Acts 22:17-29 - Paul's Call To Preach To The Gentiles

¹⁷ And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance; ¹⁸ and saw Him, saying to me, 'Make haste, and go forth quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.'

¹⁹ And I said, 'Lord, they themselves understand that I was imprisoning and beating, throughout the synagogues, those believing on Thee; ²⁰ and, when the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, was poured forth, I myself also was standing by, and approving, and guarding the garments of those who slew him.

²¹ And He said to me, 'Depart, because I will send you far hence to the gentiles.'

²² Now they were listening to him up to this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, "Away with such a one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live!"

²³ And, as they were crying out, and throwing off their garments, and casting dust into the air, ²⁴ the chief captain gave orders that he should be brought into the castle, saying that he should be examined by scourges, that he might fully know for what cause they were thus clamoring against him. ²⁵ And, as they stretched him out for the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man, who is a Roman, and uncondemned?"

²⁶ And the centurion, hearing it, going to the chief captain, reported it, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman!"

²⁷ And the chief captain, going forward, said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes."

²⁸ And the chief captain answered, "I, for a great sum, acquired this citizenship." And Paul said, "But I have been born a citizen."

²⁹ Straightway, therefore, those who were about to examine him departed from him; and the chief captain also was struck with fear, having ascertained that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.