Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles
17 Now it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance; 18 and beheld him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony of me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and scourging from synagogue to synagogue those who believe on thee: 20 and when the blood of Stephen thy martyr was shed, I myself even stood by, and took delight in his execution, and guarded the garments of those who slew him.
21 And he said to me, Go: for I will send thee forth to the Gentiles afar off.
22 And they gave him audience to this sentence, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 So when they began raising a vast clamour, and stripping off their garments, and casting dust into the air, 24 the military tribune commanded him to be brought into the fortress, ordering that he should be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what cause they clamoured so loudly against him. 25 So as they were tying him up for the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by him, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned?
26 And when the centurion heard this, he came and told the military tribune, saying, Consider what you are going to do: for this man is a Roman citizen.
27 Then the tribune came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes.
28 And the tribune replied, With a large sum of money I purchased this citizenship. And Paul said, But I enjoy it as my birthright.
29 Immediately then they who were about to put him to the question, withdrew from him: and indeed the tribune dreaded the consequences, when he knew that he was a Roman citizen, that he had even gone so far as to bind him.