Acts 22:17-29

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Paul Sent to the Gentiles

¹⁷ “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance^{(A) 18} and saw Jesus^[a] saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.^{(B) 20} And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.’^{(C) 21} Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the gentiles.’ ”^(D)

Paul and the Roman Tribune

²² Up 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.” ²³ And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air,^{(E) 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. ²⁵ But when they had tied him up with straps,^[b] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman person who is uncondemned?”^{(F) 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.” ²⁷ The tribune came and asked Paul,^[c] “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.” ²⁹ Immediately 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.