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Jesus Is Born
In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world.
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A Roman Commander Has Faith
Jesus finished saying all these things to the people who were listening. Then he entered Capernaum.
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There the servant of a Roman commander was sick and about to die. His master thought highly of him.
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So Jesus went with them. When Jesus came near the house, the Roman commander sent friends to him. He told them to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself. I am not good enough to have you come into my house.
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The Roman commander saw what had happened. He praised God and said, “Jesus was surely a man who did what was right.”
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If we let him keep on doing this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come. They will take away our temple and our nation.”
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Jesus Is Brought to Pilate
Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning. The Jewish leaders did not want to be made “unclean.” They wanted to be able to eat the Passover meal. So they did not enter the palace.
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After this, Judas from Galilee came along. This was in the days when the Romans made a list of all the people. Judas led a gang of men against the Romans. He too was killed. All his followers were scattered.
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Cornelius Calls for Peter
A man named Cornelius lived in Caesarea. He was a Roman commander in the Italian Regiment.
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The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius, the Roman commander. He is a good man who worships God. All the Jewish people respect him. A holy angel told him to invite you to his house. Then Cornelius can hear what you have to say.”
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One of them was named Agabus. He stood up and spoke through the Spirit. He said there would not be nearly enough food anywhere in the Roman world. This happened while Claudius was the emperor.
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From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony. It is an important city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there several days.
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They are suggesting practices that are against Roman law. These are practices we can’t accept or take part in.”
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But Paul replied to the officers. “They beat us in public,” he said. “We weren’t given a trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead us out.”
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The officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they became afraid.
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The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem.
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Paul the Roman Citizen
The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted, “Kill him! He isn’t fit to live!”
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A commander was standing there as they stretched Paul out to be whipped. Paul said to him, “Does the law allow you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”
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When the commander heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it. “What are you going to do?” the commander asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
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So the commanding officer went to Paul. “Tell me,” he asked. “Are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” Paul answered.
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Right away those who were about to question him left. Even the officer was alarmed. He realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
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The Jews grabbed Paul. They were about to kill him. But I came with my soldiers and saved him. I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.
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“I told them that this is not the way Romans do things. We don’t judge people before they have faced those bringing charges against them. They must have a chance to argue against the charges for themselves.
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Paul Sails for Rome
It was decided that we would sail for Italy. Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Roman commander named Julius. He belonged to the Imperial Guard.
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Paul Preaches in Rome
Three days later Paul called a meeting of the local Jewish leaders. When they came, Paul spoke to them. He said, “My brothers, I have done nothing against our people. I have also done nothing against what our people of long ago practiced. But I was arrested in Jerusalem. I was handed over to the Romans.
