Roman in the Bible

Meaning: strong; powerful

Exact Match

Some of us are Parthians, some Medes, some Elamites; and some of us live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Roman Asia,

Verse ConceptsProvinces

and Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya along Cyrene, and those Roman aliens, including Jews and proselytes,

Verse ConceptsLanguages Mentioned In ScriptureProselytes

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob --- the God of our forefathers --- has highly honored His servant Jesus, whom you people turned over [to the Roman authorities] and denied [Him freedom] in the presence of [governor] Pilate, who had already decided to release Him.

Verse Conceptsenemies, of Jesus ChristJacob, The PatriarchMoses, Significance OfPeter, Preacher And TeacherRenunciationHanding Over ChristPeople Set Free By People

[Then, at the hands of the Roman authorities] you killed the Prince of [never ending] life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we [apostles] were [reliable] witnesses of it.

Verse ConceptsApostles, Function In Early Churchevangelism, nature ofLife, HumanPeter, Preacher And TeacherApostles, Duties OfChrist The BeginningContemporary Witness To ChristGod Raising ChristChrist Was KilledChrist's Life

After him, at the time of the enrollment for the Roman tax, Judas the Galilean appeared and influenced people to desert and follow him, but he too perished and all his followers were scattered.

Verse ConceptsCensusHistoryPeople Following PeopleScattering Followers

But some members of the Synagogue known as that of Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and Visitors from Cilicia and Roman Asia, were roused to action and began disputing with Stephen;

Verse ConceptsAlexandria The CityConfrontationMissionaries, Support ForSynagogueGod, Impartiality OfFalse Teachers, Examples OfDisputes

About three o'clock one afternoon [Note: This is based on Jewish time calculations; if Roman time were employed, it would have been

Verse ConceptsAngel of the LordCommunicationecstasyVisions And Dreams In Scripture3 PmThose Who Saw Visions

AM if calculating by Roman time], to the top of the house to pray [Note: The roofs of houses were flat areas, often used for resting, meals, prayer, etc.].

Verse ConceptsLeatherArts And Crafts, Types ofOccupationsSeashores

Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius.

Verse ConceptsFamine, Examples OfCaesarRoman EmperorsPredicting The Future

He was with a very intelligent magistrate, [a Roman official named] Sergius Paulus. This man called for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the message of God.

Verse Conceptsevangelism, kinds ofDerision

They next went through the Phrygian district of Galatia, but were restrained by the Holy Spirit from delivering the Message in Roman Asia.

Verse Conceptsevangelists, ministry ofInspiration Of The Holy Spirit, Purpose OfProvincesThe Holy Spirit In The ChurchLed By The SpiritMissionaries

and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days.

Verse Conceptsevangelism, kinds ofProvinces

But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to smuggle us out secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out!”

Verse ConceptsApologizingempiresPersecution, Forms OfPunishment, Legal Aspects OfRoman CitizensBeating BelieversSpreading StoriesAvoiding SecrecyBringing People Out Of Other PlacesNo JusticeCitizenstrailsjail

Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

Jason has welcomed them and [now] all of them [i.e., Paul, Silas, Jason and the others] are going against the [Roman] laws of Caesar by saying that someone else is [our] king; that Jesus is [king]!"

Verse ConceptsdefianceKingship, DivineTreasonFalse Accusations, Examples OfWelcoming BelieversDifferent Personacting

There he met a certain Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, [in northern Asia Minor] who, with his wife Priscilla, had recently come from Rome, because Claudius [the Roman Emperor] had ordered all Jews out of that city. Paul met this couple

Verse Conceptsevangelism, motivation forempiresCaesarCommands, in NTPunishment, Legal Aspects OfRefugeesGood Wives ExamplesAquilaRoman EmperorsGroups Sent Away

Then, all of them [Note: This "all" could refer to the Greeks, the Jews or the Roman officers. Since the text does not specify, it seems most reasonable to suggest it was the Romans] grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court of justice. But Gallio showed no interest in the whole affair.

Verse ConceptsFloggingBeating Believers

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland districts of Roman Asia, and went to Ephesus. There he found some disciples, of whom he asked:

Verse ConceptsFindingRoadsflexibility

This went on for two years, so that all who lived in Roman Asia, Jews and Greeks alike, heard the Lord's Message.

Verse ConceptsLordship, Human And DivineWordsProvincesTwo YearsThe Gospel To Jew And Gentilespace

So he sent to Macedonia two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Roman Asia.

Verse ConceptsStaying PutServing PeoplePeople Sending People

And you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but in almost the whole of Roman Asia, this Paul has convinced and won over great numbers of people, by his assertion that those Gods which are made by hands are not Gods at all.

Verse ConceptsFalse ReligionPolytheism

So that not only is this business of ours likely to fall into discredit, but there is the further danger that the Temple of the great Goddess Artemis will be thought nothing of, and that she herself will be deprived of her splendor--though all Roman Asia and the whole world worship her."

Verse ConceptsCovetousness, Example OfAll NationsWorshipping Material ThingsDeposing

If Demetrius therefore, and the artificers that are with him, have a charge against any one, the law-courts are open, and there are Roman proconsuls likewise: let them implead one another.

Verse ConceptsProconsulCourt SessionsPeople Accusing People

He was accompanied by Sopater the son of Pyrrhus, of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, as well as by Tychicus and Trophimus of Roman Asia.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as to avoid spending much time in Roman Asia. He was making haste to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the Festival at the close of the Harvest.

Verse ConceptseagernessPentecostHasty ActionFeast Of Weeks [Pentecost]sailing

And, when they came, he spoke to them as follows: "You know well the life that I always led among you from the very first day that I set foot in Roman Asia,

Verse ConceptsSelf ConfidenceMannersFirst Among The GentilesPeople With General Knowledge

But, just as the seven days were drawing to a close, the Jews from Roman Asia caught sight of Paul in the Temple, and caused great excitement among all the people present, by seizing Paul and shouting:

Verse ConceptsInciting To EvilSeven DaysDisciples In The TempleSeven Days For Legal Purposes

While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

Verse ConceptsConfusion, Examples OfArmies, RomanAttempting To Kill Specific PeopleChiliarchs

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am a Roman born.

Verse ConceptsCivil LibertyExpensiveCitizensReligious Freedomserenity

Straightway, therefore, they who were about to put him to the test, withdrew from him; and, even the captain, was struck with fear, when he found out he was, a Roman, and because, him, he had bound.

Verse ConceptsChainsTying UpCitizens

This man, having been apprehended by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them, I went down with the troop, and rescued; having learned that he was, a Roman.

Verse ConceptsRoman CitizensRescueIndividuals Saving Others

having been informed he was a Roman, I had him brought before their Sanhedrim, to hear what crime they laid to his charge.

For we have found this man to be a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes!

Verse ConceptsHeresiesPersecution, Forms OfSectsFalse Accusations, Examples OfDissension

There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me--

Verse ConceptsPeople Accusing People

I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to give up anyone for punishment until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against their accusations.

Verse ConceptsCustomContact With PeopleMan Defending

We went on board a ship from Adramyttium, which was on the point of sailing to the ports along the coast of Roman Asia, and put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went with us.

Verse ConceptsShipsThe NavySea Travel

There the Roman Officer found an Alexandrian ship on her way to Italy, and put us on board of her.

Verse ConceptsAlexandria The CityShipsSea Travel

The Roman Officer, however, was more influenced by the captain and the owner than by what was said by Paul.

Verse ConceptsAdvice, Rejecting Good Adviceadvisers

When Paul said to the Roman Officer and his men: "Unless the sailors remain on board, you cannot be saved."

Verse ConceptsStaying PutThose Not SavedBeing Savedsailingjumping

But the Roman Officer, anxious to save Paul, prevented their carrying out their intention, and ordered that those who could swim should be the first to jump into the sea and try to reach the shore;

Verse ConceptsRankSwimmingPeople JumpingRestraints From Killing

Thematic Bible



Now Jesus stood in front of the governor [i.e., Pilate], who asked Him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus answered him, "You have said so."

After staying not more than eight or ten [more] days [there in Jerusalem], Festus went down to Caesarea and the following day he ordered Paul to appear before him as he sat in his court of justice.


Now it was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of Galilee, his brother Philip was ruler of the regions of Ituraea and Trachonitus [Note: These two men were sons of Herod the Great (See Matt. 2:1) and ruled over provinces east of the Jordan River] and Lysanias was ruler of Abilene [Note: This was a province just north of the two previously mentioned ones].


Then the Pharisees conspired as to how they could trap Jesus by what He said. So, they sent their disciples, [along] with the Herodians to Him [Note: These were members of a political party favoring King Herod], saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and that you teach the truth about God's way. You do not care for [i.e., do not fear or give in to] anyone or allow the position of any person to influence you. So, tell us what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" read more.
But Jesus perceived their wicked intention and said, "Why are you putting me to a test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for paying taxes." And they brought to Him a coin [Note: This coin was equivalent to one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994]. He said to them, "Whose image and inscription are on this coin?" They answered Him, "Caesar's." Then He replied, "Pay to Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar and pay to God whatever belongs to God." And when they heard this, they marveled; then left Him and went away.

Then the Pharisees sent certain ones of their number [See Matt. 22:15-16] along with the Herodians [Note: This refers to members of a political party favoring King Herod] to attempt to trap Him by what He said. And when they arrived, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and [that you] do not care for [i.e., do not fear or give in to] anyone. For you do not allow [the position of] any person to influence you, but teach the truth about God's way. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay it, or should we not pay it?" But Jesus was aware of their hypocrisy and said to them, "Bring me the coin so I can see it." [Note: The amount of this coin was equivalent to one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994]. read more.
So, they brought it to Him and He said to them, "Whose image and inscription [are on this coin]?" And they answered Him, "Caesar's." Then Jesus replied to them, "Pay to Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar and pay to God whatever belongs to God." And they greatly marveled at Him.


Later on another man, named Judas of Galilee, appeared during the census [Note: The time and circumstances of this census were probably known to the original readers], and led [a group of] people away after him, but he also was killed and all of his followers were scattered.

Now there were some there at that very time who told Jesus about some people from Galilee whose blood Pilate [the Roman governor] had mixed with their sacrifices [i.e., he had them murdered while they were offering their sacrifices].


Then some tax collectors came to him to be immersed and asked him, "Teacher, what must we do [i.e., to demonstrate our repentance]?"

Then after these things happened, Jesus went out [i.e., probably walking along a street] and saw a publican [Note: This was a person with a bad reputation for dishonest tax collecting activities] named Matthew [i.e., the same as Levi. See Mark 2:14] sitting at the toll booth [collecting taxes] and said, "Become my follower."


Show me the coin used for paying taxes." And they brought to Him a coin [Note: This coin was equivalent to one day of a farm laborer's pay, or about $60-$84 in 1994]. He said to them, "Whose image and inscription are on this coin?"


And everyone went to register in his own home town. So, Joseph also went from the Galilean town of Nazareth to David's town, which was the Judean town of Bethlehem, because he was among the descendants and family of David. [He went] to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him and who was pregnant [at the time].


They began bringing accusations against Him, saying, "We discovered this man misleading the people of our nation and telling them not to pay taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he himself was the Messiah, a king!"


This was the first registration made while Quirinius was governor of Syria.


Now it happened in those days that a decree was sent out from Caesar Augustus [the Emperor of the Roman Empire] requiring [people from] the whole empire to be registered [i.e., for taxation purposes].