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.

Servant and his centurion and jesus