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BalQ
Guest
I hope this is not a silly question, but is Paul a Jew or a Roman citizen? on separate sections i read that he is a Jew and then a Roman citizen. So what was his actual citizenship?
Thank you.
Thank you.
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thistle
Guest
Both.
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vern_humphrey
Guest
Thistle is correct. Roman citizenship could be conferred on anyone – usually by a patron who was a high-ranking Roman. By Paul’s time, there were more non-Romans who held the citizenship than there were born Romans.
As a Roman citizen, Paul had certain rights – among them, he could not be flogged or crucified. Note what a panic it created when he was flogged and the authorities found out that he was a Roman citizen.
As a Roman citizen, Paul had certain rights – among them, he could not be flogged or crucified. Note what a panic it created when he was flogged and the authorities found out that he was a Roman citizen.
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rwoehmke
Guest
Paul was Roman Citizen of the Jewish faith just like most of us are U.S, citizens of the Catholic Faith. Ethnically he was a semite whose ancestors were originally from Israel.
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BlestOne
Guest
Paul is a jew by religion, but he is a Roman citizen…
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Lost_Found
Guest
Our pastor discussed that a while back. Paul was from Tarsus (modern day southern Turkey). Tarsus was a cultural/intellectual center at that time. There had been famous battles there, and it was the meeting place of Antony and Cleopatra (lifestyles of the rich and famous) among other distinctions… Citizens were granted special priviledges by Rome including Roman citizenship - I’m not sure whether it was all of the citizens or just the Jews, many of whom were prominent in textiles. Paul was from a family of tent-makers, one would imagine the Roman army being one of the better customers. Anyhow you get the idea, a well-connected city it would seem. Paul would have been second generation Roman citizen, it was in his father’s day that the citizenship was conferred. I was recently reading how Paul would not have been of the status to wear the purple of Rome, although he could have worn the toga when he needed to assert his Roman citizenship pull.
It’s in Acts 22 where he gives the Roman officer a good startle and scare by informing him he’d better be tried properly because he’s a Roman citizen.
Our pastor mentioned that Paul was “more Jewish than the Jews”, a phenomenon we see whenever an individual is or had been disconnected in some way from the group for which he has great affiliation/affection (Thus Fitz Normans or Irish Americans “more Irish than the Irish”, Catholic converts “more Catholic than the Catholics” and so on.)
You can google any of the above keywords, there are many credible-looking articles on the web; it’s not an overly political issue so I’d imagine the facts are accurate.
It’s in Acts 22 where he gives the Roman officer a good startle and scare by informing him he’d better be tried properly because he’s a Roman citizen.
Our pastor mentioned that Paul was “more Jewish than the Jews”, a phenomenon we see whenever an individual is or had been disconnected in some way from the group for which he has great affiliation/affection (Thus Fitz Normans or Irish Americans “more Irish than the Irish”, Catholic converts “more Catholic than the Catholics” and so on.)
You can google any of the above keywords, there are many credible-looking articles on the web; it’s not an overly political issue so I’d imagine the facts are accurate.
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