Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Ioulios Phonetic Transliteration: hekatontarches or hekatontarchos Phonetic Spelling: (hek-at-on. a centurion, a captain of one hundred men. hekatontarches - a centurion, a captain of one hundred men Kenturion Phonetic Spelling: (ken-too-ree'-ohn) Short Definition: a. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: kenturion - a centurion (a Roman army officer) They and other centurions mentioned in the Gospels and the Acts ( Matthew 8:5 Mark 15:39, 44, 45 Luke 23:47) are represented by the sacred writers in a favorable light. Men like Cornelius and Julius ( Acts 10:1 Acts 27:1) may have been separated from the legion to which they properly belonged for the discharge of special duties. Centurions were sometimes employed on detached service the conditions of which in the provinces are somewhat obscure. The ordinary duties of the centurion were to drill his men, inspect their arms, food and clothing, and to command them in the camp and in the field. The number of centurions in a legion was 60, that being at all epochs the number of centuries, although the number varied in the cohort or speira. Matthew and Luke use the Greek word while Mark prefers the Latin form, as he does in the case of other words, seeing that he wrote primarily for Roman readers. Sen-tu'-ri-un: As the name implies, hekatontarches or hekatontarchos, kenturion, Latin centurio, was the commander of a hundred men, more or less, in a Roman legion. The presence of the Holy Spirit in an uncircumcised, non-Jewish person-a Roman centurion, of all people-proved to the other Christians that the message of Christ was universal.International Standard Bible Encyclopedia CENTURION Cornelius was saved during this encounter, becoming one of the first non-Jews evangelized in the early church era (Acts 11:15–18). Cornelius was obedient to the vision, and Peter told him of his own vision, commanding him to evangelize Gentiles as well as Jews. According to the Bible, Cornelius saw an angelic vision telling him to seek Peter in Joppa. Cornelius was said to have a good reputation with the Jewish people, in particular for his prayer and charity (Acts 10:2). Perhaps the most important Roman centurion mentioned in the Bible is Cornelius, described in Acts 10. For these men to make a request of anyone, let alone Jesus, a Jew, would have required great faith and great humility. In all cases, the centurions are noted for their position of authority. The royal official mentioned in John 4:43–54 might have been a high-ranking centurion, as well. Matthew 8:5–13 and Luke 7:1–10 relay the story of a centurion, likely of high rank, who approached Jesus for healing on behalf of his servant. It was a centurion who exclaimed at the foot of the cross, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39). The man overseeing Jesus’ crucifixion was a centurion (Matthew 27:54), probably one of lower seniority. The Bible mentions several Roman centurions. The combination of wealth, power, and prestige made them influential in society. As a result, Roman centurions were well paid and held in high esteem, and they experienced high rates of injury and death during war. In fact, the centurion’s designated place in formation was at the end of the very front row. Centurions were held to high standards of conduct and were expected to fight on the front lines with their men. Soldiers were appointed as centurions by virtue of their bravery, loyalty, character, and prowess in battle. Roman centurions represented the bridge between enlisted troops and commissioned officers, in much the same way as warrant officers do in the modern U.S. Some historians have compared the top-level centurions to medieval knights. Their importance was based on seniority, with the senior centurion in a legion being in a position of great prestige. As a result, a legion could contain as many as sixty centurions. Each Roman legion was composed of nearly 5,000 men, divided into multiple cohorts, each cohort composed of multiple centuries. During the New Testament era, a Roman centurion was a professional military officer commanding a platoon of troops called a “century.” This could be anywhere from nearly one hundred to several hundred men.
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