In brief
Julius is a centurion of the Augustan Cohort in charge of taking Paul and other prisoners to Italy. He treats the apostle kindly and lets him visit his friends at Sidon. At first he trusts the pilot over Paul, and the ship is caught in the storm. At the shipwreck near Malta, he stops the soldiers from killing the prisoners, because he wants to save Paul. We remember a pagan officer whom God uses to keep his servant safe.
What does the name Julius the Centurion mean?
Julius is a Latin name, that of a great Roman family. The Bible does not explain it; it simply presents him as a centurion of the Augustan Cohort (Acts 27:1).
The story of Julius the Centurion
Prisoners entrusted to Julius
Acts 27:1-2When it is decided to sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners are handed over to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. They board a ship of Adramyttium that is to sail along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, goes with Paul, and the narrator himself is also part of the voyage.
Kindness at Sidon
Acts 27:3-6The next day they put in at Sidon. Julius, who treats Paul kindly, allows him to go to his friends and be cared for. The voyage then continues past Cyprus to Myra in Lycia, where the centurion finds an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and puts the prisoners on board.
The pilot rather than Paul
Acts 27:9-15At Fair Havens, in Crete, sailing becomes dangerous. Paul warns that the voyage will be with danger, for the cargo, the ship, and the lives aboard. But the centurion listens to the pilot and the owner of the ship rather than to Paul. They weigh anchor to reach Phoenix, and a violent wind, the northeaster, soon drives the ship along.
The ropes of the lifeboat
Acts 27:30-32After fourteen nights of storm, the sailors try to escape in the lifeboat. Paul tells the centurion and the soldiers that unless these men stay on the ship, they cannot be saved. This time the apostle's word is heeded: the soldiers cut the ropes of the lifeboat and let it fall away.
Paul saved from the massacre
Acts 27:42-44When the ship runs aground and the stern breaks apart, the soldiers want to kill the prisoners, for fear one might swim away and escape. But the centurion, who wants to save Paul, stops them. He orders those who can swim to jump overboard first, and the rest to follow on planks. Everyone reaches land safely.
From Malta to Rome
Acts 28:1-16The shipwrecked recognize the island of Malta, where they spend three months. They sail again on an Alexandrian ship, by way of Syracuse, Rhegium, and Puteoli, all the way to Rome. The account no longer names Julius, but it specifies that in Rome Paul is allowed to live by himself, with a soldier guarding him.
What Julius the Centurion teaches us
- God can place kind strangers on the path of his children, who become instruments of his protection.
- Preferring the advice of experts to the word of God can lead straight into the storm.
- A believer's faithful witness can gradually win the trust of those who hold authority over him.
- God keeps his promises: all who sailed with Paul reached land safely.
Key verses
Julius treats Paul kindly and lets him see his friends at Sidon. This humane gesture toward a prisoner shows that God surrounds his servant, even in the hands of Roman soldiers.
The angel tells Paul that God has granted him all who sail with him. The centurion, the soldiers, and the prisoners are all included in this promise of deliverance.
The centurion wants to save Paul and prevents the massacre of the prisoners. Because of one man of God, all the prisoners escape death and reach land.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Julius in the Bible?
Julius is a centurion of the Augustan Cohort to whom Paul and other prisoners are entrusted for the voyage to Italy (Acts 27:1). He treats Paul kindly, lets him see his friends at Sidon, and, at the shipwreck, stops the soldiers from killing the prisoners because he wants to save Paul.
Why did Julius save Paul?
The text simply says the centurion wanted to save Paul (Acts 27:43). He had treated him kindly from the start of the voyage, and Paul had shown wisdom during the storm. Behind this decision, the account mainly shows the faithfulness of God, who had promised that Paul would stand before Caesar.
Where can the story of Julius be found in the Bible?
His story is in Acts 27, which tells of Paul's voyage as a prisoner to Rome, the storm, and the shipwreck. He is named in verses 1 and 3, then called the centurion in the rest of the chapter. Acts 28 tells of the end of the journey to Rome.