A Roman Citizen

Acts 22:22-29

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” 27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. 29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Dual Citizenship

Are you comfortable telling other people that you have dual citizenship? What are advantages and disadvantages of dual citizenship have your experienced? When travelling to and from the country of citizenship, it might be easier than non-citizens. There are also disadvantages of dual citizenship. When one is involved in politics or presents oneself as candidate to higher offices, other candidates aspiring for the same office may use your dual citizenship as issue they can take advantage of in their favor.

Did you know if Paul had a dual citizenship? He was born Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin in the city of Tarsus, Cilicia (Turkey) as Roman citizen. Did God plan that Paul be born as Roman citizen in preparation for him to be an Apostle to the Gentiles? What disadvantage Paul had experienced?

1.  Disadvantage

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!”

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 

What did Paul say that prompted the crowd to shout? Paul was giving his testimony. He tried to convince the people that he did nothing against the Law of Moses. He mentioned about his credentials and calling. He told them that the Lord spoke to him.

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

What made the crowd shout in anger? Was it because Paul said that the Lord instructed him to leave Jerusalem immediately, or was it because the Lord declare that the people will not accept his testimony, or was it because he gave approval to the killing of Stephen, or was it because the Lord instructed him to go to the Gentiles?

When people don’t practice faith in God, whatever good or bad reason, they would oppose anything reasonable or unreasonable concerning God. The Lord has declared it, and Paul proved that the people would not listen to his testimony about the Lord.

Would you agree that God has designed that Paul would be born a Roman citizen for him to be God’s messenger to the Romans? How many people would dismiss or want to forget their upbringing? How many are wishing they would have been born somewhere else? If you were to choose where you should be born, where would that be? If you were to choose the time or year you should be born, when would that be?

Do you have preferences where and when one should be born? Do you believe that God knows the right timing, right place, right parents, right country, or right community a person must be born? Faith in God helps one to accept without hesitation that reality. It is also by faith that believers would appreciate who or what they are as a person.

Paul endured the disadvantages of his calling as an Apostle to the Gentiles. Jewish people who opposed him did not hide their hatred toward him. Even before that incident in Jerusalem, the Lord warned him that the people in Jerusalem won’t listen to him. They won’t pay attention to his credentials. But why did Paul insist on going back to Jerusalem? He was warned by the Holy Spirit. God sent the prophet Agabus to warned Paul. But Paul insisted to testify in Jerusalem, why?

Paul has been preaching about God’s grace. God allowed Paul to go to Jerusalem for him to personally experience more of God’s grace. The prophecy of prophet Agabus that Paul will put to chain in Jerusalem came from the Lord. Whatever the Lord says, it sure will happen. Similarly, God allows unpredictable circumstances around us, why?

Transferees

There’s a lot of movement and unpredictable circumstances happened in our church, lately. People are puzzled what the church leaders are doing to stop transferees going to another church. When churchgoers transfer because of financial or employment reason, it has been acceptable. But when churchgoers transfer because of personal reason, misunderstanding or conflict, it brings no silent reactions, why?

If Paul did not go to Jerusalem, would God display more of His grace to him than what he had experienced? Was it God’s grace at work that people transfer? Why are employment issues more acceptable among us than misunderstanding or conflict issues?

From viewer’s or reader’s perspectives, it can be concluded that it brought disadvantages to Paul being a Roman citizen when people in Jerusalem did not listen to Him but it was to Paul’s advantage being a Roman citizen when the commander of the Roman soldiers respected his Roman citizenship status.

2.  Advantage

25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

Being a Roman citizen Paul, the soldiers reconsidered their action. As a Roman citizen outside Jewish community was a great privilege. It could have been a status symbol serving in the Roman infantry. Power, authority, prestige, or/and financial stability were attractive benefits serving in the Roman government. It lessened or even eliminated persecution from Roman soldiers if one becomes a Roman citizen.

In relation to Paul calling to the Gentiles, as a Roman citizen, it also helped him communicated the gospel more convincingly and accurately because he had better understanding of the language and culture of Gentiles, especially, the Romans.

Filipino Missionary

Have you heard that more Filipino missionaries are joining missions in Asia? In Asia, English teaching has been an effective vehicle to reach out to non-believers. More Asian schools would prefer Caucasian English speaking teachers. However, Filipino missionaries can easily identify, befriend, or acclimatize to Asian environments much faster then western counterparts.

Cultural background and citizenship have their own disadvantages and advantages. Learning from Paul’s experience: There were believers with Jewish upbringing who came to Rome ahead of Paul but God used Paul mightily when he came to Rome more than anybody else according to written records available.

God allowed us also to be born in a particular culture or citizenship. God situated every person in a specific place before or after we became Christians because He has a plan for each believer. There is no circumstance that happened without God’s permission. Every situation, good or bad in our opinion that the Lord allows us to experience has been thoroughly planned even before we were yet to be born.

Let’s pray that God would enable us to sense and experience more of His grace at work in our life, especially, when things are not favorable to us as they may seem.

What tough situation are you experiencing these days? Have you sensed or understood the function of God’s grace in that situation?

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9, 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

God’s grace becomes more apparent when everything gets tough than when everything is smooth. Problems and difficulties would help us realize if the Spirit of Christ is really active in our life. There’s joy and peace in the midst of storm of life.

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