Oftentimes, it can be easy to miss much of what is being said in the Bible because there are so many important details occurring that we don’t take the time to look closely at all that has been recorded. For example, who can remember the story of Cornelius the centurion from chapters 10 and 11 of the book of Acts? Just two chapters long, but they contain so many important details that it is difficult to preach or teach about in just one or two messages… but what if those details could be shared in a book?
Intrigued by the centurion’s story, author Robert “Bob” Lewis has crafted When Doing Good Things Is Not Good Enough to share a creative recounting of Cornelius’s particular story. Follow along as the story’s three main characters are introduced – Cornelius the centurion, Simon Peter the disciple, and Luke the author – before diving into the events to follow, told from each of the characters’ personal perspectives.
The story intertwines factual and biblical components with fictional details that Lewis has often pictured in his mind as possibly being part of the story. Through creative dialogue and interactive discussion questions, readers will experience:
• Simon Peter learning through his vision that God wanted all
of mankind to come to salvation and that He loved everyone equally, not just the Jewish people.
• Cornelius learning what he needed to do to find the peace
he knew he was lacking.
• Luke learning that there was more to his life than just being
a physician.
Ultimately, all these events lead to the answer of one important question: What was it that Simon Peter was supposed to tell Cornelius that he needed to do and why? A story of unwavering faith and sharing some of the teachings of Jesus, the details of Cornelius’s story are important enough not to be missed.