Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles
17 And when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance, 18 and saw him [Christ], saying to me, Hasten and depart immediately from Jerusalem, for they will not receive your testimony of me.
19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in the synagogues those who believed on you; 20 and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was poured out, I also stood by and consented, and kept the clothes of those that killed him.
21 And he said to me, Go, for I will send you to nations far away.
22 And they heard him to this word, and lifted up their voice saying, Take away such a man from the earth; it is not fit that he should live.
23 And as they cried and rent their clothes and cast dust in the air, 24 the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, ordering that he should be examined with scourges, that he might know for what reason they cried so against him. 25 But when they extended him with cords, he said to the centurion standing by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 And the centurion hearing this, went and told the chiliarch, saying, What are you about to do? for this man is a Roman.
27 And the chiliarch came to him and said, Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said, Yes.
28 And the chiliarch answered, I acquired this citizenship for a great price. But Paul said, I am indeed, and was also born [one].
29 Then those about to examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the chiliarch was afraid, knowing that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.