Cornelius’s prayers and alms (the nature of which is unspecified) have
found favor with God. The phrase ἀνέβησαν εἰς μνημόσυνον is a cultic metaphor that assumes the
legitimacy of “spiritual sacrifices,” a concept known to the Greco-Roman world,
the Hebrew Bible, sectarian Judaism, nascent Christianity, and rabbinic
Judaism. Religious activity of any kind became the equivalent of the
sacrificial cult. The narrative assumes this concept and uses it to bridge the
gap between Jews and gentiles. The subsequent vision of Peter will eliminate
another obstacle separating the two groups. (Richard I. Pervo, Acts:
A Commentary on the Book of Acts [Hermeneia—a Critical and Historical
Commentary on the Bible; Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2009], 268-69)
