Why Did Paul Claim Roman Citizenship?

Tom:

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and we’re in the book of Acts, we’re in Acts 16 and we can pick up with verse 35, “And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go.”And of course he is referring to Paul and Silas, who were imprisoned, and an earthquake took place.The Philippian jailer, head of the jail, cried out to them, after recognizing that they hadn’t left, hadn’t escaped, and he didn’t have to kill himself, he asked:What must I do to be saved?And we went over that last week.So, that’s the situation, but now the magistrates would put Paul and Silas in jail after having them scourged.They are trying to get off the hook.Verse 36:“And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go:now therefore depart, and go in peace.”

Dave:

Now, that was supposed to be good news, but Paul is not going to take this.That’s a lesson for us.Interesting passage, Tom, go ahead.

Tom:

“But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.”

Now, Dave, is this just arrogance, is this just pride on Paul’s part?What’s going on here?

Dave:

Well, it seems that we are supposed to stand up for our rights, according to the law.In other words, if the magistrates, the rulers who are supposed to be God’s servants of righteousness, Romans 13 says, they are supposed to be administrating God’s law in righteousness and they don’t and you have an opportunity to point out to them where they are wrong, we ought to do it.In other words, we shouldn’t just succumb to unrighteousness on the part of rulers.Now, of course if you are in Red China or Russia under Stalin, or we have situations today in many places.What do they say? You can’t fight city hall, and that becomes very complicated.Well, yeah, but you’re not interpreting the law right, and so forth.Anyway, we get a principle here that we should not allow them to get away with wickedness.We should at least stand up against it.Now, if they still ran rough shod over Paul and said, Yeah, but we’re in charge, you guys get out of here or we’ll beat you again.See, Paul was a Roman, and they are going to be a little bit shocked when they find out that they are Romans, and they have broken the law.

Tom:

So, with being a Roman citizen, he had rights.

Dave:

Absolutely.

Tom:

He could appeal to Rome, which he did later.

Dave:

And of course, much good that does you.So, this is an interesting passage, Tom, because it lays out a principle.We should stand up for righteousness.We should stand up for the righteousness that God expects rulers to administer when they are in that position.So, in Romans 13, when it says, There is no authority but that which is from God.You know, the rulers are ordained of God.It doesn’t mean that God personally chose Hitler or Stalin, and ordained them.It means that God intends that there should be authorities in charge of affairs.Now, unfortunately, sometimes they are voted in, sometimes they get their way in, they don’t deserve to be there, they are bad ones, but the principle is the same.And Paul is standing up for righteousness.

Tom:

Right, and Dave, we could also add that we have seen people taking a cause that was a good cause, but they have turned it into trying to transform the world, trying to change society to the point where they’ve fallen into, or they have forgotten about their citizenship is in heaven.We’ve seen that as a problem.

Dave:

Right, but Paul is not doing that, he’s not going to start a campaign and we’re going to transform the Roman Empire, based upon biblical principles, which is what these people are trying to do.He’s just relying on Roman law—you guys ought to obey Roman law.

Tom:

So Paul wasn’t a theonomist, he wasn’t a reconstructionist.

Dave:

No, but you guys are in authority by the Roman government, and to exercise their laws properly, and you didn’t do it.Okay, you come and ask us to leave.

Tom:

Verse 38:“And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates:and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia:and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.”

Dave:

Interesting!Paul is comforting the brethren, Paul and Silas are comforting the brethren.

Tom:

Dave, the magistrates were fearful here.Why? Because Paul was going to turn them in, turn them back to Rome?

Dave:

Well, you just mentioned that, that he could appeal to Caesar, he could report them.They are higher authorities than these men, they are just in charge of a local area, Philippi, but they are not Caesar himself.So, they feared because they have broken the law themselves.

Tom:

Right, and that goes on their record, they are not going to work their way back to Rome, they may have been out in the provinces trying to get back to the big time, the big city.So Dave, Verse 40:“And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia:and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.”

Dave:

It’s quite clear, Tom, it’s interesting, the brethren are not comforting Paul and Silas, Paul and Silas are comforting the brethren.And it’s like Philippians; Paul is writing from prison, Philippians chapter 4, and he says, My God shall supply all your needs.He says, I can do all things through Christ.So, just because they are thrown into prison, because they have been beaten, that does not change anything as far as they are concerned.This is what they expected, and Christ himself had said in John 15:You are not of this world, because you are not of this world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hates you.The servant isn’t greater than his Lord.They persecuted Me, what do you think they will do to you?And Paul, remember?he said, In every city bonds and affliction await me.It wasn’t that he came flying in his own jet, like some of the televangelists have.In fact, one husband and wife couple have twin his and her jets, they just paid 20 million dollars each for.Paul staggered into the next town, having been beaten in the last one, praising God and comforting the brethren.And you remember earlier, that would be at the end of chapter 14, it says they went back to all the cities where they had led people to Christ, and they said:Through much tribulation you must enter into the kingdom.They didn’t say you’ve got to go through the Great Tribulation, but you’re going to get tribulation now.1^st Peter Chapter 4, he talks about---Don’t think it’s strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you.We’re suffering for Christ, okay.So, this is what Paul expected.I think, in comforting the brethren he’s not saying:Well, you guys aren’t going to have to suffer like we’ve suffered.I think he’s saying, Yes, you’re going to suffer, but praise God, the Lord will be with you!And in fact, in Acts chapter 4, which we were in a few months ago, remember when they are beaten they return to their company, and it says:They counted it all a joy to suffer for the sake of Christ.I think that’s the kind of comfort he’s giving them.

Tom:

Sure.But, also, and, Dave, how often do we just love to hear praise reports, do we love to see people say, well this happened to me, yet what came of this was such and such came to the Lord, etc.Now what do we just have, we have the Philippian jailer, we have his family coming to Christ, so.What’s that worth?A family in part of the fellowship for eternity.So they were on to Acts 17, and we’re going to pick up with that next week.