Augustus

Biblical Record

Augustus is mentioned by name only once in the Bible, in Luke 2:1. The text reads, "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed." Verse 2 adds that this census was first made when Cyrenius (Quirinius) was governor of Syria. Caesar (Korean Gaisa) renders the Latin Caesar, which came to be used as a title for the Roman emperor. The census (rendered "taxing" in the KJV) was a registration of the population. In accordance with this decree, Joseph of Nazareth, being a descendant of David, went up from Nazareth to Bethlehem with Mary, to whom he was betrothed, and there Jesus was born (Luke 2:3–7).

According to historical records outside the Bible, he was Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar. After bringing the civil wars to an end, he received from the Roman Senate in 27 BC the title "Augustus," meaning "the revered one," and he ruled the empire until his death in AD 14. His successor, Tiberius, appears in Luke 3:1. The "Augustus' band" of Acts 27:1 is the name of a Roman military unit named after the imperial title and does not refer to Augustus personally.

Significance in the Bible

By recording the emperor's name, Luke places the birth of Jesus within the framework of world history. Many interpreters read this account as showing that Joseph's household, which lived in Nazareth, came to Bethlehem—the place where the Messiah was prophesied to be born (Micah 5:2)—because of the emperor's decree. In this they see the providence of God.

Inscriptions are known to have been erected during the reign of Augustus that exalted him as a "savior" who brought peace. For this reason, some scholars interpret the scene in Luke 2 in which the angels announce the birth of a "Saviour" and sing of peace on earth (Luke 2:10–14) as a deliberate contrast to the imperial cult.

Interpretations and Issues

• The date of the census: The census of Quirinius attested in extrabiblical sources is generally dated to around AD 6. By contrast, Herod is commonly thought to have died before that time. Several views have been proposed to account for this discrepancy: that the "first" census mentioned by Luke was a separate, earlier registration; that the expression in the original text should be translated differently; or that Luke's chronology contains an error. Positions on this question tend to vary among individual scholars and interpretive traditions rather than along denominational lines.
• Stories not found in the text: The story that Augustus heard a prophecy from a sibyl and saw a vision of the Virgin holding a child is a medieval legend and is not found in the Bible. Scripture does not say that he was aware of the birth of Jesus.

In the Korean Church

Augustus is frequently mentioned when Luke 2 is read or preached around Christmas. In sermons he is commonly presented as an example of providence, showing that even the decree of a worldly ruler was used within God's plan. In Sunday school Christmas pageants, the scene announcing the census decree is also often used to open the story.