Paul was a Jew and Paul was a Roman

I went to sleep uneasy.
I have woken uneasy.
I want to make this clear.
I preach Christ crucified. That is the only thing that matters.
The empire falls at the hands of the suversive Jesus.
I do not preach a political candidate. I do not belong to the Empire.
I belong to God alone. He created me in His image.

He created male and female.

Paul joyously says this in his letter to his buddies in Corinth.



2 Corinthians 4 (English Standard Version)
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.



2 Corinthians 4
The Light of the Gospel

1Therefore, having(A) this ministry(B) by the mercy of God,[a] we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced(C) disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or(D) to tamper with God’s word, but(E) by the open statement of the truth(F) we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even(G) if our gospel is veiled,(H) it is veiled only to(I) those who are perishing. 4In their case(J) the god of this world(K) has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing(L) the light of(M) the gospel of the glory of Christ,(N) who is the image of God. 5For what(O) we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with(P) ourselves as your servants[b] for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said,(Q) "Let light shine out of darkness,"(R) has shone in our hearts to give(S) the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7But we have this treasure in(T) jars of clay,(U) to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are(V) afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but(W) not forsaken;(X) struck down, but not destroyed; 10(Y) always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,(Z) so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So(AA) death is at work in us, but life in you.
13Since we have(AB) the same spirit of faith according to what has been written,(AC) "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe, and so we also speak, 14knowing that(AD) he who raised the Lord Jesus(AE) will raise us also with Jesus and(AF) bring us with you into his presence. 15For(AG) it is all for your sake, so that as(AH) grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving,(AI) to the glory of God.

16So we do not lose heart.(AJ) Though our outer self[c] is wasting away,(AK) our inner self(AL) is being renewed day by day. 17For(AM) this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18(AN) as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.



And yet Paul was two thiings.



Paul was a good Jew.

Paul was a Roman citizen.




We must not stay out of the political arena simply because we preach Christ.
In fact, we must say no to a form of Christianity that assumes that must be silent on anything that enters into the political arena. This seems to be a misreading of the life of Jesus. Jesus was crificied in the public square. Jesus was ridiculed by the judges, the magistrates, the chief religious priests. And Jesus wins us in the larger political arena, the social world, and the city stage; he does not simply win us in private.