Longinus

Life

The name Longinus does not appear in the Bible. Two biblical passages are associated with the name.

• The centurion at the cross: According to Mark 15, a centurion (a Roman army officer commanding roughly 100 soldiers) who saw Jesus breathe his last said, "Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39). The same scene is also recorded in Matthew 27:54 and Luke 23:47.
• The soldier with the spear: John 19:34 records, "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

The name Longinus is generally attributed to noncanonical writings, the best-known example being the Acts of Pilate (also called the Gospel of Nicodemus). Scholars consider it likely that the name derives from the Greek word lonchē, meaning "spear." In medieval tradition, the soldier who pierced Jesus with the spear and the centurion who made the confession were merged into a single person. Accounts also circulated that he converted, preached the gospel, and died a martyr, but these cannot be verified historically.

Ministry and Legacy

What Scripture highlights about this figure is the confession made at the scene of the crucifixion. Because a Gentile soldier carrying out the execution confessed Jesus as the Son of God, many interpreters read this scene as foreshadowing the spread of the gospel beyond the Jews to the Gentiles. John's account is frequently cited as testimony that Jesus truly died.

The Longinus of tradition is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. His feast day is generally given as March 15 in the Western tradition and October 16 in the Eastern tradition. St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City houses a statue of Longinus by the seventeenth-century sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Influence on the Korean Church

In Korean Protestantism, the biblical scene known as "the centurion's confession" is more familiar than the name Longinus. The scene is often addressed in sermons during Holy Week and Lent. Because most Protestant denominations do not practice the veneration of saints, there are no observances dedicated specifically to Longinus. Outside the church, the name "Spear of Longinus" has also become known through popular culture such as films, animation, and video games.

Assessment

In keeping with tradition, the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church honor Longinus as a converted saint. Many Protestant denominations, following the principle that Scripture alone is the standard of faith, do not accept the traditions about his name and life as historical fact and instead focus on the confession and testimony that Scripture records. Among historians as well, the prevailing view assigns little historical value to the tradition, citing the fact that the name was attached at a later date and the possibility that two distinct figures were merged into one.