Paul Identifies Himself As A Roman Citizen; Acts 22:22 – 29

Church History: Date: A.D.57 - 59

22The 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!" 23As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25As 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?" 26When 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." 27The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered. 28Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big price for my citizenship." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied. 29Those who were about to question him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.

The Jews listened to the apostle's discourse until he began to preach the Gospel to them. It was then that they break into fury and passion, and expressed their fury by throwing dust into the air, and casting off their clothes, as if they were preparing to stone him. They looked upon him as the worst of villains, and unworthy to live. This shows us what a vile opinion the Jews had of the Gentiles, whom they called dogs, and what high esteem they had of themselves. They showed a proud conceit of their own deservings, as if the favors of heaven belonged to no one but themselves. Yet they trampled upon them, when they were offered to them.

What a vile esteem these wicked Jews had of the holy and innocent apostle, who desired above all things to preach the glad tidings of the gospel to them, and longed most affectionately for the conversion and salvation of them. They called him the greatest villain upon earth, and unworthy to live upon it; but the good man had learned (and let all the faithful ministers of Christ learn it after him) to take pleasure in reproaches, in persecutions, in necessities and distresses, for Christ's sake.

Paul showed a pious prudence and innocent policy which he used for his own preservation: when they were about to bind him to a post, in order to flog him, the apostle declares himself a free citizen of Rome, by being born in one of the cities which the Roman emperor had made free; accordingly Paul pleads for himself the privilege of a Roman citizen, who neither ought to be bound or beaten. Though we may not render evil for evil, yet we may right ourselves by all lawful means. The chief captain, fearing that he had done more than he could answer, because it was death for any one in authority to violate the Roman privileges; therefore more out of fear than love, or more out of love to himself than the apostle, he released Paul from his bonds.5