The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-06-29
Sunday.SchO0l Lessons
PAULs ROMAN CITIZENSHIP.
THIRD QUARTER,

PAULS ROMAN CITIZENSHIP.
tt is of great interest in q study of the
life of Paul to observe what bearing on
his career the fact had that he was a
-'Roman citizen" We shall get clear
idea of what part Paufs Roman citizen
ship played in his personal history by
noticing first what were the privileges
of a Roman citizen, and then by tracing
briefly his course in the exercise of those
privileges. Full Roman citizenship was
granted by the people only, or, in later
times, by the Emperor, in whom were
concentrated many of the rights of the
people. Citizenship was acquired in
various ways-as by purchase, by mill
tary service. by favor, or by manumis-
Sion.'' 1t descended by inheritance
from father to son, and, as Paul was
-freeborn, it is probable that his father
had obtained this right by manumission.
Among the great and important privi-
ieges of Roman citizen were the right
TO vote and to hold office, to have full
control of his own person-that is, free
dom from entire or partial servitude; to
make 4 will; to be tried by Roman
citizens or Judges appointed by them;
TO appeal if tried in a province,
which brought the case before the
tribunal at Rome. No citizen could be
bound, beaten, scourged. or capitally
punished, without first being tried by
court or chosen by the people. So
great were the privileges OF Roman cit
liens. that not only did the simple as
Sertien "CiriS R0,aGnus Sum''-.'I am
Roman Citizen save many a man from
death, but the man saving 81 am
Roman'' falsely was punished with
death.
Criminal jurisdiction in the time of the
Republic was with the s.Praetor and
his associates chosen from and ly the
people. In the time of the Empire the
Emperor arrogated to himself privileges
of the people, and in this way the su-
preme court before which Paul was
summoned ut Rome was presided over
by Nero and Judges by him appointed
In the provinces, supreme criminal
jurisdiction was with the Governor, who
might be Proconsul, Proprietor, or.
as in the case of Judea, Procurator.
This officer having supreme power as a
Judge over all jewellers in his province
except Roman citizens. usually exer-
cised it tyrannically and cruelty. A
Roman tried by such Provincial Gov
ernor could Except in few extreme
cases) exercise his right of appeal"
BY this he took the case out of the Gov
ernor's hands, and brought it before
the supreme tribunal at Rome The
Governor then had to give the prisoner
safe conduct to Rome, and send to the
court there full statement of the case
rs heard by him, with dispositions of the
witnesses, and his decision. As before
stated, the decision of the Emperor
court at Rome was final.
We have now seen briefly what were
those privileges which would affect
Pauls case, and also how citizenship
would aid him were he brought before
the courts for trial. Let us now see
in what way Paul exercised his great
right.
Paul availed himself of this right as
citizen on three occasions.
First, in Philippi. The magistrates
had beaten Paul, and thereby rendered
themselves liable to be capitally pun
ished by Roman law. On Paurs pro-
nouncement of his citizenship, they
tried to persuade him and Silas to leave
quietly, that their crime in having them
beaten might not be detected; but Paul
insisted that as they had been publicly
beaten, they should be publicly deliver
ed (Acts I6).
A second time in the tower Antonio
in Jerusalem LActs 22). When the
Chief Captain ordered Paul examined by
scourging. Paul saved himself from the
torture of an inquisitorial trial by SIM
ply saving TO the centurion: sis it law
full for you to scourge man that is
Roman?" And little farther on we
read: 8 And the Chief Captain also was
afraid after he knew that he was
Roman, and he had bound him. And
he loosed him from his bonds"
A third time. We see Paul ar
raigned before Festus. His accusers
appointed by the Sanhedrin appear be-
fore him in person as Roman law re-
quired, and bring three charges
<'heresy, sacrilege and treason" which
said Paul, Il stand at Cesars Judgment
seat Iappeal unto Caesar"
And the appeal was granted. As has
been shown, Festus had to send Paul to
Rome for trial, where, before the court
of Nero, after weary Imprisonment
while waiting the coming of his ac-
cusers, he was, it is believed, at last ac-
quilted.
We have given but a glance at Paul
as Roman; but with the light of some
facts as to what citizenship was, and
some understanding of the courts before
which Paul was arraigned, the study of
his career as belonging TO 1.-THE grand
eur that was Rome" can not but be of
interest. T. Reid, in S. S. Times.
Neglected Duty.