The Roman Citizen Card

Acts 16:35-40

“35 When morning came, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported the message to Paul, saying, “The magistrates sent word to let you go; therefore come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul replied, “They have beaten us in public, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they going to discharge us in secret? Certainly not! Let them come and take us out themselves.” 38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens; 39 so they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. 40 After leaving the prison they went to Lydia’s home; and when they had seen and encouraged the brothers and sisters there, they departed.”

Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.   I am not sure this is something that they bragged about in Palestine.  After all, Romans were the occupiers, the interlopers, the taxing nation.  Rome made life difficult for the Jews in Palestine and many were mistreated.

Paul and Silas had been led to Macedonia by God’s Holy Spirit.  All the people they met, all the places they went, all the things that happened to them while they were there were used by God for His purposes in very powerful ways. 

Yet, Paul and Silas, instead of just walking away when they were told they were free to go, did something very human and very much like what we would do.

Paul and Silas played the Roman citizen card, not as a means of securing their release (they had already been released) but as a means of embarrassing the magistrates who had them beaten and thrown into prison with no due process.

Paul and Silas, great men of the Church, were like us.

God uses people like us.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)