for Peter, “who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house
shall be saved.” (Acts 11:14). We shall meet with almost exactly these same
words in pondering another “house”, so that it would seem to suggest that these
very words, which include the house, are the Holy Spirit’s own special message
to those who truly desire to be saved. We need not now be concerned with who
composed Cornelius’ household, but we must note the word in the same as of old:
“Thou and thy house.” (Genesis 7:1).