Centurion

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Who was the man ordered to crucify Christ?

What did he witness that led him to proclaim, “This was surely the Son of God?”

Traditionally, we named him, the Centurion Abenadar, and we know almost nothing about him. The novel, Centurion, gives life to Centurion Abenadar.

Abenadar’s life is based on primary source documents about the Roman Legion. Abenadar was close enough to the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, that Pilate trusted him with the responsibility of the controversial and potentially explosive crucifixion of Christ. At the same time, Abenadar was a man to whom Pilate effortlessly gave the dirty work of the crucifixion, the execution for which Pilate himself would not take responsibility.

Centurion casts Abenadar as the bastard child of the Roman ambassador to the court of Herod the Great. Abenadar’s mother was a Judean girl, the Roman ambassador’s concubine. When the ambassador returned to Rome, he left her pregnant, and in disgrace. The girl returned to her home in Nazareth of Galilee. She named her son, Abenadar, after his father.

Abenadar’s father did not leave him with nothing—he granted his son Roman citizenship. When Abenadar accepted his legacy, he also discovered a place in the Roman Legion stationed in Galilee. Abenadar found in the legion and Roman citizenship a boon and a curse. From his mother’s training in Herod’s court, Abenadar spoke and read Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and from the taint of his father’s legacy and his hard childhood, Abenadar learned to be a cunning fighter. The legion honed these skills. Centurion maps the rise of Abenadar through the ranks and units in Palestine until he is a chief advisor and one of the lead Centurions in Jerusalem. In this capacity, he both advised Pilate and became the vehicle to enact Pilate’s decree.

Abenadar was more than a Centurion; he was also half Judean. His abilities derived from his understanding and communication with the people of Judea. But Abenadar was a man, not a piece of cardboard—all the forces in his life shaped and formed him. He fervently trusted in God—and in the legion. When he accidentally rescued a prostitute, Ruth, in the streets of Jerusalem, he redeemed her—for himself. Ruth was a destitute girl; the death of her parents forced her into her past life. After Abenadar took her in, she lived a semblance of the life she was raised to lead. Life with Ruth changed Abenadar. He returned to the Judean practice of his youth, and through Ruth’s faith, Abenadar’s life became connected to the new prophet—Jesus.

Abenadar experienced the events in the city of Jerusalem from inside the court of Pilate and from the city streets. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Abenadar became his interpreter and translator. When Pilate gave Jesus over to the Priests, he instructed Abenadar to crucify Jesus.

Through Abenadar’s eyes, Centurion reveals the crucifixion and the resurrection. Abenadar’s greatest fear was that he would lose Ruth, for she believed the message of the prophet he must execute. But Abenadar misjudged Ruth’s love and her faith. And he misjudged how his experience of the Christ would change him.

All the Difference

a brief Bible study note from Wayne Braudrick

January 8, 2009

Dear Michael,

Determination

In Acts 10, we encounter the Greek term dienthumoumenou. It's found in verse 19, where Peter is thinking through what God has said:

And while Peter was reflecting on the vision... (NASB)

"Was reflecting" is dienthumoumenou. It's a strange Greek compound that appears in the Bible only here. It combines passion, internalizing, and learning. Peter is exhibiting passionate concentration, showing his determination to learn. He is dedicated to learning from God's words to him. In fact, the Greek experts tell us that this term means Peter was working through his internal understanding in preparation to living more skillfully externally. He was changing from the inside-out.

Is that how we approach God's Word? It should be! Back when I coached baseball, I would occasionally be delighted to see a young athlete approach the game with dienthumoumenou. I would instruct the team about how to hit the ball: watch it all the way, short slide step, shift the hips through the zone, follow through. Sadly, many players just kept right on with their own bad form. Yet some kids would stop and concentrate on what I said. You could almost see the wheels spinning in their heads. They would practice the instruction over and over. They would demonstrate parts of their swing and ask for clarification, "Coach, is this right? Is that what you mean?"

Dienthumoumenou. Those kids prospered in the game, and as their coach I was blessed to work with them. May that also be how we learn to apply God's Word. May we live skillfully, and may our heavenly Coach be blessed.

Jew & Gentile

The tension in Acts 10 comes from the integration of Jew and Gentile; especially the way the Lord intends each group to bless the other. And while Roman centurion Cornelius and Galilean Jew Peter end up exhibiting marvelous harmony, it's a tragic truth that over the past 2000 years few have followed their lead. Jews & Gentiles - even when they each believe in Jesus - still struggle with separation.

In his classic Forgotten Truths Sir Robert Anderson accurately observed that the Gentile & Jewish Christians maintain a prideful focus that keeps them apart:

"The Jew has treated the Gentile as a pariah, and Gentile regards Jews as enemies to be shunned, if not as vermin to be exterminated. Hence the fact that so few Gentiles came within the blessing during the old economy (the Old Testament), and that, during the new, so few Jews have accepted the Christ."

Our church is dedicated to seeing that division breached with the gospel of Jesus. One of the reasons that we support John Kanter, missionary with the Christian Jew Foundation, is to assist him in sharing Messiah Yeshua with Jews. John also helps us Gentiles stay attuned to the Hebrew foundations of our faith.

John and I were at lunch once and discussing this need for unified blessing across Jew and Gentile boundaries; specifically for the church of Jesus to fulfill scripture and reach the Jew with the good news of his Messiah. During our conversation, my plate was delivered. However, the waiter told John that his would be a few moments. John looked at me and said, "Obviously this restaurant doesn't share our passion for the Bible. They serve the Gentile first." (FYI - Romans 1:16 says:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. NASB

Centurion

Apparently many of you were intrigued by the amount of information available on the Roman army in Galilee. Some were especially interested in the life of a Roman centurion. While there are many excellent historical sources on the life and times of a first century centurion, I recommend a work of historical fiction. Centurion, by L.D. Alford, does a first-rate job of incorporating all the relevant facts we know about the Romans in Israel during Peter's time. Furthermore, it's a really fun story that will, I think, encourage you as a Christian. Centurion is available from Capstone Fiction.

God bless,

Wayne

Rev. Dr. Michael Wayne Braudrick | Senior Pastor | Frisco Bible Church | 972.335.8150
"The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith." I Timothy 1:5
All The Difference TM

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The finest escape in literature is an escape into a real and inviting culture—so asserts L. D. Alford a novelist who explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. He builds tales that make ancient people and times real to us. His stories uniquely explore the connections between events close and familiar and events of the past—he cleaves them together with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the US Air Force Test Pilot School. He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe and Central America. His writing includes over 40 technical articles, three historical fiction novels, and three science fiction novels. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.

	Novels by this Author

	The Second Mission (Available now)
	Centurion (Available now published by OakTara)
	Aegypt (Available now published by OakTara)
	The Dragon and the Fox (Available now published by OakTara) The End of Honor The Fox’s Honor A Season of Honor


	Centurion

		Paperback Kindle ebook ISBN: 1602900124 ISBN-13: 9781602900127 Format: Paperback, 400pp Publisher: OakTara Publishing Group LLC Pub. Date: January 2008

	Visit my Amazon Bookstore to see all my books

	A longing heart. An unlikely friendship. Love...and the bitterest of betrayals.

	Who was the man ordered to crucify Christ?

	What did he witness that led him to proclaim, “This was surely the Son of God?” Traditionally, we named him, the Centurion Abenadar, and we know almost nothing about him. The novel, Centurion, gives life to Centurion Abenadar. Abenadar’s life is based on primary source documents about the Roman Legion. Abenadar was close enough to the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, that Pilate trusted him with the responsibility of the controversial and potentially explosive crucifixion of Christ. At the same time, Abenadar was a man to whom Pilate effortlessly gave the dirty work of the crucifixion, the execution for which Pilate himself would not take responsibility. Centurion casts Abenadar as the bastard child of the Roman ambassador to the court of Herod the Great. Abenadar’s mother was a Judean girl, the Roman ambassador’s concubine. When the ambassador returned to Rome, he left her pregnant, and in disgrace. The girl returned to her home in Nazareth of Galilee. She named her son, Abenadar, after his father. Abenadar’s father did not leave him with nothing—he granted his son Roman citizenship. When Abenadar accepted his legacy, he also discovered a place in the Roman Legion stationed in Galilee. Abenadar found in the legion and Roman citizenship a boon and a curse. From his mother’s training in Herod’s court, Abenadar spoke and read Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and from the taint of his father’s legacy and his hard childhood, Abenadar learned to be a cunning fighter. The legion honed these skills. Centurion maps the rise of Abenadar through the ranks and units in Palestine until he is a chief advisor and one of the lead Centurions in Jerusalem. In this capacity, he both advised Pilate and became the vehicle to enact Pilate’s decree. Abenadar was more than a Centurion; he was also half Judean. His abilities derived from his understanding and communication with the people of Judea. But Abenadar was a man, not a piece of cardboard—all the forces in his life shaped and formed him. He fervently trusted in God—and in the legion. When he accidentally rescued a prostitute, Ruth, in the streets of Jerusalem, he redeemed her—for himself. Ruth was a destitute girl; the death of her parents forced her into her past life. After Abenadar took her in, she lived a semblance of the life she was raised to lead. Life with Ruth changed Abenadar. He returned to the Judean practice of his youth, and through Ruth’s faith, Abenadar’s life became connected to the new prophet—Jesus. Abenadar experienced the events in the city of Jerusalem from inside the court of Pilate and from the city streets. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, Abenadar became his interpreter and translator. When Pilate gave Jesus over to the Priests, he instructed Abenadar to crucify Jesus. Through Abenadar’s eyes, Centurion reveals the crucifixion and the resurrection. Abenadar’s greatest fear was that he would lose Ruth, for she believed the message of the prophet he must execute. But Abenadar misjudged Ruth’s love and her faith. And he misjudged how his experience of the Christ would change him.

	Meet the Author

		Centurion

	The finest escape in literature is an escape into a real and inviting culture—so asserts L. D. Alford a novelist who explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. He builds tales that make ancient people and times real to us. His stories uniquely explore the connections between events close and familiar and events of the past—he cleaves them together with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Dayton. He is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the US Air Force Test Pilot School. He is widely traveled and has spent long periods in Europe and Central America. His writing includes over 40 technical articles, three historical fiction novels, and three science fiction novels. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality.

	L.D. Alford is the author of 41 technical papers published in international journals on flight test, military policy, flight safety, space, and cyberwar. Technical Writing

	L.D. Alford has been a professional aviator for over 30 years. Aviation Writing

	Past Centurion Events
	Invitation by Dorian Graham