* **Now there was a certain man ** - This was a way of introducing a new person to the story. In this case, it was Cornelius.
* **Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort** - "his name was Cornelius. He was an officer in charge of 100 soldiers from the Italian section of the Roman army."
* **He was a devout man, one who feared God** - "He believed in God and sought to honor and worship God in his life"