Why The Name Centurion
For Our Ministry?
Isn't "Centurion" a strange name for a Church Ministry?
No! There are 3 Centurions of significance that
come in contact with the early Church ...
1 Before the crucifixion-
Matt 8:5-13
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum,
there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth
at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will
come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having
soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this,
and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them
that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east
and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into
outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and
as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
(KJV)
1 At the crucifixion...
Matt 27:54
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him,
watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of
God.
Mark 15:37-39
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the
ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the
top to the bottom.
39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him,
saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
Luke 23:46-47
46
And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus,
he gave up the ghost.
47
Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
1 After the crucifixion...
Acts 10:1-48
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea
called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
2 A devout man, and one that feared
God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about
the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was
afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call
for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:
6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner,
whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
7 And when the angel which spake unto
Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually;
8 And when he had declared all these
things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
9 On the morrow, as they went on their
journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten:
but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the
earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and
eat.
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten
any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time,
What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16
This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
17
Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent
from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
18
And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19
While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20
Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
21
Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what
is the cause wherefore ye are come?
22
And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation
of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
23
Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa
accompanied him.
24
And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen
and near friends.
25
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.
26
But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
27
And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together.
28
And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto
one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
29
Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent
for me?
30
And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold,
a man stood before me in bright clothing,
31
And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.
32
Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner
by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall
speak unto thee.
33
Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present
before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.
34
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
35
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
36
The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
37
That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which
John preached;
38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
39
And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and
hanged on a tree:
40
Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
41
Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he
rose from the dead.
42
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge
of quick and dead.
43
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
44
While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45
And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles
also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
(KJV)
Like many I am not a physical Israelite, I am a
gentile, the name Centurion celebrates the gift of our God to us who opened up the possibility for all gentiles to be
grafted into the Body of Messiah, He chose to begin this by selecting the first non-Israelite convert after Yeshua’s
death & resurrection, Cornelius the Centurion. God chose this man, a citizen of Rome. Rome! the Empire representative
of all things that were gentile and pagan at the time! Not only was he a Roman citizen, but a Roman warrior, an actual
agent of that Roman pagan system of government, a soldier of the Caesars’! The system of government that spread around
the world to this day. He was part of that very instrument used by the Roman & Jewish establishments to bring
about Yeshua’s death, but he was now in the service of God!
