Know Your Rights As A Believer!

“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 thou doest: for this man is a Roman.’ Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, ‘Tell me, art thou a Roman?’ He said, ‘Yea.’ And the chief captain answered, ‘With a great sum obtained I this freedom.’ And Paul said, ‘But I was free born.’ Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.”

Understanding your privileges as a United States citizen is vital—just as vital as understanding your rights and identity in Christ, as Paul exemplifies. In these verses, Lysias, the chief captain, ordered Paul brought to the barracks for private questioning, directing soldiers to escort him to the Antonia Fortress to protect him from the enraged crowd. Seeing that a fair hearing was impossible amid such chaos, the commander chose to interrogate Paul in the barracks. “To be examined by scourging” refers to a brutal Roman method of interrogation in which victims were flogged with the Roman flagellum—metal-tipped leather thongs attached to a wooden handle. Many prisoners died from such beatings. The mention of scourging also recalls the suffering our Savior endured before the crucifixion.

Facing the threat of a potentially fatal flogging, Paul courageously spoke up while being bound with thongs: “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not been condemned?” The Jerusalem garrison likely included several centurions among roughly a thousand soldiers. Roman law—under the Valerian and Porcian statutes—protected citizens from such harsh interrogations without due process. By asserting his rights as a Roman, Paul removed any doubt; falsely claiming citizenship carried the penalty of death. It appears the soldiers were moments away from beginning the beating when Paul revealed his status. Because this kind of scourging could be deadly, Paul was determined to prevent it. He told the truth: he was indeed a Roman citizen. Flogging a Roman without a trial was illegal, and Paul’s decision to disclose his citizenship was both lawful and wise.

The centurion promptly informed his commander, warning that proceeding could end Lysias’s career—or worse. That caution was appropriate; no officer wanted to face severe consequences for punishing a Roman citizen without trial. When the chief captain questioned Paul, Paul affirmed his identity. The commander noted that he had purchased his own citizenship at great cost, while Paul replied that he was a citizen by birth. This revelation underscored God’s providence: no one could thwart Paul’s mission before its time. In Jerusalem, Rome’s authority commanded both fear and respect, and Roman citizenship carried significant protection.

Angering Rome could cost a commander his position—or even his life. The supposed prisoner had, in fact, unsettled the chief captain, revealing that lines had already been crossed. Paul’s eloquence and education—he was bilingual and trained under Gamaliel—showed he was no ordinary man. He had even once served as an officer tasked with apprehending Christians. Ultimately, it was not the prisoner who was afraid, but his captor. Unsure how to proceed, the examiners withdrew, and Paul’s chains were removed.

Believers in Jesus Christ should know their rights as citizens and understand both their God-given and civil protections. Stand firm in your identity—in Christ and under the law. Amen. Act:24