Roman Empire

How Nave’s arranged it

• Ruled by
• Augustus CaesarLuke 2:1
• Tiberius CaesarLuke 3:1
• Claudius CaesarActs 18:2
• NeroPhilippians 4:22
• Citizenship in
• By birthActs 22:28
• By purchaseActs 22:28
• The rights of citizensActs 16:37Acts 22:25–29
• The right of trialActs 25:16
• The right of appealActs 25:10Acts 25:21

The passages, in Bible order (10)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 10 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Luke 2:1

   Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.

   ›Commentary on Luke 2:12 voices

   “In those days - About the time of the birth of John and of Christ. A decree - A law commanding a thing to be done. Caesar Augustus - This was the Roman emperor. His first name was Octavianus. He was the nephew of Julius Caesar, and obtained the empire after his death. He took the name “Augustus - i. e., august,” or honorable - as a compliment to his own greatness; and from him the month “August,” which was before called “Sextilis,” received its name.

   “He has rightly added the name of the governor, to mark the course of time. For if the names of the Consuls are affixed to the tables of prices, how much more ought the time to be noted down, of that event which was the redemption of all men? There is described a secular registration, implied a spiritual, to be laid before the King not of earth but of Heaven; a registering of faith: a census of souls. For the old census of the Synagogue was abolished, a new census of the Church was preparing.

   Everything gathered on Luke 2:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Luke 3:1

   In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

   ›Commentary on Luke 3:12 voices

   “Now in the fifteenth year - This was the “thirteenth” year of his being sole emperor. He was “two” years joint emperor with Augustus, and Luke reckons from the time when he was admitted to share the empire with Augustus Caesar. See Lardner’s “Credibility,” vol. i. Tiberius Caesar - Tiberius succeeded Augustus in the empire, and began his “sole” reign Aug. 19th, 14 a.d. He was a most infamous character - a scourge to the Roman people.

   “(2.) It is dated by the governments of the viceroys that ruled in the several parts of the Holy Land under the Roman emperor, which was another badge of their servitude, for they were all foreigners, which bespeaks a sad change with that people whose governors used to be of themselves ( Jer. xxx. 21 ), and it was their glory.

   Everything gathered on Luke 3:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Acts 16:37

   But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”

   ›Commentary on Acts 16:372 voices

   “They have beaten us publicly, being Roman - St. Paul does not always plead this privilege. But in a country where they were entire strangers, such treatment might have brought upon them a suspicion of having been guilty of some uncommon crime, and so have hindered the course of the Gospel.

   “They have beaten us openly uncondemned - There are three aggravating circumstances mentioned, of which Paul complains: (1) That they had been beaten contrary to the Roman laws. (2) That it had been public; the disgrace had been in the presence of the people, and the reparation ought to be as public. (3) That it had been done without a trial, and while they were uncondemned, and therefore the magistrates ought themselves to come and release them, and thus publicly acknowledge their error.

   Everything gathered on Acts 16:37→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Acts 18:2

   There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them,

   ›Commentary on Acts 18:22 voices

   “And found a certain Jew named Aquila,.... This seems to have been his Roman name, which he had took, or was given him, while he was at Rome; very likely his Jewish name was נשד, "Nesher", which signifies an eagle, as "Aquila" does: unless it should rather be thought to be a Greek name; and as "Olympas" is from "Olympios", and "Nymphas" from Nymphios"; so "Akilas", as it in the Greek text, from Akylios", and this from ακυλος, "Akylos", which signifies an acorn.

   “From this province there were Jews at Jerusalem on the great Pentecost (Ac 2:9), and the Christians of it are included among "the strangers of the dispersion," to whom Peter addressed his first Epistle (1Pe 1:1). Whether this couple were converted before Paul made their acquaintance, commentators are much divided.

   Everything gathered on Acts 18:2→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Acts 22:25–29

   But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

   ›Commentary on Acts 22:25–292 voices

   “How does Paul say, "I am a man, a Jew, a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, not of an insignificant city," and shortly after, "If a man is a Roman and uncondemned," and the following? How, then, having said these things, and not at another …

   “And as they bound him with thongs,.... To a pillar, in order to be scourged, according to the Roman manner (d).

   Everything gathered on Acts 22:25–29→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Acts 22:28

   “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

   ›Commentary on Acts 22:282 voices

   “But I was free born - Not barely as being born at Tarsus; for this was not Roman colony. But probably either his father, or some of his ancestors, had been made free of Rome, for some military service. We learn hence, that we are under no obligation as Christians to give up our civil privileges (which we are to receive and prize as the gift of God) to every insolent invader.

   “With a great sum obtained I this freedom - So it appears that the freedom, even of Rome, might be purchased, and that it was sold at a very high price. But I was free born - It has been generally believed that the inhabitants of Tarsus, born in that city, had the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens, in consequence of a charter or grant from Julius Caesar.

   Everything gathered on Acts 22:28→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Acts 25:10

   Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.

   ›Commentary on Acts 25:102 voices

   “I am standing at Caesar's judgment seat - For all the courts of the Roman governors were held in the name of the emperor, and by commission from him. No man can give me up - He expresses it modestly: the meaning is, Thou canst not. I appeal to Caesar - Which any Roman citizen might do before sentence was passed.

   “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat - Every procurator represented the person of the emperor in the province over which he presided; and, as the seat of government was at Caesarea, and Paul was now before the tribunal on which the emperor’s representative sat, he could say, with the strictest propriety, that he stood before Caesar’s judgment seat, where, as a freeman of Rome, he should be tried.

   Everything gathered on Acts 25:10→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Acts 25:16

   I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over before he has had an opportunity to face his accusers and defend himself against their charges.

   ›Commentary on Acts 25:162 voices

   “It is clear that Pilate, having handed Jesus over to the Jews, did this with a villainous purpose, since he despised both the judgment of God and Roman law in order to please the murderers by delivering innocent blood to death, although for such an …

   “It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die - Χαριζεσθαι τινα ανθρωπον, To Make a Present of any man; gratuitously to give up the life of any man, through favor or caprice. Here is a reference to the subject discussed on Act 25:11. Before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, etc. - For this righteous procedure the Roman laws were celebrated over the civilized world. Appian, in his Hist. Roman., says: ου πατριον σφισιν ακριτους καταδικαζεσθαι. It is not their custom to condemn men before they have been heard.

   Everything gathered on Acts 25:16→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Acts 25:21

   But when Paul appealed to be held over for the decision of the Emperor, I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

   ›Commentary on Acts 25:212 voices

   “But when he had appealed - Act 25:11. To be reserved - To be kept; not to be tried at Jerusalem, but to be sent to Rome for trial. Unto the hearing - Margin, “the judgment.” That Augustus might hear and decide the cause. Of Augustus - The reigning emperor at this time was Nero. The name Augustus Σεβαστός Sebastos properly denotes “what is venerable, or worthy of honor and reverence.” It was first applied to Caesar Octavianus, who was the Roman emperor in the time when our Saviour was born, and who is usually nailed Augustus Caesar.

   "On the review of Augustus." He calls the emperor Augustus, as well as Caesar; he also calls him lord (sovereign).

   Everything gathered on Acts 25:21→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Philippians 4:22

    All the saints send you greetings, especially those from the household of Caesar.

    ›Commentary on Philippians 4:221 voice

    “All the saints - All the Christians now at Rome. They that are of Caesar’s household - Nero was at this time emperor of Rome: a more worthless, cruel, and diabolic wretch never disgraced the name or form of man; yet in his family there were Christians: but whether this relates to the members of the imperial family, or to guards, or courtiers, or to servants, we cannot tell. If even some of his slaves were converted to Christianity, it would he sufficiently marvellous.

    Everything gathered on Philippians 4:22→

    Verse page →Original language →