Who was Julius in the bible?

Julius (a name of Latin origin) is the centurion who received custody of Paul and other prisoners for a voyage by sea toward Italy. In Acts 27, he appears as an officer of the “Augustan band” who treats Paul with notable kindness.

Julius in Scripture

Julius is introduced at the outset of the voyage narrative in Acts 27. The account begins with a decision to sail, the transfer of prisoners, and Julius’s official role in that transfer:

“When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.” (Acts 27:1, WEB)

From the first verse, Julius is identified by rank (“a centurion”), by name (“Julius”), and by association (“of the Augustan band”). The narrative immediately places him within a travel setting that includes the writer’s “we” perspective and additional companions:

“Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.” (Acts 27:2, WEB)

The next day provides the clearest description of Julius’s character and his treatment of Paul. After the ship reaches Sidon, Julius’s authority is shown in the permission he grants, and his disposition is described explicitly:

“The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.” (Acts 27:3, WEB)

This moment shows Julius exercising discretion over a prisoner’s movements: he is able to “give him permission,” and the reason given is not necessity but goodwill—“Julius treated Paul kindly.” The voyage then continues through changing maritime conditions and successive locations. The narrative reports that after departing Sidon, “we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary” (Acts 27:4). The route proceeds across waters “off Cilicia and Pamphylia,” arriving at “Myra, a city of Lycia” (Acts 27:5).

At Myra, Julius again appears through his command decisions. As the officer in charge, he directs the group’s transfer to a different ship:

“There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.” (Acts 27:6, WEB)

Although Julius is not named again in this line, the narrative has already identified “the centurion” as Julius (Acts 27:1), and the action attributed to him—finding the ship and placing the group aboard—continues to depict him as the responsible officer overseeing transport. The voyage grows more difficult: “we had sailed slowly many days,” and travel becomes constrained by wind, leading the ship to sail “under the lee of Crete” and then, “With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea” (Acts 27:7–8).

As time passes, the narrator reports that “the voyage was now dangerous” (Acts 27:9). In this setting Paul delivers a warning to those involved in the voyage. The account preserves his speech, framing it as an admonition based on Paul’s perception of what lies ahead:

“When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them and said to them, ‘Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.’” (Acts 27:9–10, WEB)

This warning becomes a point at which Julius’s judgment is again brought into view. The narrative contrasts Paul’s counsel with the counsel of other maritime authorities, and it describes the centurion’s preference:

“But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.” (Acts 27:11, WEB)

Here Julius is portrayed as weighing competing advice and choosing to trust “the master” and “the owner of the ship” over Paul’s words. The account continues by explaining the group’s decision-making about where to spend the winter. The immediate rationale is practical: “Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there” (Acts 27:12). They hope “by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there,” describing Phoenix as “a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest” (Acts 27:12).

Within this portion of Acts 27, Julius’s role is therefore twofold: he is the centurion entrusted with prisoners on the voyage to Italy (Acts 27:1), and he is an active decision-maker who both shows personal kindness to Paul (Acts 27:3) and later aligns his judgment with the ship’s professional leadership rather than with Paul’s warning (Acts 27:11).

Name and Meaning

The name is written in Greek as Ἰούλιος (Ioulios), pronounced ee-oo’-lee-os. According to the lexicon information provided, it is of Latin origin, and in Acts it designates the centurion named Julius (Acts 27:1).

Observation

Acts 27 presents Julius with a mix of personal benevolence and official pragmatism: “Julius treated Paul kindly” (Acts 27:3), yet “the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul” (Acts 27:11).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Julius in the Bible?

Julius was a centurion of the Augustan band who was given charge of Paul and certain other prisoners on a voyage toward Italy (Acts 27:1).

What does the name Julius mean?

The name Julius is of Latin origin and is given as “Julius.”

How many times does Julius appear in the Bible?

Julius appears 2 times.

How did Julius treat Paul during the voyage?

Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself (Acts 27:3).

Explore Further

If you found this page about Julius interesting and would like to discover more about other biblical characters, explore our comprehensive Encyclopedia of Biblical Characters. For those looking to delve deeper into the Greek origins of these names and terms, our Greek Lexicon is an invaluable resource.

Sources: Name and occurrence data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and STEPBible reference data (CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).