Related commentaries – Citizenship

Paul - A Roman Citizen – Acts 22:17 – 22:30

The Honor of Roman Citizenship

In olden times the words “I am a Roman citizen” protected any man when he uttered them, whether on the banks of the Euphrates or on those of the storied Rhine, whether on the plains of Persia or in the mountains of Spain. Why, in that ancient day to be a Roman was greater than to be a king. I want the announcement “I am an American citizen” to be as the Roman cry in the day of Caesar—a title of nobility, an armor of defense, a sword of protection, a shield for the weak and suffering, the undying glory of this great nation, man’s last and best attempt at self-government. (Representative Grove Johnson, Encyclopedia of Illustrations #9085).