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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa February, 2026 In Paul’s time, if you weren’t a Roman citizen, you also had no rights. Non-citizens could be subject to torture and other terrible punishments such as crucifixion. And if the authorities violated their rights, they couldn’t challenge them. When Paul was in Jerusalem, he was accused of teaching against Jewish law and defiling the Temple (Acts 21:28). The Roman army commander ordered him arrested and bound with chains (vs. 33). When they arrived at the barracks, Paul asked for permission to address the crowd (vs. 39). He began by talking about his background (22:2-3) and the persecution he had inflicted on the early Christians (vs. 4-5). He went on to tell of his experience on the road to Damascus and his subsequent conversion (22:6-16, 9:3-18). All was going well until Paul spoke of being sent to minister to the Gentiles (22:21). At that point, the crowd cursed him and called for his death (vs. 22). The commander had him brought into the barracks and ordered him flogged (vs. 24). But as the soldiers were preparing him for flogging, he asked, “‘Is it legal for you to whip a man who is a Roman citizen and who has not been found guilty by a proper trial?’” (vs. 25b Evangelical Heritage Version). When the centurion heard that Paul was a Roman citizen, he went to the commander and said, “‘What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen!’” (vs. 26b EHV). The commander asked Paul, “‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’” (vs. 27a EHV). Paul answered that he was (vs. 27b). The commander then said, “‘I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.’” (vs. 28a EHV). And Paul answered, “‘But I was born a citizen.’” (vs. 28b EHV). As a citizen, Paul had certain rights. He could appeal to a higher authority if his rights were violated, and he had the right to a fair trial, known as “ius iudicium,” which meant he couldn’t be punished unless he were found guilty. He was also protected from what we would call “cruel and unusual punishment” such as torture. I don’t know if Paul was remembering his encounter with the Roman commander, but he wrote about citizenship to both the Ephesians and Philippians (Eph. 2:19, Phil. 3:19). “But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:19 EHV). Paul told the church leaders in Ephesus God purchased the church—and our part in it—“with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28b EHV). Being citizens of heaven gives us rights like approaching God in prayer, freedom from condemnation, and calling God our heavenly parent. It also conveys responsibilities. As a Roman citizen, Paul had to pay taxes, he could be called to military service, and he was expected to participate in the political process. The prophet Micah wrote: “What does the Lord require from you, except to carry out justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:8b EHV). As citizens of heaven, our responsibility is to promote justice, display mercy toward our neighbors, and practice humility, to show that the things we claim to believe matter, whether they’re laws or scripture, and whether our neighbors are citizens of our country or not. “So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household. You have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the Cornerstone.” (Eph. 2:19-20 EHV.) Copyright © 2026 by David
Phelps
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