Thematic Bible: Claudius lysius
Thematic Bible
Claudius lysius » A roman military officer
Now while they were trying to kill him, word came to the commandant of the regular Roman garrison that the whole of Jerusalem was in a state of ferment. So immediately he took soldiers and centurions and hurried down among them; and when the people saw the commandant and the troops, they stopped beating Paul. Then the commandant approached and arrested Paul and ordered that he be secured with two chains. He then inquired who he was and what he had done. read more.
Some in the crowd kept shouting back one thing and others something else, and since he could not ascertain the facts because of the furor, he ordered that Paul be removed to the barracks. And when [Paul] came to mount the steps, he was actually being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; For the mass of the people kept following them, shouting, Away with him! [Kill him!] Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commandant, May I say something to you? And the man replied, Can you speak Greek? Are you not then [as I supposed] the Egyptian who not long ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men who were cutthroats out into the wilderness (desert)? Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant or undistinguished city. I beg you, allow me to address the people. And when the man had granted him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and there was a great hush. Then he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:
Some in the crowd kept shouting back one thing and others something else, and since he could not ascertain the facts because of the furor, he ordered that Paul be removed to the barracks. And when [Paul] came to mount the steps, he was actually being carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; For the mass of the people kept following them, shouting, Away with him! [Kill him!] Just as Paul was about to be taken into the barracks, he asked the commandant, May I say something to you? And the man replied, Can you speak Greek? Are you not then [as I supposed] the Egyptian who not long ago stirred up a rebellion and led those 4,000 men who were cutthroats out into the wilderness (desert)? Paul answered, I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant or undistinguished city. I beg you, allow me to address the people. And when the man had granted him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, gestured with his hand to the people; and there was a great hush. Then he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:
And as they were shouting and tossing and waving their garments and throwing dust into the air, The commandant ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks, and that he be examined by scourging in order that [the commandant] might learn why the people cried out thus against him. But when they had stretched him out with the thongs (leather straps), Paul asked the centurion who was standing by, Is it legal for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned [without a trial]? read more.
When the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen! So the commandant came and said to [Paul], Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes [indeed]! The commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship [as a capital investment] for a big price. Paul said, But I was born [Roman]! Instantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that [Paul] was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains. But the next day, desiring to know the real cause for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.
When the centurion heard that, he went to the commandant and said to him, What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen! So the commandant came and said to [Paul], Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes [indeed]! The commandant replied, I purchased this citizenship [as a capital investment] for a big price. Paul said, But I was born [Roman]! Instantly those who were about to examine and flog him withdrew from him; and the commandant also was frightened, for he realized that [Paul] was a Roman citizen and he had put him in chains. But the next day, desiring to know the real cause for which the Jews accused him, he unbound him and ordered the chief priests and all the council (Sanhedrin) to assemble; and he brought Paul down and placed him before them.
Claudius lysius » Sends paul to felix
And when the strife became more and more tense and violent, the commandant, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the troops to go down and take him forcibly from among them and conduct him back into the barracks. And [that same] following night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Now when daylight came, the Jews formed a plot and bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they had done away with Paul. read more.
There were more than forty [men of them], who formed this conspiracy [swearing together this oath and curse]. And they went to the chief priests and elders, saying, We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath and under a curse not to taste any food until we have slain Paul. So now you, along with the council (Sanhedrin), give notice to the commandant to bring [Paul] down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more accurately. But we [ourselves] are ready to slay him before he comes near. But the son of Paul's sister heard of their intended attack, and he went and got into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, Take this young man to the commandant, for he has something to report to him. So he took him and conducted him to the commandant and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and requested me to conduct this young man to you, for he has something to report to you. The commandant took him by the hand, and going aside with him, asked privately, What is it that you have to report to me? And he replied, The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council (Sanhedrin) tomorrow, as if [they were] intending to examine him more exactly. But do not yield to their persuasion, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush waiting for him, having bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and even now they are all ready, [just] waiting for your promise. So the commandant sent the youth away, charging him, Do not disclose to anyone that you have given me this information. Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, Have two hundred footmen ready by the third hour of the night (about 9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. Also provide beasts for mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him in safety to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter having this message: Claudius Lysias sends greetings to His Excellency Felix the governor. This man was seized [as prisoner] by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. And wishing to know the exact accusation which they were making against him, I brought him down before their council (Sanhedrin), [Where] I found that he was charged in regard to questions of their own law, but he was accused of nothing that would call for death or [even] for imprisonment. [However] when it was pointed out to me that there would be a conspiracy against the man, I sent him to you immediately, directing his accusers also to present before you their charge against him. So the soldiers, in compliance with their instructions, took Paul and conducted him during the night to Antipatris. And the next day they returned to the barracks, leaving the mounted men to proceed with him. When these came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul before him. Having read the letter, he asked to what province [Paul] belonged. When he discovered that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province], He said, I will hear your case fully when your accusers also have come. And he ordered that an eye be kept on him in Herod's palace (the Praetorium).
There were more than forty [men of them], who formed this conspiracy [swearing together this oath and curse]. And they went to the chief priests and elders, saying, We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath and under a curse not to taste any food until we have slain Paul. So now you, along with the council (Sanhedrin), give notice to the commandant to bring [Paul] down to you, as if you were going to investigate his case more accurately. But we [ourselves] are ready to slay him before he comes near. But the son of Paul's sister heard of their intended attack, and he went and got into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, Take this young man to the commandant, for he has something to report to him. So he took him and conducted him to the commandant and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and requested me to conduct this young man to you, for he has something to report to you. The commandant took him by the hand, and going aside with him, asked privately, What is it that you have to report to me? And he replied, The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council (Sanhedrin) tomorrow, as if [they were] intending to examine him more exactly. But do not yield to their persuasion, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush waiting for him, having bound themselves by an oath and under a curse neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and even now they are all ready, [just] waiting for your promise. So the commandant sent the youth away, charging him, Do not disclose to anyone that you have given me this information. Then summoning two of the centurions, he said, Have two hundred footmen ready by the third hour of the night (about 9:00 p.m.) to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. Also provide beasts for mounts for Paul to ride, and bring him in safety to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter having this message: Claudius Lysias sends greetings to His Excellency Felix the governor. This man was seized [as prisoner] by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. And wishing to know the exact accusation which they were making against him, I brought him down before their council (Sanhedrin), [Where] I found that he was charged in regard to questions of their own law, but he was accused of nothing that would call for death or [even] for imprisonment. [However] when it was pointed out to me that there would be a conspiracy against the man, I sent him to you immediately, directing his accusers also to present before you their charge against him. So the soldiers, in compliance with their instructions, took Paul and conducted him during the night to Antipatris. And the next day they returned to the barracks, leaving the mounted men to proceed with him. When these came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul before him. Having read the letter, he asked to what province [Paul] belonged. When he discovered that he was from Cilicia [an imperial province], He said, I will hear your case fully when your accusers also have come. And he ordered that an eye be kept on him in Herod's palace (the Praetorium).