"When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born."
Acts 22:26-28
This is interesting because it depicts the stratification of earthly societies, but also gives us a background as a contrast to other things that are going on in the New Testament. In Paul's day a Roman citizen had privileges that other people didn't have. Some people were born citizens, others had to work really hard to obtain the privilege, and of course to others the chance to be a citizen was beyond reach.
God tells us "Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another;" (Mosiah 23:7). Also, at this time in the New Testament, the gospel was being preached to the Gentiles specifically because of a revelation that God had blessed Peter with where he realized "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" (Acts 10:34).
Today, no matter what society says, let's remember that we should not be "supposing that [we] are better one than another;" (Alma 5:54). And although God does bless his followers, he offers those blessings to anyone who is willing to make those covenants with him. God loves us all, and we are *all* free born to him--citizens of God's kingdom, and children in his family. Let's not think less, or more highly, of ourselves than we ought to, and let's accord other people the same regard, treating them as equals, and as family.
Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born."
Acts 22:26-28
This is interesting because it depicts the stratification of earthly societies, but also gives us a background as a contrast to other things that are going on in the New Testament. In Paul's day a Roman citizen had privileges that other people didn't have. Some people were born citizens, others had to work really hard to obtain the privilege, and of course to others the chance to be a citizen was beyond reach.
God tells us "Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another;" (Mosiah 23:7). Also, at this time in the New Testament, the gospel was being preached to the Gentiles specifically because of a revelation that God had blessed Peter with where he realized "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:" (Acts 10:34).
Today, no matter what society says, let's remember that we should not be "supposing that [we] are better one than another;" (Alma 5:54). And although God does bless his followers, he offers those blessings to anyone who is willing to make those covenants with him. God loves us all, and we are *all* free born to him--citizens of God's kingdom, and children in his family. Let's not think less, or more highly, of ourselves than we ought to, and let's accord other people the same regard, treating them as equals, and as family.
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