Acts 22:22–29

Paul and the Roman Tribune

²²Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” ²³And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air,^{* 24}the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. ²⁵But when they had tied him up with straps,^d Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman person who is uncondemned?”^{* 26}When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? This man is a Roman.” ²⁷The tribune came and asked Paul,^e “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸The tribune answered, “It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.” ²⁹Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman and that he had bound him.