Topical Bible: Citizens

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In the biblical context, the concept of citizenship is multifaceted, encompassing both earthly and heavenly dimensions. The term "citizen" refers to an individual who belongs to a particular community or nation, enjoying the rights and responsibilities that come with that membership. The Bible addresses the notion of citizenship in various passages, highlighting the responsibilities of believers as citizens of earthly nations and as members of the Kingdom of God.

Earthly Citizenship

The Bible acknowledges the reality of earthly citizenship and the importance of fulfilling civic duties. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the responsibility of Christians to respect and obey governing authorities. Romans 13:1-2 states, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God. Consequently, whoever resists authority is opposing what God has set in place, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

This passage underscores the belief that earthly governments are established by God, and thus, Christians are called to be law-abiding citizens. The Bible also encourages believers to pray for their leaders, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 : "First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone—for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity."

Heavenly Citizenship

While the Bible acknowledges the importance of earthly citizenship, it places a greater emphasis on the believer's citizenship in heaven. Philippians 3:20 declares, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ." This verse highlights the dual nature of a Christian's identity, as they navigate life on earth while ultimately belonging to the heavenly kingdom.

The concept of heavenly citizenship is further explored in Ephesians 2:19 , which states, "Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household." This passage emphasizes the unity and belonging that believers have in Christ, transcending earthly divisions and national boundaries.

Responsibilities of Citizens

The Bible outlines specific responsibilities for believers as citizens of both earthly nations and the Kingdom of God. Earthly responsibilities include obeying laws, paying taxes, and contributing to the welfare of society. Jesus Himself addressed the issue of paying taxes in Matthew 22:21 , saying, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s."

As citizens of heaven, Christians are called to live lives that reflect their heavenly identity. This includes exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), sharing the Gospel, and living in a manner worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1). The dual citizenship of believers calls for a balance between fulfilling earthly obligations and prioritizing their spiritual allegiance to God.

Conclusion

The Bible presents a comprehensive view of citizenship, recognizing the believer's role in both earthly and heavenly realms. While Christians are called to be responsible citizens of their nations, their ultimate allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, where their true citizenship lies. This dual identity shapes the way believers engage with the world, as they seek to honor God in all aspects of their lives.

Greek

1218. demos -- a district or country, the common people, esp. the ...
... Transliteration: demos Phonetic Spelling: (day'-mos) Short Definition: the people,
multitude, rabble Definition: properly: the people, especially citizens of a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1218.htm - 7k

2862. kolonia -- a colony (a city settlement of soldiers disbanded ...
... Phonetic Spelling: (kol-o-nee'-ah) Short Definition: a colony, garrison city Definition:
a colony, a city settlement of Roman (soldier) citizens; a garrison ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2862.htm - 6k

4847. sumpolites -- a fellow citizen
... citizen. Word Origin from sun and polites Definition a fellow citizen NASB
Word Usage fellow citizens (1). fellow- citizen. From ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4847.htm - 6k

4177. polites -- a citizen
... Word Origin from polis Definition a citizen NASB Word Usage citizen (1), citizens
(2), fellow citizen (1). citizen. From polis; a townsman -- citizen. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4177.htm - 6k

Strong's Hebrew

1167. baal -- owner, lord
... owner, lord NASB Word Usage allies* (1), archers* (1), bird* (1), bound (1), bridegroom
(1), captain (1), case* (1), charmer* (1), citizens (1), creditor* (1 ...
/hebrew/1167.htm - 6k

5971a. am -- people
... Word Origin from an unused word Definition people NASB Word Usage Ammi (1), army
(2), army* (1), citizens (3), creatures (1), each people (2), every people (2 ...
/hebrew/5971a.htm - 5k

Library

Citizens of Heaven
... Citizens of Heaven. CPC 1 Corinthians 15:47, 48. Who are these whose faces are
irradiate. With eternal joy? With the calm the tempest may not trouble. ...
/.../bevan/hymns of ter steegen suso and others/citizens of heaven.htm

How Pompey when the Citizens of Jerusalem Shut their Gates against ...
... CHAPTER 4. How Pompey When The Citizens Of Jerusalem Shut Their Gates Against Him
Besieged The City And Took It By Force; As Also What Other Things He Did In ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 4 how pompey when.htm

Epistle i. To the Roman Citizens.
... Epistle I. To the Roman Citizens. To the Roman Citizens. Gregory, servant of the
servants of God, to his most beloved sons the Roman citizens. ...
/.../gregory/the epistles of saint gregory the great/epistle i to the roman.htm

March the Eighth the Citizens of the Home-Land
... MARCH The Eighth THE CITIZENS OF THE HOME-LAND. REVELATION vii.9-17. The citizen
of "the home-land" wears white robes. His habits are perfectly clean. ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/march the eighth the citizens.htm

How Ten Men of the Citizens [Of Jerusalem] Made a Conspiracy ...
... CHAPTER 8. How Ten Men Of The Citizens [Of Jerusalem] Made A Conspiracy Against
Herod, For The Foreign Practices He Had Introduced, Which Was A Transgression ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 8 how ten men.htm

Letter cii. To the Citizens of Satala.
... TOU AGIOU BAChILEIOU PERI TOU PNEUMATOCh BIBLION. Letter CII. To the citizens
of Satala. Moved by your importunity and that of all ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter cii to the citizens.htm

How the Citizens were Enraged against Joseph on Account of the ...
... Latin Form. Chapter V."How the Citizens Were Enraged Against Joseph on
Account of the Doings of Jesus. And a few days after, as ...
/.../unknown/the gospel of thomas/chapter v how the citizens were.htm

The Citizens of the Kingdom.
... THE TEACHING OF THE KINGDOM THE CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM. And he lifted
up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the citizens of the kingdom.htm

Concerning the Reward of the Holy Citizens of the Celestial City ...
... Book V. Chapter 16."Concerning the Reward of the Holy Citizens of the Celestial
City, to Whom the Example of the Virtues of the Romans are Useful. ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 16 concerning the reward of.htm

How the Kings of Asia Honored the Nation of the Jews and Made them ...
... CHAPTER 3. How The Kings Of Asia Honored The Nation Of The Jews And Made
Them Citizens Of Those Cities Which They Built. 1. The ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 3 how the kings.htm

Thesaurus

Citizens (28 Occurrences)
...Citizens (28 Occurrences). Luke 15:15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens
of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. ...
/c/citizens.htm - 15k

Fellow-citizens (1 Occurrence)
Fellow-citizens. Fellowcitizens, Fellow-citizens. Fellowdisciples .
Multi-Version Concordance Fellow-citizens (1 Occurrence). ...
/f/fellow-citizens.htm - 6k

Citizen (9 Occurrences)
... 5. (a.) Having the condition or qualities of a citizen, or of citizens;
as, a citizen soldiery. 6. (a.) of or pertaining to the ...
/c/citizen.htm - 9k

Citizenship (4 Occurrences)
... All Roman citizens had the right of appeal to Caesar (25:11). ... "The citizens of that
country" (Luke 15:15); "His citizens hated him" (Luke 19:14). ...
/c/citizenship.htm - 16k

Abim'elech (58 Occurrences)
... Judges 9:6 And all the citizens of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and
they went and made Abim'elech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. ...
/a/abim'elech.htm - 22k

Colony (1 Occurrence)
... The city of Philippi was a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), ie, a military settlement
of Roman soldiers and citizens, planted there to keep in subjection a newly ...
/c/colony.htm - 10k

Philippians (2 Occurrences)
... into prison, an earthquake set them free, the jailer became a believer, the magistrates
repented their treatment of men who were Roman citizens and besought ...
/p/philippians.htm - 42k

Alien (102 Occurrences)
... Both of these classes were to enjoy, under certain conditions, the same rights
as other citizens (Leviticus 19:33, 34; Deuteronomy 10:19). ...
/a/alien.htm - 39k

Ambassage (2 Occurrences)
... an embassy," a body of ambassadors on the message entrusted to them): Twice used
by Christ (1) in the parable of the Pounds, of the citizens who hated the ...
/a/ambassage.htm - 7k

Areopagus (3 Occurrences)
... to the archons who had discharged the duties of their office well and honorably,
consequently to the noblest, richest and most distinguished citizens of Athens ...
/a/areopagus.htm - 14k

Resources

What does it mean that our citizenship is in heaven? | GotQuestions.org

What is natural law? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about paying taxes? | GotQuestions.org

Citizens: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Citizens (28 Occurrences)

Luke 15:15
He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
(WEB ASV DBY YLT NAS RSV)

Luke 19:14
But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying,'We don't want this man to reign over us.'
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Acts 16:37
But Paul said to them, "After cruelly beating us in public, without trial, Roman citizens though we are, they have thrown us into prison, and are they now going to send us away privately? No, indeed! Let them come in person and fetch us out."
(WEY RSV NIV)

Acts 16:38
This answer the lictors took back to the praetors, who were alarmed when they were told that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
(WEY RSV NIV)

Ephesians 2:19
So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,
(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Philippians 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
(Root in WEB WEY ASV YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 21:28
For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it hath devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon.
(See NIV)

Joshua 8:33
All Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, who carried the ark of Yahweh's covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.
(See NIV)

Joshua 24:11
"'You went over the Jordan, and came to Jericho. The men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
(See NAS NIV)

Judges 9:2
"Say in the ears of all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubba'al rule over you, or that one rule over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."
(DBY RSV NIV)

Judges 9:3
His mother's brothers spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, "He is our brother."
(See NIV)

Judges 9:6
And all the citizens of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abim'elech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.
(DBY RSV NIV)

Judges 9:7
When they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said to them, "Listen to me, you men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.
(See NIV)

Judges 9:18
and you have risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abim'elech, the son of his maidservant, king over the citizens of Shechem, because he is your kinsman--
(DBY RSV NIV)

Judges 9:20
but if not, let fire come out from Abim'elech, and devour the citizens of Shechem, and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the citizens of Shechem, and from Beth-millo, and devour Abim'elech."
(DBY RSV NIV)

Judges 9:23
God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
(See NIV)

Judges 9:24
that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and that their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.
(See NIV)

Judges 9:25
The men of Shechem set an ambush for him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
(See NIV)

Judges 9:26
Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brothers, and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him.
(See NIV)

Judges 9:39
Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
(See NIV)

Judges 9:46
When all the men of the tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered into the stronghold of the house of Elberith.
(See NIV)

1 Samuel 23:11
Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
(DBY NIV)

1 Samuel 23:12
And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
(DBY NIV)

2 Samuel 21:12
David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
(See NIV)

Isaiah 48:2
For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel, the LORD of hosts is His name.
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 26:17
And have lifted up for thee a lamentation, And said to thee: How hast thou perished, That art inhabited from the seas, The praised city, that was strong in the sea, She and her inhabitants, Who put their terror on all her inhabitants!
(See NIV)

Ezekiel 33:17
Yet the children of your people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
(See NAS)

Ezekiel 33:30
As for you, son of man, the children of your people talk of you by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, everyone to his brother, saying, Please come and hear what is the word that comes forth from Yahweh.
(See NAS)

Subtopics

Citizens

Citizens: Duties of

Citizens: Figurative

Citizens: Loyal: Barzillai

Citizens: Loyal: David

Citizens: Loyal: David's Soldiers

Citizens: Loyal: Hushai

Citizens: Loyal: Israelites

Citizens: Loyal: Jehoiada

Citizens: Loyal: Joab

Citizens: Loyal: Mordecai