Centurion

A centurion was a Roman military officer commanding a unit of approximately one hundred soldiers — a basic tactical subdivision of a Roman legion. Centurions appear with notable frequency in the New Testament, and consistently in a favorable light: the centurion at Capernaum whose faith in Christ's authoritative word astonished Jesus (Matt. 8:5–13); the centurion at the cross who confessed Truly this was the Son of God upon witnessing the manner of Jesus's death (Mark 15:39); and Cornelius of the Italian cohort at Caesarea, described as a devout, God-fearing man whose prayers and alms were heard by God, and who became the first named Gentile to receive the Holy Spirit and Christian baptism (Acts 10:1–48).

Julius, a centurion of the Augustan cohort, treated Paul with courtesy during the voyage to Rome, saving his life at the shipwreck (Acts 27:1–3, 43). The centurion charged with Paul's custody allowed him to visit friends at Sidon. The consistent dignity with which centurions are portrayed in the Gospels and Acts reflects their role as the backbone of Roman military order, and the early church's openness to Gentile soldiers of good character.