How Was Roman Citizenship and Advantage for the Apostle Paul?

Roman citizenship entitled a person to certain rights and privileges wherever he went in the empire. A Roman citizen was subject to Roman law, not the laws of provincial cities. When accused, he could agree to be tried according to local law, yet he still retained the right to be heard by a Roman tribunal. In the case of a capital sentence, he had the right to appeal to the emperor.

On the basis of such rights, Cicero, a Roman statesman of the first century B.C.E., stated:  "It is a crime to bind a Roman citizen, to scourge him is a wickedness; to put him to death is almost patricide," that is, killing one's own parent or close relative.

The apostle Paul  preached throughout the Roman Empire. He made use of his rights as a Roman citizen on three recorded occasions: (1) He informed the Philippian magistrates that they had infringed  upon his rights by beating him.  (2) He revealed his status to avoid scouring in Jerusalem.  (3) He appealed his case to Caesar, the emperor of Rome, so that it would be heard directly by him. -Acts 16:37-39; 22:25-28; 25:10-12.

Next time: How Were the Shepherds Paid in Bible Times?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015