Acts #89 How Paul Used His Roman Citizenship

Paul used whatever he could lawfully use to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ among both Jews and Gentiles.

On the one hand, he used the Old Testament ceremonies in order to reach the Jews. Paul circumcised Timothy, took a Nazarite vow, prayed in the Temple in order to reach Jews with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did so, not because he believed the ceremonies, dietary laws, and holy days of the Old Testament were an obligation for Christians in the New Covenant. He did so because he was free to use these ceremonies during that apostolic, transitional period of time as a means to evangelize his Jewish brethren. Paul called these Old Testament ceremonies temporary shadows that pointed to Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17) and that were legally abolished and nailed to the cross of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14). He was not bound to use
them, but he was free to use them, and he did.

On the other hand, Paul also used his Roman citizenship as a means to promote the gospel and bear testimony to the Gentiles in our text today. Paul’s great burden (which we should mirror in our own lives as well) is found in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Sadly, it is not until we have lost these blessings that we realize how we have used them for God’s glory.

The main points from our text this Lord’s Day are: (1) The Reaction of the Jews to Paul’s Commission to the Gentiles (Acts 22:22-23); (2) The Reaction of the Romans to Paul’s Citizenship (Acts 22:24-30).