Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles
17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on you: 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the clothing of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send you far from here unto the Gentiles.
22 And they gave him audience until this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the barracks, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know why they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what you do: for this man is a Roman.
27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
29 Then immediately they departed from him who should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.