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?” 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.” The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. 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. (Acts 22:25-29)
It is one thing to sit and admire how Paul makes the most of his Jewish heritage and his Roman citizenship. Paul stymies all his foes by firstly having the security forces step in when he upsets the Jewish audience with his talk about the Gentiles. Then when the security are about to beat him up … I mean ‘interrogate’ him, he slips in his Roman passport and prevents another beating. Clever stuff.
Yet what believers recognise is that there’s more to them than just being an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. You do have a cultural heritage, you do have a national passport, you have an affiliation to some groups and an awareness of how some sub-cultures operate. These are opportunities and doorways to at least establish the gospel, even if it meets with resistance.
Paul’s ambition to spread the gospel and fulfil God’s will even in a hostile atmosphere reminds us that this gospel can be shared in any setting. It is for us to be sensitive to the Spirit to know when and how to share it in a way that will leave an undeniable impact.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 