The Rage of Exclusivism

The people were listening with close attention, but when Paul reached the point where he was appointed ambassador to the Gentiles, their fury broke out again. They were unwilling to let the despised Gentiles share the privileges they had thought of as exclusively their own. They shouted, “‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live’ULe 149.6

“Then, as they cried out, ... the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, that he might know why they shouted so against him.ULe 149.7

“And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, ‘Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?’ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the commander, saying, ‘Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.’ Then the commander came and said to him, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ The commander answered, ‘With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.’ And Paul said, ‘But I was born a citizen.’ Then immediately those who were about to examine him withdrew from him; and the commander was also afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.ULe 149.8

“The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them” (Acts 22:25-30).ULe 150.1