Why I Chose To Do A Rewrite on Marcus the Centurion

Well… simply put? Integrity.

Why I Chose To Do A Rewrite on Marcus the Centurion

Well… simply put? Integrity.

By that I mean this: Marcus the Centurion has been a story embedded in my heart and mind for over 30 years. It’s a story I’ve carried, dreamed about, and developed slowly over decades—sometimes with clarity, sometimes with uncertainty. But one thing was always clear: if I was going to tell this story, I was going to tell it right.

From the beginning, I knew this would be a work of historical fiction. But not just any fiction—this was going to adhere to biblical history and accuracy wherever possible. If Marcus was going to walk the dusty roads of Judea in pursuit of Jesus Christ, then those roads, those days, and those events needed to match Scripture. Not just out of reverence—but out of responsibility.

Now, of course, there’s grace within fiction. Not every character can be found in Scripture. That’s where Marcus’ world comes alive through Jonah, his loyal servant… through Jonah’s sister… through Marcus’ mother. These individuals are fictional, yes—but they serve the narrative of Marcus’ journey without altering the sacred record of Christ’s ministry. They walk beside the timeline, not through it.

BUT…The Centurion that met Jesus at the foot of the cross…he…is real. Marcus, for fictional purposes…is that Centurion.

So what happened?

I started to feel it—that gnawing sense that something was off. I began noticing inconsistencies—small at first. A date slightly off here. A miracle referenced too early. A journey that didn’t match the topography of ancient Galilee. And like a thunderclap from the heavens, that old friend called “OCD Guilt” hit me square in the chest.

I had a choice: keep going and patch it up as I went, or stop and face it with the honesty and discipline the story deserved.

I chose the latter.

Rather than chase down every scattered thread and risk layering new chapters over shaky foundations, I decided to tear it down to the bones and rebuild it the right way. Not as a patchwork. But as a proper timeline-driven, biblically-rooted epic.

So I started fresh.

• Week by week.

• Date by date.

• Miracle by miracle.

• Always aligning with the Gospels.

Every Monday entry now carries weight. Because every Monday actually happened. Every character Marcus meets either came from Scripture or was carefully placed to enrich—not rewrite—biblical truth.

Let me be clear: this wasn’t about perfectionism. This was about stewardship. This was about holding myself accountable to the Word of God even in storytelling. And I believe, with all my heart, that if this project is going to draw people toward the Savior Marcus eventually stands beneath on Golgotha… then that story better honor every step Jesus took to get there.

So if you’ve been following this journey before, you may notice changes. Dates shifted. Events refined. Characters better grounded in the historical world they belong to. That’s not regression. That’s growth. That’s obedience.

And for those just joining?

You’re catching Marcus' journey in the version I always dreamed of telling.

A Roman soldier with blood on his hands, grit in his soul, and eternity stirring in his chest. One who came looking for a threat to Rome… but found instead the Lamb of God.

And this time, we’re walking the path with him the right way—week by week, moment by moment, miracle by miracle.

—Matthew Adams