We were informed in the Devotional for our reading last Thursday, Oct.19, that Philippi was a Roman colony and that its citizens were very proud of that fact. But just what does that mean? Craig Keener writes, “Citizens of Philippi, a Roman colony, were automatically citizens of Rome, sharing all the rights and privileges of Roman citizens even though most of them had never been there.”1 Bandy tells us, “The basic rights of Roman citizenship were the right to appeal (provocatio), the right to vote (suffragium) in the assembly, the right to choose between a local or Roman trial, and protection from degrading forms of punishment. Emperor Augustus passed a law (lex Iulia de ui publica) that forbade any magistrate invested with the right of capital punishment (imperium) to kill, scourge, chain, or torture a Roman citizen if he made an appeal. A magistrate who disregarded the appeal and carried out a capital sentence was guilty of murder. Most importantly, Roman citizens were exempt from death by crucifixion, so citizens were executed by beheading.”2 Raspske states, “Citizenship was attended by distinctions and entitlements that affected every area of life. In the realms of business (holding property, making contracts and paying taxes), domestic affairs (getting married, having legitimate children and making wills) and litigation (courts, custody and punishments), the citizen was accorded better treatment than was the imperial subject who did not possess the franchise.”3
Paul plays on the Philippians’ pride of their citizenship to point out that their more important citizenship was in heaven (Phil. 3:20). He wants them to live as citizens of heaven. The CSB translation of Phil. 1:27 reads, “Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ.”4 The phrase ‘as citizens of heaven’ is a bit interpretative but is probably how the Philippians would have understood the Greek text. The ESV Study Bible on this verse reads, “The phrase be worthy of the gospel translates the Greek word politeuesthe. As the ESV footnote indicates, the Greek can also be translated as “only behave as citizens worthy [of the gospel of Christ],” a phrasing that nicely captures Paul’s play on words here and in 3:20 (“our citizenship [Gk. politeuma] is in heaven”). Philippi prided itself on being a Roman colony, offering the honor and privilege of Roman citizenship. Paul reminds the congregation that they should look to Christ, not Caesar, for their model of behavior, since their primary allegiance is to God and his kingdom.”5
So why does Paul not play his citizenship card when he is being beaten and jailed? Philippi is not the only city where he either doesn’t mention it or waits to bring it up. Everyone in Philippi would not have been a citizen and many of the new converts were probably not citizens. His first convert was a woman named Lydia who was from Thyatira, a small city in Asia Minor and not a Roman colony. If Paul had earlier announced his citizenship to avoid the harsh treatment from the governing authorities it might have hurt the church’s growth among the non-citizens. They might have felt threatened if they joined this new movement without the protection of Roman citizenship. What was important to Paul was his citizenship in heaven. Recall what Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:2 “To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” CSB
1Keener, Craig S. 2014. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press. 564-565
2Bandy, Alan S. 2020. “Roman Citizenship.” In The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, edited by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, 769. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
3Rapske, Brian M. 2000. “Citizenship, Roman.” In Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, electronic ed., 215. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
4Christian Standard Bible. 2020. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
5Crossway Bibles. 2008. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Paul plays on the Philippians’ pride of their citizenship to point out that their more important citizenship was in heaven (Phil. 3:20). He wants them to live as citizens of heaven. The CSB translation of Phil. 1:27 reads, “Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ.”4 The phrase ‘as citizens of heaven’ is a bit interpretative but is probably how the Philippians would have understood the Greek text. The ESV Study Bible on this verse reads, “The phrase be worthy of the gospel translates the Greek word politeuesthe. As the ESV footnote indicates, the Greek can also be translated as “only behave as citizens worthy [of the gospel of Christ],” a phrasing that nicely captures Paul’s play on words here and in 3:20 (“our citizenship [Gk. politeuma] is in heaven”). Philippi prided itself on being a Roman colony, offering the honor and privilege of Roman citizenship. Paul reminds the congregation that they should look to Christ, not Caesar, for their model of behavior, since their primary allegiance is to God and his kingdom.”5
So why does Paul not play his citizenship card when he is being beaten and jailed? Philippi is not the only city where he either doesn’t mention it or waits to bring it up. Everyone in Philippi would not have been a citizen and many of the new converts were probably not citizens. His first convert was a woman named Lydia who was from Thyatira, a small city in Asia Minor and not a Roman colony. If Paul had earlier announced his citizenship to avoid the harsh treatment from the governing authorities it might have hurt the church’s growth among the non-citizens. They might have felt threatened if they joined this new movement without the protection of Roman citizenship. What was important to Paul was his citizenship in heaven. Recall what Paul said in 1 Cor. 9:2 “To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.” CSB
1Keener, Craig S. 2014. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press. 564-565
2Bandy, Alan S. 2020. “Roman Citizenship.” In The Baker Illustrated Bible Background Commentary, edited by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays, 769. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
3Rapske, Brian M. 2000. “Citizenship, Roman.” In Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, electronic ed., 215. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
4Christian Standard Bible. 2020. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
5Crossway Bibles. 2008. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
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