---
title: Luke 7:1
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/luke-7-1/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/luke-7-1.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Luke 7:1
testament: NT
section: Gospels
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Luke 7:1

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

## NWT Wording of the Key Phrase

- NWT (2013 revision): "When he had completed what he had to say to the people, he entered Capernaum."

## JW Usage

Luke 7:1 is the narrative setup for the centurion-and-his-servant episode in vv. 2-10. The Watchtower cites the centurion's use of intermediaries (he sent Jewish elders to Jesus, then friends — Luke records the messengers; Matthew 8 attributes the request to the centurion himself) as a model of the Jewish "law of agency" (shaliach), then extends the principle to argue that Jesus acts as Jehovah's agent — receiving worship and exercising authority on behalf of his sender without himself being divine.

## Protestant Usage

Affirm the legitimate observation: Matthew and Luke do attribute the same actions to the centurion and to his messengers respectively, and Jewish agency law really does treat an agent's acts as the sender's acts. Then expose the limit of the analogy. No agent in the Old or New Testament (1) is called by God's personal name or title, (2) accepts worship or prayer, (3) claims to be God, or (4) is entrusted with spirits at death. Jesus does all four. Pair Luke 7:1 with John 20:28 (Thomas's confession), Acts 7:59 (Stephen entrusting his spirit to Jesus), and Revelation 22:8-9 (an angel refusing John's worship and redirecting it to God). Agents redirect; Jesus accepts. The shaliach principle is real; Jesus exceeds every one of its limits.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [The Law of Agency Doesn't Work](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/law-of-agency.md) — Agents Are Never Called God [Deity of Christ]