Acts 22:23-29

Roman citizenship was not priceless, but it was not cheap either.  In Paul’s time, citizenship was highly prized and opportunities to purchase it were very rare and very expensive.  The Roman Empire might bestow citizenship rights to those of high social or governmental standing.  Someone who had done exceptional service for Rome perhaps could receive citizenship.  Later, the ability to buy citizenship would become more common, but at this time only a few people had bought their citizenship, and only at a great price.

The authorities recorded the names of new citizens on one of 35 tribal lists at Rome and on local municipal registers.  Succeeding generations of a citizen’s family processed a registration at birth of their Roman status and the respective cities entered their names into the taxation tables.  People protected papers validating citizenship in family archives, and did not carry them.  Authorities must accept a verbal claim of citizenship at face value.  The penalties for falsifying documents or making false claims were exceedingly stiff.

Paul was a Roman citizen, but he was also a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

He was born a Roman citizen, but he was reborn into God’s kingdom. God’s kingdom is both harder and easier to gain citizenship into than the Roman Empire.  It is harder to gain citizenship because contrary to what some charlatans preach, citizenship is not for sell, and God will not accept a bribe.  God also does not give citizenship just because of someone’s high social standing.  While God may admire exceptional service and sacrifice, He does not reward it with citizenship.  Citizenship is also not automatic just because one’s parents were citizens.

The only one way to gain citizenship is God’s way. Christ said, “I am the way.” and he is.  He paid a price that we could never have paid, and did a work that we could not have done; he did it all to make citizenship a gift.  Everyone who believes in him is born again. They become born again citizens of the Kingdom of God.