“I am a man
Set under authority,
With soldiers
Under me.
I say to one.
‘Go!
And he goes.
I say to another.
‘Come!’
And he comes.
I say to my slave.
‘Do this!’
And he does it.’”
καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος, ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας, καὶ λέγω τούτῳ Πορεύθητι, καὶ πορεύεται, καὶ ἄλλῳ Ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται, καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου Ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ.
Interesting enough, Luke has the friends of the centurion speak in the first person singular to indicate that these are the exact words of the centurion. The centurion said that he was a man who was appointed by authority (καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος) with soldiers under him (ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας). He would say to one go (καὶ λέγω τούτῳ Πορεύθητι) and he went (καὶ πορεύεται). He would say to another come (καὶ ἄλλῳ Ἔρχου) and he came (καὶ ἔρχεται). He would tell his slave to do something (καὶ τῷ δούλῳ μου Ποίησον τοῦτο) and he would do it (καὶ ποιεῖ). This saying of the centurion is exactly the same as in Matthew, chapter 8:9, perhaps indicating a Q source. In Matthew, the Roman centurion spoke for himself directly to Jesus, but the message was the same. This centurion understood authority, since he was a Roman solider under the authority of his superiors and yet at the same time, he had soldiers under him. Thus, if he said to any of them to go or come, they would do precisely that. The same would be true of his slaves who would do whatever he told them to do. Are you willing to obey the commands of Jesus?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 