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Paul, a Citizen of Rome

22 And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “(A)Away with such a fellow from the earth, for (B)he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were crying out and (C)throwing off their garments and (D)tossing dust into the air, 24 the [a]commander ordered him to be brought into (E)the barracks, stating that he should be (F)examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out [b]with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it [c]lawful for you to flog (G)a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.” 29 Therefore those who were about to (H)examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also (I)was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had (J)bound him.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 22:24 Military leader over 1,000 soldiers
  2. Acts 22:25 Or for the whip
  3. Acts 22:25 Interrogation by torture was a procedure used with slaves

22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” 23 They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.

Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship

24 The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. 25 When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer[a] standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?”

26 When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, “What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!”

27 So the commander went over and asked Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.

28 “I am, too,” the commander muttered, “and it cost me plenty!”

Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”

29 The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:25 Greek the centurion; also in 22:26.