The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.”

Acts 22:27-28 (NASB)

To be a citizen of Rome was an esteemed position when Paul was preaching in Jerusalem; such a person had power and legal protections under Roman law. Indeed, a Roman citizen could not be tried under any other law than that of Rome and certainly could not be submitted to corporal punishment such as flogging. Anyone found to be wrongly treating a citizen of Rome would be in serious trouble, costing them their freedom or their life. Today’s scripture comes at a time when Paul is about to be flogged until he proclaims his Roman citizenship. The commander is called, and he questions Paul. The verse following our text tells us, “those who were about to interrogate him immediately backed away from him; and the commander also was afraid.” Paul was not just a Roman citizen, he was a naturally born Roman – an elite citizen in a republic where very few were of such status. These soldiers feared for their welfare, having treated a true Roman in such a manner.

In this modern world, citizenship is also prized, some more than others. Being a natural-born Scotsman, I am well aware that being of Scottish descent is treasured by many immigrants and their extended families – just look at the Scots associations and clan gatherings held in other parts of the world…far more than those held annually in Scotland. But for Christians, the citizenship that we prize is not found in any geographical borders; for being born again children of God grants us the privilege of being citizens of His Heavenly Kingdom.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20

Dear Reader, a Roman gifted their citizenship could lose it, just as the soldiers in our text feared. The same can be true of those deferred citizenship of our nations, if they commit a serious crime. In contrast, the citizenship of Heaven can not be taken from us by any worldly authority – we will enjoy the benefits of it in due time. That is something to rejoice in and look forward to, for Almighty God keeps His promises!

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Devotional Treasures

About the Author

Devotional Treasures is a daily source of Biblical posts on various sources; they are free to all. These are written by me, Alan Kearns, and are inspired by my own private reading/study of God's Word.

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