The Roman Centurions.

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By Terry Cropper

There is a misunderstanding crated of who are the "Gentiles" described in the Old and New Testaments. The Israel Only cult teaches the idea the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel that was scattered among the gentile nations are the gentiles the gospel of salvation was preached to in the New Testament i.e. the Hebrew race.

Jesus and Peter easily disprove this false argument of the (Israel Only Cult), by presenting two events in such a way that it connects all the dots for us. Jesus, the "founder of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), once marveled at the faith he found in a certain man. And it's the only instance that the gospels record such a marvelous response from Jesus (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). Who was this man? A rabbi? Nope. A disciple? Nope. A Jew? Nope, A member of the scattered Northern Tribes? Nope. He was a Roman soldier, a man from outside the bloodline of Israel.

Jesus had just delivered what would become the most famous sermon in history. (Matthew 4:12-16) When Jesus entered Capernaum, there was a Roman centurion who came to Him, pleading whose servant was lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented and he was expected to die shortly. This was also unusual, since Roman soldiers were not in the habit of being fond of Jews, let alone seeking one out and pleading for their help. This man was a Roman soldier, a representative of Israel's enemy. Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion says, Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man of great authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, "Go" and he goes; and to another, "Come," and he comes; and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it.'" (Matthew 8:9)

This man was a Roman soldier, and although a representative of Israel's enemy, he understood what even most Jewish elders didn't yet grasp. When Jesus heard it, He marveled. Then He turned and scanning His eyes over his disciples and the small crowd of people who had followed him down the mountain He said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith". (Matthew 8:10)

Both (Luke 7:9) and (Matthew 8:10) use the Greek word ἐθαύμασεν which we translate "marveled" or amazed, admire, astonished, to describe Jesus' response to the centurion's faith. The only other time this word is used to describe Jesus' response to others' faith is in Mark 6:6, when he marvels at the lack of faith in the people of Nazareth, where he grew up.

The centurion was one the most unlikely persons to amaze Jesus. He was a Gentile and not a member of the scattered Northern Tribes of Israel, or a “Men of Israel. Doubtless he had a pagan upbringing. He was a Roman, stationed in Palestine to subject the Jews to the Emperor's rule. He was a man of war. He achieved the rank of centurion by distinguishing himself above others in the brutal Roman Empire.

A centurion, who is a Roman officer in charge of one hundred troops. Most Jews are hostile toward these foreign occupiers. In Roman society, the emperor has supreme authority, and he delegates it to officers like centurions. To disobey these officials is to disobey the emperor himself. The centurion sees that Jesus is invested with a similar authority, only the person He represents must be God. He is not exactly the person you'd expect becoming one of the Bible's great heroes of faith.

So how did Jesus reply to his faith? Jesus said I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour. (Matthew 8: 12-13)

This Roman centurion foreshadowed what Jesus had come to bring about. He was a living illustration that "many would come from the east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven". Jesus was not as impressed with the Jews/sons of the kingdom or genealogy achievements as the Jews were. (See John 8:39) And the Israel Only gang. Jesus is impressed with those who really do humbly believe in him.

What Jesus has predicted is coming to pass — the Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus. Later we also have the Biblical account of Cornelius another Roman centurion in the Italian Regiment of the Roman military. He was stationed in Caesarea, the capital of Roman Iudaea province. He is depicted in the New Testament as a God-fearing man who always prayed and was full of good works and deeds of alms. Cornelius was also a Gentile and not a member of the scattered Northern Tribes of Israel, or a “Men of Israel.

His story in Acts 10 is important because it was in Cornelius’s household that God publicly opened the doors of the church to the Gentile world. The apostle Peter was present to see it happen, just as he had been a witness to the opening of the doors to the Samaritans (Acts 8) and the Jews (Acts 2).

Despite being a Roman, Cornelius was a worshipper of God, and known and respected by the Jewish community (Acts 10:22). Cornelius was a devout man who regularly prayed and gave to charity (verse 2). The Greek word for devout here is εὐσεβὴς God-fearing. One afternoon, while Cornelius was praying, he saw a vision of an angel of God, who told him that God had heard his prayers (Acts 10:30-31). The angel told Cornelius to find Peter, who was staying in Joppa at the house of Simon, a tanner (verse 32). Cornelius immediately sent two of his servants and a devout soldier to Joppa to find Peter and bring him back.

Meanwhile, God was preparing Peter’s heart to minister to his coming Gentile visitors. God gave Peter a vision of an assortment of animals, both clean and unclean (Acts 10:11-12). Peter heard a voice saying, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat” (verse 13). Peter resisted this command, having never eaten non-kosher food before (verse 14), but the voice replied, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (verse 15). This vision was repeated three times.

Many of us have been taught that God used Peter’s dream in Acts 10 to authoritatively declare all animals clean and fit for consumption. This interpretation, however, has some flaws. The Bible does not say that at all. And neither does Peter. The Bible does not leave us guessing about the real meaning of the vision. In Acts 10:28 Peter himself explains the meaning.

Peter explains the vision as thus: “God has shown me that I should not call any (man common or unclean)” (Acts 10:28, emphasis mine). As Peter understood the vision, it was a correction of the Jewish tradition based prohibition on Jews mixing with Gentiles - not an alteration of the biblical prohibition on consuming unclean animals. That is, one should not designate one group of human beings as ritually pure and another as ritually impure. The vision is not literally talking about eating animals, clean or unclean. Instead, the clean and unclean animals were understood metaphorically to represent human beings.

One of the stringencies of first-century Judaism was a prohibition on entering the homes of Gentiles and eating with Gentiles. (see Acts 10: 28) However The Torah of Moses contains no such law. There is not a biblical law forbidding Jews from mingling with or eating with Gentiles. There are prohibitions about eating idol sacrifices, but God never forbade entering a Gentile home or eating with a Gentile. Those laws seem to have arisen out of Jewish traditions.

According to mainstream Jewish interpretation (in first-century Israel) when the New Testament was written Gentiles were classified as unclean and dogs. At no time was an Israelite or a member of the scattered Northern Tribes of Israel, considered unclean dogs and not permitted by other Jews or Men of Israel to enter their house. This was a situation only for Gentiles.

But Peter’s assumption was in error. Those prohibitions did not arise from the Torah of Moses, but only from the stringencies of men’s interpretations. So God had to point out to Peter that he should not call any (man common or unclean). Suddenly the Spirit of the Lord moved and spoke to him, explaining the vision, “Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself” (Acts 10:19-20). Now the meaning of the vision was clear to Peter.

He was not to regard these Gentiles as unclean. He has no hesitation he invited them in to stay the night, at his home. (Acts 10:23) The next day Peter is about to travel with them, and eat with them and enter their homes. In other words, Peter gets the message that God was instructing him to receive the non-Jewish believers.

The next day Peter followed them back to Caesarea. When Peter entered Cornelius’s home, the centurion fell at Peter’s feet in reverence, but Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up . . . I am only a man myself” (Acts 10:25-26). Peter then reminded Cornelius that it was against Jewish law for Peter to be associating with Gentiles. However, Peter explained, God had shown him in a vision not to call any person common or unclean. Cornelius then told Peter about the angel who had told him to seek out Peter. Both Peter and Cornelius saw that God had acted to bring them together.

Peter then said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right” (Acts 10:34-35), and then he preached the gospel to everyone gathered in Cornelius’s house. As Peter was speaking, the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in tongues, and were baptized with water (Acts 10:44-48). Peter and the Jews who were with him saw the beginning of something new God was doing: “They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (verse 47). The “mini-Pentecost” in Cornelius’s house was proof positive that the gospel was for all nations not just the nation or tribes of Israel.

Notice Peter says that “God does not show favoritism” but accepts from EVERY NATION the one who fears him and does what is right”. Then Peter adds “they” have received the Holy Spirit just as “we” have. The “Roman centurion Cornelius” in particular along with his gentile guest received the Holy Spirit just like Peter and the other Israelite/Jews with him.

In considering the story of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, it is important to note that being an Israelite or a member of the scattered Northern Tribes of Israel, or having genealogy records back to Abraham is not enough to save a person. They need faith in Jesus as the Roman centurion not just a blood line to Israel or their father Abraham.

Cornelius was a (gentile) as they come who worshiped the one true God. Yet he still needed to hear the gospel and respond to it positively buy faith in Jesus.

That’s why God sent Peter, so that Cornelius could hear of the death and resurrection of Christ, which Peter clearly preached (Acts 10:39-40,43. It was only after Cornelius and his household received the message about Jesus that they received the Holy Spirit and were born again. Cornelius not only shows the necessity of the gospel but it indicates that God will move heaven and earth to bring the gospel to Gentiles who are ready to receive it.

The story of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8 shows the necessity foreshadowed what Jesus had come to bring about. He was a living illustration that "many would come from the east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" while the sons of the kingdom would be cast out into outer darkness were there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12)