Citizen Paul

Application

• Roman “examining by scourging” was just one aspect of “Pax Romano.” Rome had a value for non-citizens’: “Your money or your life of slavery.”
• No amount of money or status can get a person to heaven! We can’t buy our way into heaven. We can’t earn our way into heaven. Only one way exists to enter heaven: Someone must birth us into heaven.
• Conclusion: Based upon what was about to happen in today’s passage, most of us would say that Paul was very fortunate to be a citizen. However, I am quite certain that the commander had no option of offering citizenship at any price at that time. At that point, there are two potentials: Yah is, or yah ain’t! Are we ready?

Bible Text

(22) They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” (23) And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air, (24) the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by scourging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. (25) But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” (26) When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” (27) The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” (28) The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” (29) Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had put him in chains.

-Acts 22:22-29