Citizenship

 Sixth Tuesday after Pentecost

Lectionary Texts:

OT: 2 Samuel 2:1-11

NT: 2 Corinthians 12:14-13:13

Today is Acts Bible Study. Please read Acts 22:22-29.

 

Although the rhetoric of Paul's defense speech before the Jewish mob was superb and was in Hebrew (or Aramaic), not Greek or Latin, the speech failed. The mob yelled for his execution. The Roman Tribune, wishing to know exactly what the charges against Paul were, had him taken away for flogging, an extremely painful Roman torture used to extract information. 

 

At the point when Paul is about to receive the first blow, he asks the centurion whether it is legal to flog a Roman citizen. It's a rhetorical question. Paul know that it isn't. Paul is right. The Valerian and Porcian laws, as well a some edicts of Augustus make this clear. Flogging a Roman citizen can lead to severe punishment for the flogger. The centurion tells the Tribune, who then asks Paul directly. Paul's positive response leads the Tribune to inquire how Paul got his citizenship.

 

The Tribune says that he, the Tribune, paid a lot of money for his citizenship. Roman laws forbid buying citizenship, but bribery for it frequently took place. Without citizenship he could not have risen in Roman government to the level of Tribune. 

 

Paul replies that he inherited his citizenship from his father. We do not know how Paul's father became a citizen. Doing some meritorious work for the Roman government could often lead to citizenship. Once you had it, you could pass it down to your progeny.

 

Many scholars have doubted that Luke is accurate on this. Paul never mentions his citizenship in any of his letters. On the other hand, writing to Christian churches, Paul never had any occasion to mention it. Similarly I have no occasion in writing this blog to mention that I am an American citizen.

 

Other scholars have questioned why both the centurion and the Tribune immediately accepted Paul's word without question. Why would they not have examined him more thoroughly? Wouldn't he need some kind of ID? Luke is giving us only a summary of what happened. Paul likely was examined more thoroughly about his citizenship. Luke doesn't go into the details and likely did not know all the details. There were Roman ID cards. Paul likely had one. The problem was they were highly susceptible to forgery. Likely the Tribune wanted more than and ID card. Paul provided him all the information he wanted.

The Tribune and his guards became worried when they realized they had bound up a Roman citizen. Luke may be exaggerating their shock at this. They did not know Paul was a citizen when they bound him.

Lord of all governments,

Although we realize that there is corruption in most governments, both ancient and modern, we are thankful for honest judges and officials  and pray for more of them in our own country and all over the world. In the name of Jesus the Just. Amen

Faithfully,

Christian