Did the centurion and his servant have a gay relationship?

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In Luke 7:2-10 and Matt. 8:5-13, a centurion's servant is sick, and the centurion humbly asks Jesus to heal the servant. In Luke 7:3-6"When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, 'He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.' And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof'" Luke 7:3-6 ESV., the centurion sends elder Jewish leaders and friends to Jesus on his behalf asking Jesus to cure his sick servant. However, in Matt. 8:6-9"'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.' And he said to him, 'I will come and heal him.' But the centurion replied, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under 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'" Matt. 8:6-9 ESV., the centurion directly addresses Jesus with his request. In both gospels, Jesus marvels at the centurion's faith (Matt. 8:10"When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, 'Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith'" Matt. 8:10 ESV., Luke 7:9"When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, 'I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith'" Luke 7:9 ESV.) and he heals the servant immediately.

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Homosexuality Is Not a Sin

Homosexuality Is a Sin

It was rare for a centurion, or any master for that matter, to care about a servant's well-being during Jesus's time because servants were replaceable.¹ However, we know from Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV. that the centurion's servant was "highly valued" by the centurion. What would make this servant extremely valuable to the centurion?

Perhaps the centurion was in a gay relationship with his servant. Relationships between masters and male and female slaves were common in Roman society during Jesus's time.² Surprisingly, pedophilia is not addressed in the Bible, although Paul allowed men and women (adults) to marry in New Testament times (1 Cor. 7:1-2"Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 'It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.' But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband" 1 Cor. 7:1-2 ESV.). In Old Testament times, "women" married at the start of puberty, which was usually around 13 years old, and men married after puberty, later in their teenage years, which was approximately 18 years old.³ Even though modern society considers a young adult man who marries a 13-year-old "woman" as statutory rape, historians and religious scholars believe that the practice was common in Old and New Testament times.

The Bible states that the centurion's servant was very ill. Because of the Roman centurion's strong attachment to his servant, he seeks out Jesus's help to heal the servant of his affliction. According to Matt. 8:5-6"When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly'" Matt. 8:5-6 ESV., the centurion personally approaches the Lord and begs for his help. However, according to Luke 7:3-6"When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, 'He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.'

And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof'" Luke 7:3-6 ESV., the centurion sends other people on his behalf to seek Jesus's help because the centurion believes that he is not worthy to ask for Jesus's assistance (Luke 7:6, 8"And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. . . .' 'For I too am a man set under 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'" Luke 7:6, 8 ESV.). The centurion's belief in Luke 7:6, 8"And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, 'Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. . . .' 'For I too am a man set under 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'" Luke 7:6, 8 ESV. that he is not worthy for Jesus to come to his home is also echoed in Matt. 8:8-9"But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under 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.'" Matt. 8:8-9 ESV..

Why does the centurion believe that he is not worthy for Jesus to enter his home? The centurion was most likely aware of the Jewish laws and customs since the Jewish elders thought highly of him and he built a synagogue for them (Luke 7:3-5"When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, 'He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue'" Luke 7:3-5 ESV.). The Roman centurion, a Gentile, was most likely embarrassed to have Jesus come to his house probably because he had Roman military images exhibited in his house or he may have been afraid that Jesus would come into contact with something in his house that would make Him "unclean" under Jewish law.⁴ Of course, this would include any kind of pederastic relationship.

Some people believe that the centurion and his servant were involved in a pederastic relationship. Scholars believe that the centurion was a Roman officer who was in charge of a hundred foot-soldiers, and who was stationed in Capernaum.¹ It is true that Roman men were often involved in relationships with their servants.² However, there is no indication within the Bible that a sexual relationship was going on between the centurion and his servant.

It is also true that in Rome, masters often didn't care very much for the welfare of their servants because servants were replaceable.³ However, we know that this centurion is different from most Roman officers because he not only cared deeply for his servant, but the Jewish elders stated that he supported Jews and built a synagogue for them (Luke 7:4-5And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, 'He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue'" Luke 7:4-5 ESV.). In fact, even Jesus marvels at the centurion and his strong faith in Matt. 8:10"When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, 'Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith'" Matt. 8:10 ESV. and Luke 7:9"When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, 'I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith'" Luke 7:9 ESV.. Thus, we know that this centurion was a caring individual who was being called by God to follow Christ.

Homosexuality Is Not a Sin

Homosexuality Is a Sin

Matt. 8:6"'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly'" Matt. 8:6 ESV. uses the word παῖς or pais as "servant," and Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV. uses the word δοῦλος or doulos as "servant." In An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, παῖς is defined as "I. in relation to Descent, a child, whether son or daughter, II. in relation to Age, a child, either a boy, youth, lad, or a girl, maiden, and III. in relation to Condition, a slave, servant, man or maid."⁵ Likewise, in An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, δοῦλος is defined as "I. a born bondman or slave, opp. to one made a slave, II. slavish, servile, subject. . . ."⁶

We know that the centurion owned a servant/slave, the servant was male because Jesus refers to the servant as such in Matt. 8:7"And he said to him, 'I will come and heal him'" Matt. 8:7 ESV., and the centurion greatly valued his slave (Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV.). We also know that it was common for Romans to take male servants as lovers.⁷ Thus, it is possible that the Roman centurion and his servant were lovers. If this was the case, then Jesus accepted their relationship because he healed the centurion's servant without condemning the centurion for his relationship with his slave.

Some people think that the ancient Greek words used for "servant" in Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV. and Matt. 8:6"'Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly'" Matt. 8:6 ESV. refer to a child sex slave. The word that is used Matt. 8:6 for "servant" is παῖς or pais. Strong's Concordance translates the word as "a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy) a girl, and (generally) a child; specifically a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God): - child, maid (-en), (man) servant, son, young man."⁴ Similarly, the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary translates παῖς as "child, son, daughter; descendant; boy, girl, young man or woman; servant, slave."⁵ Furthermore, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon defines παῖς as "I. in relation to Descent, a child, whether son or daughter, II. in relation to Age, a child, either a boy, youth, lad, or a girl, maiden, and III. in relation to Condition, a slave, servant, man or maid."⁶ Thus, παῖς had several meanings, but none of the meanings infer that a child servant was used in any way sexually. Actually, the ancient Greek word that was commonly used to refer to a boy in a pederastic relationship is kinaidos or κίναιδος, which is translated in English as "catamite."⁷ A catamite is a boy or youth in a sexual relationship with another man, and its first known use in the English language was in 1593, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.⁸

In Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV., the word used for servant is δοῦλος or doulos, and this word is more specific than παῖς in regards to a child's role in the family, which was specifically that of a servant. Strong's Concordance translates the word as, "a slave (literally or figuratively, involuntarily or voluntarily; frequently therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency): - bond (-man), servant."⁹ Likewise the Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary defines δοῦλος as "slavish, servile; enslaved, subject."¹⁰ Moreover, An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon defines δοῦλος as "I. a born bondman or slave, opp. to one made a slave, II. slavish, servile, subject. . . ."¹¹ Once again, nothing sexual is inferred by the word.

Thus, we have no proof that the Roman centurion and his servant were involved in a sexual relationship. Instead, we know that the centurion was a caring, God-fearing man, since he asks his friends to tell Jesus that he is not worthy to have Jesus enter his house (Luke 7:6-7"And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, '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'" Luke 7:6-7 ESV.), and we know that the centurion cared about his servant's well-being very much because he was "highly valued" by the centurion (Luke 7:2"Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him" Luke 7:2 ESV.). The servant may have been "highly valued" by the centurion because he may have been an obedient servant, he may have been skillful at a particular craft, or he may have been "highly valued" for some other personal reason. However, there is no proof in the gospel that any kind of sexual relationship was going on between the centurion and his servant, and, it is a gross misinterpretation of the gospel to make this assumption.

¹"The centurion's tender concern for a lowly slave was contrary to the reputation Roman army officers had acquired in Israel" (MacArthur, 2010, p. 1488, note 7:2). Return

²"Owners of slaves could prostitute them or use them for their own sexual purposes. There is reason to believe that many Roman gentlemen customarily employed a particular male slave for sexual release prior to marriage, and the testimony of Latin literature makes clear that in the households of the wealthy large numbers of slaves were frequently employed sexually" (Boswell, 1980, p. 78). Return

³Rushmore, May 2005, p. 20; West, Spring 2006. Return

⁴"There were several reasons he might feel embarrassed to have Jesus enter his compound. For one thing, it is undoubtedly decorated with Roman military images; second, Jesus could accidentally come in contact with something that would make him unclean under Jewish purity laws" (Abogunrin, 1998, p. 1391). Return

⁵"παῖς." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

⁶"δοῦλος." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

⁷Boswell, 1980, p. 78 Return

¹Leske, 1998, p. 1283 Return

³"The centurion's tender concern for a lowly slave was contrary to the reputation Roman army officers had acquired in Israel" (MacArthur, 2010, p. 1488, note 7:2). Return

⁴"παῖς." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 66, entry 3816 Return

⁵"παῖς." Moorewood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 239 Return

⁶"παῖς." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

⁷"κίναιδος." A Greek-English Lexicon, 1940 Return

⁸"catamite." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012 Return

⁹"δοῦλος." Strong, 1995/1996, Greek section p. 24-25, entry 1401 Return

¹⁰"δοῦλος." Moorewood & Taylor (Eds.), 2002, p. 89 Return

¹¹"δοῦλος." An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, 1889 Return

By: L. Jelle