Paul Using his Roman Citizenship to Protect himself

Acts 21:39-22:1 But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

Acts 22:25-29 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?” When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!” The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.” The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.” Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

Paul’s appeal to Caesar was yet another example of his exercising his rights as a Roman citizen in an attempt to protect himself:

Acts 25:11  . . . if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!

Acts 28:19  . . . But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar