Did Paul sin by declaring himself a Roman citizen?

[ByTheSpirit]

But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
Acts 22:25

Might seem like an odd question, but it came to mind yesterday while listening to a teaching on dying to self.

Jesus told His followers: Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39

This teaching was talking about Jesus telling His people to deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23) and how that looks practically. Basically it's a renunciation of all self and privilege. This individual said it's why Jesus was silent during His trial, and what that means for us is we should no longer look after our rights, or our own self interest. Basically to submit to what may come for God is in control and what may come is ultimately his design.

So just curious, not really meant to be a super serious discussion, but did Paul sin by using his right as a Roman citizen?

 

[bling]

But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
Acts 22:25

Might seem like an odd question, but it came to mind yesterday while listening to a teaching on dying to self.

Jesus told His followers: Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39

This teaching was talking about Jesus telling His people to deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23) and how that looks practically. Basically it's a renunciation of all self and privilege. This individual said it's why Jesus was silent during His trial, and what that means for us is we should no longer look after our rights, or our own self interest. Basically to submit to what may come for God is in control and what may come is ultimately his design.

So just curious, not really meant to be a super serious discussion, but did Paul sin by using his right as a Roman citizen?

I have had similar thoughts and heard some very poor explanations but that was with Acts 16:37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
At first clans it seems Paul is being prideful and getting some revenge.
What you have to keep in mind is the context:
Paul and Silas will be doing what the city leaders want, but Paul wants to make a huge deal out of what they did and thus not be wanting to hurt those Paul will leave behind to start the Church (Luke being one of them).

 

[ByTheSpirit]

I have had similar thoughts and heard some very poor explanations but that was with Acts 16:37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”
At first clans it seems Paul is being prideful and getting some revenge.
What you have to keep in mind is the context:
Paul and Silas will be doing what the city leaders want, but Paul wants to make a huge deal out of what they did and thus not be wanting to hurt those Paul will leave behind to start the Church (Luke being one of them).

That's an interesting thought, so in that case, Paul said what he did to really help protect the Church in that area from possible further harm and persecution? That's not something I would disagree with, certainly within the realm of possibility.

I think the situation I asked about is slightly different though, as Paul had just been beaten by a Jewish mob in Jerusalem and was going to be flogged by the Romans due to a misunderstanding that Paul had done something to rile the crowd up. It was then that Paul used his Roman Citizenship to seemingly (I stress seemingly) get out of the beating.

Now, Paul was not unaccustomed to physical harm. It's quite documented that he suffered extensively for the gospel, so that's a likely non-issue. And I mean, I'm not trying to discredit Paul on any level, just something that came to mind and I was curious about.

 

[bling]

That's an interesting thought, so in that case, Paul said what he did to really help protect the Church in that area from possible further harm and persecution? That's not something I would disagree with, certainly within the realm of possibility.

I think the situation I asked about is slightly different though, as Paul had just been beaten by a Jewish mob in Jerusalem and was going to be flogged by the Romans due to a misunderstanding that Paul had done something to rile the crowd up. It was then that Paul used his Roman Citizenship to seemingly (I stress seemingly) get out of the beating.

Now, Paul was not unaccustomed to physical harm. It's quite documented that he suffered extensively for the gospel, so that's a likely non-issue. And I mean, I'm not trying to discredit Paul on any level, just something that came to mind and I was curious about.

Paul should not suffer needlessly or have the soldiers do something they would regret doing if they knew who he was.

 

[ViaCrucis]

But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
Acts 22:25

Might seem like an odd question, but it came to mind yesterday while listening to a teaching on dying to self.

Jesus told His followers: Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39

This teaching was talking about Jesus telling His people to deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23) and how that looks practically. Basically it's a renunciation of all self and privilege. This individual said it's why Jesus was silent during His trial, and what that means for us is we should no longer look after our rights, or our own self interest. Basically to submit to what may come for God is in control and what may come is ultimately his design.

So just curious, not really meant to be a super serious discussion, but did Paul sin by using his right as a Roman citizen?

There's a world of difference between stopping violence with words and retaliating violently.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ByTheSpirit]

There's a world of difference between stopping violence with words and retaliating violently.

-CryptoLutheran

Well of course, but that's not really what I'm asking. Jesus told His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross. I have heard some teachers explain that this can be taken as far as renouncing our earthly rights as it pertains to self preservation, etc. Again, this isn't meant to be a super serious discussion, I'm just curious more about the limits of Jesus statement and if Paul violated it by using his Roman citizenship to avoid flogging in this case.

 

[RDKirk]

It was a step in Paul's necessary journey to Rome. Announcing his Roman citizenship forced the Romans to kick his case up the chain of command.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Well of course, but that's not really what I'm asking. Jesus told His followers to deny themselves and take up their cross. I have heard some teachers explain that this can be taken as far as renouncing our earthly rights as it pertains to self preservation, etc. Again, this isn't meant to be a super serious discussion, I'm just curious more about the limits of Jesus statement and if Paul violated it by using his Roman citizenship to avoid flogging in this case.

I'm reminded of the story of St. Ignatius of Antioch. Ignatius was made bishop after the previous bishop, Evodius had suffered martyrdom. According to those who knew Ignatius he had known John the Apostle; and likely had studied under both Paul and Peter in Antioch as well. Under the reign of Trajun, around the year 107 AD, Ignatius was an old man and became a fugitive for his preaching of the Gospel. Initially he fled, hiding. But ultimately he was caught. Some say he had a dream, but regardless he stopped running--he was advanced in his age and likely didn't have the energy to flee. He was caught, and then put in chains and escorted by ten soldiers to Rome where he would face the end and win his martyr's crown.

He wrote seven letters, five of those were written to churches near him, to Smyrna, to Philippi, to Magnesia, to Ephesus, and to Trallis; he sent one letter to his friend Polycarp, the young bishop of Smyrna; and he sent one letter ahead of him to Rome. To the Church in Rome he wrote that he didn't want them to try and stop what was coming. That he had made peace at the end of his life, and it was time for him to go to God as a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, whether by the violence of wild beasts, or by fire, or by sword. "Let me" he wrote, "attain Jesus Christ".

What Ignatius' testimony shows us is that he fought the good fight, and he didn't just give up and let himself be killed. But he eventually realized that he could not keep running forever, that the writing was on the wall, and so he accepted whatever God had in store for him. He looked courageously toward the end of his race, in faith. He could say, as Paul had decades earlier, that he had run the race, he had fought the good fight. Advanced in years, all that awaited him was the end of a faithful life of discipleship--terrifying as it might have been for him, he stepped forward with boldness. And was graced with his wreath of victory as a witness, a martyr, of Jesus Christ.

"I am the wheat of God" Ignatius told the Christians in Rome, "to be ground up by the teeth of wild beasts, that I might be found the pure bread of Christ."

This was not a passive giving up. It is a witness: We should not rush to martyrdom, we should not rush to our death foolhardy. But the day may come when there is no running left to be done. And we, by the grace of God, can look into death's maw and confess the Christ who conquered it. May the Holy Spirit fill us and keep us and hold us on that day, so that at the sunset of our life we may know that the sunrise of Jesus Christ has come and is coming. The tomb was rolled away, He is alive. And we too, in Him, shall live. And not even the jaws of death can destroy us, for we have become more than conquerors in Christ Jesus who loved us and gave His life for us. Our victory comes not with a sword, but with a cross and an empty grave.

-CryptoLutheran