Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles
17 After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance, 18 And saw Jesus saying to me 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'
19 'Lord,' I answered, 'these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you; 20 And, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him.
21 But Jesus said to me 'Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away'."
22 Up to this point the people had been listening to Paul, but at these words they called out: "Kill him! A fellow like this ought not to have been allowed to live!"
23 As they were shouting, tearing off their clothes, and throwing dust in the air, 24 The Commanding Officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash, that he might find out the reason for their outcry against him. 25 But just as they had tied him up to be scourged, Paul said to the Captain standing near: "Is it legal for you to scourge a Roman citizen, unconvicted?"
26 On hearing this, the Captain went and reported it to the Commanding Officer. "Do you know what you are doing?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27 So the Commanding Officer went up to Paul and said: "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," replied Paul.
28 "I had to pay a heavy price for my position as citizen," said the Officer. "I am one by birth," rejoined Paul.
29 The men who were to have examined Paul immediately drew back, and the Officer, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, was alarmed at having put him in chains.