If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.

After three days Paul called together the local leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, "Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We stayed in this city some days;

But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, without trial, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now cast us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out."

The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.

While they were trying to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?"

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen."

So the commander came and said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes."

So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately; and the commander also was afraid when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had put him in chains.

This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.