Tag Archives: Roman citizen

THE BOOK OF ACTS – THE FEAR OF GOD

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THE FEAR OF GOD

“When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. ’Do you realise what you’ve done? This man is a Roman citizen!’

“The captain came back and took charge. ’Is what I hear right? You’re a Roman citizen?’

“Paul said, ‘I certainly am.’

“The captain was impressed. ’I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?’

“‘Nothing,’ said Paul.’ It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth.’

“That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture.” Acts 22:26-29 (The Message).

It is obvious, from this conversation, that Roman citizenship carried with it many privileges; a fair trial and protection by the state, for example. Not everyone in the Roman Empire was automatically a citizen. Some paid a high price for it, like the captain, while others were automatically Roman citizens by privileged birth. Paul was one of the latter, but he did not explain how he was born into it.

The discovery was enough to make the captain change his plan of action! He would have been in serious hot water had he, even in ignorance, acted outside the protection of Paul’s Roman citizenship.

If citizenship of an earthly kingdom carried with it such privileges, how much more does belonging to God’s kingdom offer blessings and protection for those who are born into it

The Kingdom of God is both all-exclusive and all-inclusive. It is wide open to all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and receive Him as unrivalled Master of their lives. It is only for those who acknowledge Him as Lord, to the exclusion of all other gods, and submit to His absolute authority. According to those who follow other religions, that makes believers intolerant, but according to God’s Word, it is the truth.

Jesus Himself said, “‘I am the way and the truth and the life.” No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 (NIV).

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ….Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:13; 19-22 (NIV)

The Roman captain was quick to realise his error when he was close to subjecting Paul to an unlawful flogging. He acknowledged his accountability to higher authority and did not act in a way that jeopardised his own position. Unlike Pilate who acted unlawfully towards Jesus and paid dearly for it, this man was not so arrogant that he ignored Roman law.

What of the many millions of citizens of God’s kingdom who have been imprisoned, tortured and even murdered simply because they believe in Jesus and are loyal to Him? Does God offer any protection or justice for them? It may not seem like it if we only take this life into consideration. However, God always takes the long look.

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?'” Revelation 6:9-10 (NIV).

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire, with His powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power…” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NIV).

THE BOOK OF ACTS – IF GOD BE FOR US

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IF GOD BE FOR US

“The captain came up and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him handcuffed and then asked who he was and what he had done.  All he got from the crowd were shouts, one yelling this, another that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks. But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul. As they carried him away, the crowd followed, shouting, ‘Kill him! Kill him!'” Acts 21:33-36 (The Message).

How many times had Paul been in a similar situation? In almost every city he had preached, he had faced being lynched, either by Jews or enraged Gentiles stirring up violence against him for some perceived grievance. This was religious bigotry at its worst.

His ploy to appease the opposition hadn’t worked. They were not taken in by his shaved head and pathetic attempt to convince them that he was a good Jew. His reputation had gone before him and it took only one tiny spark of hatred to set the whole city alight. Roman soldiers or no Roman soldiers, the mob was determined to get him this time, once and for all.

It was only divine intervention that could save him, and it came to him in the form of Roman authority which, at this moment, was on his side. This little Jewish colony was a constant thorn in Rome’s side. There had to be a strong military presence here to keep the volatile crowd from erupting over any little religious nit-picking especially when it came to the issue of Jesus of Nazareth.

Some thirty years before, representatives of the city had made their choice. ‘His blood be upon us and upon our children,’ they had yelled at Pilate. Not only had they chosen to speak for themselves but they had also implicated their descendants in their decision to reject their Messiah and consign themselves to the unbelief that has dogged their nation down the centuries.

For Paul there was one tiny light at the end of the tunnel — Rome. He was not going to die here at the hands of the Jews, no matter their intention, because God had assured him that he would testify to His grace in Rome. As scary as his situation was, he was assured of divine protection and he could rest in the presence and promise of God.

“When they got to the barracks, and were about to go in, Paul said to the captain, ‘Can I say something to you?’

“He answered, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you spoke Greek. I thought you were an Egyptian who not long ago started a riot here and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand thugs.’

“Paul said, ‘No, I am a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I’m a citizen still of that influential city. I have a simple request. Let me speak to the crowd.'” Acts 21:37-39 (The Message).

Surprise! The Roman captain thought he had to do with yet another marauding gang leader, not an educated, Greek-speaking, respectable citizen of an influential city in the Roman Empire. That put a different slant on things. God was slowly building His protective shield around Paul, growing respect for him in the heart of the Roman captain which would stand him in good stead in days to come.

Once again Paul was learning that the safest place to be was in the will of God because he was untouchable in the worst of circumstances as God’s plan for him unfolded. When David was a fugitive from the murderous hatred of Saul, he also experienced a safe place in God. To Abiathar, son of the murdered priest, Ahimelech, he said, “‘Stay with me, don’t be afraid. The man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me.” 1 Samuel 22:23 (NIV).

The Fear Of God

Bible Study, ,

THE FEAR OF GOD

“When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. ‘Do you realise what you’ve done? This man is a Roman citizen!’
“The captain came back and took charge. ‘Is what I hear right? You’re a Roman citizen?’
“Paul said, ‘I certainly am.’
“The captain was impressed. ‘I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?’
“‘Nothing,’ said Paul. ‘It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth.’
“That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture.” Acts 22:26-29 (The Message).

It is obvious, from this conversation, that Roman citizenship carried with it many privileges; a fair trial and protection by the state, for example. Not everyone in the Roman Empire was automatically a citizen. Some paid a high price for it, like the captain, while others were automatically Roman citizens by privileged birth. Paul was one of the latter, but he did not explain how he was born into it.

The discovery was enough to make the captain change his plan of action! He would have been in serious hot water had he, even in ignorance, acted outside the protection of Paul’s Roman citizenship.

If citizenship of an earthly kingdom carried with it such privileges, how much more does belonging to God’s kingdom offer blessings and protection for those who are born into it.

The Kingdom of God is both all-exclusive and all-inclusive. It is wide open to all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God and receive Him as unrivalled Master of their lives. It is only for those who acknowledge Him as Lord, to the exclusion of all other gods, and submit to His absolute authority. According to those who follow other religions, that makes believers intolerant, but according to God’s Word, this is the truth.

Jesus Himself said, “‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 (NIV).

“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ….Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:13; 19-22 (NIV)

The Roman captain was quick to realise his error when he was close to subjecting Paul to an unlawful flogging. He acknowledged his accountability to higher authority and did not act in a way that jeopardised his own position. Unlike Pilate who acted unlawfully towards Jesus and paid dearly for it, this man was not so arrogant that he ignored Roman law.

What of the many millions of citizens of God’s kingdom who have been imprisoned, tortured and even murdered simply because they believe in Jesus and are loyal to Him? Does God offer any protection or justice for them? It may not seem like it if we only take this life into consideration. However, God always takes the long look.

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?'” Revelation 6:9-10 (NIV).

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire, with His powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power…” 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NIV).