{Truly this was the Son of God} (al(8874)h(9373) theou huios (886e)
houtos). There is no article with God or Son in the Greek so
that it means "God's Son," either "the Son of God" or "a Son of
God." There is no way to tell. Evidently the centurion
(hekatontarchos here, ruler of a hundred, Latin word
_kenturi(936e)_ in  Mr 15:39 ) was deeply moved by the portents which
he had witnessed. He had heard the several flings at Jesus for
claiming to be the Son of God and may even have heard of his
claim before the Sanhedrin and Pilate. How much he meant by his
words we do not know, but probably he meant more than merely "a
righteous man" ( Lu 23:47 ). Petronius is the name given this
centurion by tradition. If he was won now to trust in Christ, he
came as a pagan and, like the robber who believed, was saved as
Jesus hung upon the Cross. All who are ever saved in truth are
saved because of the death of Jesus on the Cross. So the Cross
began to do its work at once.