Thematic Bible: A roman military officer


Thematic Bible



While they were attempting to kill him, news came to the tribune commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. At once he took soldiers and centurions, and rushed down upon them. When they saw the tribune and the troops, they left off beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and seized him, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. "Who is he?" he began asking, "and what has he done?" read more.
Some among the crowd kept shouting one thing, some another; and when the tribune could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered Paul into the barracks. When was going up the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the mob, for the whole mass of the people were following him, shouting, "Away with him!" Just as he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul said to the tribune, "May I speak to you?" "Do you know Greek?" said the tribune; "Are you not, then, the Egyptian who in days gone by stirred up to sedition, and let into the wilderness the four thousand cutthroats?" "I am a Jew," answered Paul, "a native of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. And I pray you, give me permission to speak to the people." So when he had given leave, Paul stood on the stairs, beckoning with his hands to the people. There came a great hush, and he spoke to them as follows, in Hebrew.

When they continued to shout, throwing their clothes into the air, and flinging dust around, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and examined under the lash, to learn for what reason the people were thus crying out against him. But when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing near, "If a man is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned, is it lawful for you to scourge him?" read more.
When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? This man is a Roman citizen." So the tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said. "I paid a large sum to get this citizenship," said the tribune. "But I was citizen-born," said Paul. Then those who were about to scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound. The next day, as he wished to learn the real reason why the Jews accused Paul, he unbound him, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down, and placed him before them.