The beloved physician Luke wrote how Paul continued to give defense for himself before a hostile Jewish crowd in Hebrew, and after doing so, the multitude, “lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what you do: for this man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes”, and in chapter twenty-two and verse twenty-eight of the book of Acts Luke shared how the chief captain said, “with a great sum obtained I this freedom” where we read:
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom.
And Paul said, But I was free born.
The verse begins, “And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom.” Luke began with the words, “and the chief captain answered” which means “and the chiliarch or Roman commander of cohorts responded and began to speak to Paul by saying”, “with a great sum” or “by the use of a large, massive and abundant amount of money” “obtained I this freedom” which means “acquired, procured and possessed I, the chief captain, the administration of civil affairs and the state of the commonwealth or rights of a citizen”. Luke shared how the “chief captain” told “Paul” he acquired his “Roman citizenship” by purchasing it with a large amount of money.
The verse continues, “And Paul said, But I was free born.” Luke added the words, “and Paul said” which means “and Paul, whose name means small or little, uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “but I was free born” or “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover I, Paul, existed as birthed and engendered as a Roman citizen”. Luke shared how “Paul” told the “chief captain” that he was birthed as a Roman citizen.
When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the “Roman chief captain” wondered how “Paul” gained his citizenship in Rome. The “chief captain” paid to be a citizen of Rome, but “Paul” was born as a “Roman citizen”. Regardless of how they obtained their citizenship, “Paul” was not to be beaten without a trial that condemned him. God intervened in “Paul's” life, and He used the “Roman citizenship and law” to divert “Paul” from this whipping. God loves people, and His desire is to have a personal relationship with each one through His Son Jesus. Where a person is born and their citizenship is in no way an obstacle knowing God the Father through Jesus Christ the Son, and anyone who yields themselves to Him will be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life in Heaven. Let all who read these words come to Jesus and realize God was responsible for where they were born and whose citizenship they obtained.
Next time Luke shares how, “they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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