"..... and we will begin where the lesson stopped last night - Acts 25:11, with the words, "I appeal unto Caesar."
We followed the record last night from its beginning up to that point and found that in the common view of that subject, Paul never did appeal to Caesar.
After Caesar had taken him, Paul held Caesar to his own principles and laws.
Question from the audience: "Why did he even then appeal to his Roman citizenship instead of to his heavenly ambassadorship?"
What I am saying is that he did depend upon his heavenly ambassadorship and upon his heavenly King, until the Roman power had taken him under its jurisdiction, and then he simply held the Roman authorities to the Roman law. But in the common idea that has been held on this subject, you would get the idea that Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship on every occasion when there was any danger, when the fact is that he never did it at all.
Three times at least he received Roman scourgings and made no use of his claim to Roman citizenship, made no appeal whatever to the civil power.
But when he was taken into their hands and held under their control and kept within the power of Rome, then and not till then did he make any use of the Roman power. But then when the Roman captain was about to scourge him, which was unlawful, Paul said, It is not lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned. (Acts 22:25).
Under these circumstances and under no others did he ever make any appeal to or any use of the Roman power or make any use of his Roman citizenship."
A.T.Jones
We followed the record last night from its beginning up to that point and found that in the common view of that subject, Paul never did appeal to Caesar.
After Caesar had taken him, Paul held Caesar to his own principles and laws.
Question from the audience: "Why did he even then appeal to his Roman citizenship instead of to his heavenly ambassadorship?"
What I am saying is that he did depend upon his heavenly ambassadorship and upon his heavenly King, until the Roman power had taken him under its jurisdiction, and then he simply held the Roman authorities to the Roman law. But in the common idea that has been held on this subject, you would get the idea that Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship on every occasion when there was any danger, when the fact is that he never did it at all.
Three times at least he received Roman scourgings and made no use of his claim to Roman citizenship, made no appeal whatever to the civil power.
But when he was taken into their hands and held under their control and kept within the power of Rome, then and not till then did he make any use of the Roman power. But then when the Roman captain was about to scourge him, which was unlawful, Paul said, It is not lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned. (Acts 22:25).
Under these circumstances and under no others did he ever make any appeal to or any use of the Roman power or make any use of his Roman citizenship."
A.T.Jones