Paul the Roman Citizen

HOOK

DO NOT FORGET TO UNMUTE

It’s the 8th day of — MONDAY— Pastor Arnel Aquino

Last Thursday right here at the “The Message”, when Paul addressed the crowd after he was arrested— he defended himself— and from his defense these are what we learned:

MY BEST DEFENSE IS MY PERSONAL TESTIMONY

I WILL SHARE WHO I WAS, HOW I ENCOUNTERED JESUS, AND WHO AM I NOW

Today let’s see what happened when the commander ordered that Paul be brought to the barracks— open your Bible to Acts 22:22-29

When studying the Bible, look for words that defines the CHARACTER of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit— keep an eye on COMMANDS to obey— good EXAMPLES to follow, and bad examples to avoid— PROMISES that you could claim— sins to CONFESS— CHALLENGES you encountered— and ENCOURAGEMENT to keep you going

READ ACTS 22:22-29

BOOK

Acts 22:22–29 NIV

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

WHAT: Paul revealed that he is a Roman Citizen

WHERE: Jerusalem

WHEN: AD 57-59

WHO: Paul, Commander, Centurion, Crowd

WHY: It is unlawful to punish a Roman citizen without a trial

Paul’s audience reacts violently to his speech— and the Roman commander seeks to learn why the Jewish people were so upset with Paul but using torture— but he escaped flogging by calling attention to his Roman citizenship

LOOK

IS IT LEGAL FOR YOU TO FLOG A ROMAN CITIZEN WHO HASN’T EVEN BEEN FOUND GUILTY?

It is unlawful for a Roman citizen to be punished without a trial

TELL ME, ARE YOU A ROMAN CITIZEN? YES I AM, HE ANSWERED

The commander even said that he paid a large amount of money to secure his citizenship— but Paul gained his Roman citizenship by birth

BUT I WAS BORN A CITIZEN, PAUL REPLIED

— Tarsus where he was born was a municipality of the Roman Empire— that automatically granted Paul his citizenship

THE COMMANDER HIMSELF WAS ALARMED WHEN HE REALIZED

That he had put Paul, a Roman citizen in chains

Now, why is it important that Paul’s citizenship was mentioned in the Bible?— Paul’s Roman citizenship gave him privilege in advancing the Gospel

God used his Roman citizenship to spread the Gospel first to the Jews and to the Gentiles—

TOOK

I MUST KNOW WHEN TO INVOKE MY RIGHTS

I WILL USE MY RIGHTS AS A CITIZEN TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL

SING

Agape Worship Team— I Raise a Hallelujah