The Contacts of the Book of Acts with Roman Political lnstitutions (Concluded)

The next contact with Roman political institutions is established in Macedonia, where the occasion of a riot and the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of the Apostle Paul bring out a number of remarks based on existing Roman statecraft. •The event was briefly this: Paul and Silas came to a city called Philippi, in the Macedonian province. In the pursuit of their activity, Paul cast out an evil spirit, from a girl. The owners of this girl, who had gained a considerable income from her mysterious power, find their source of gain cut off and at once proceed to be avenged upon the strangers, who were possessed of a power still more mysterious than hers. They take Paul and Silas, drag them before the city authorities, and charge them with teaching customs which Romana must not adopt. The authorities promptly take the mangers, \u27divest them of their clothing, command them to be beaten with rods, place them into the innermost dungeon, and secure them by the stocks. In the following night an earthquake opens the door of the prison, and in the morning the authorities of the city sent the lictors, to the warden with instructions to dismiss the two prisoners of the previous day. But Paul refuses to be dismissed in such a dishonorable manner; ho reminds the authorities that he is a Roman citizen and that therefore it was unlawful to have him beaten with rods. Thoroughly frightened by the information that they had offended the Roman state in the mistreatment of one of its citizens, the city authorities come to Paul, politely escort him from the city and just as politely ask him to depart. ) Surely a fine treatment of 11 prisoner! But - he was civis Romanus