Thematic Bible: Claudius lysius

And as they were seeking to kill him, the news came to the chiliarch of the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, they quit beating Paul. Then going near, the chiliarch laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains. And he demanded who he was and what he had done. read more.
And others cried something else in the crowd, and not being able to know the certainty on account of the uproar, he commanded him to be carried into the fortress. And when he came on the stairs, it happened that he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the crowd. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him! And as Paul was about to be led into the fortress, he said to the chiliarch, Is it lawful for me to say a thing to you? And he said, Do you know Greek? Then are you not the Egyptian who before these days caused a riot, and led four thousand men of the assassins out into the wilderness? But Paul said, I am a man, a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no small city. And I beseech you, allow me to speak to the people. And he allowing him, standing on the stairs, Paul signaled with his hand to the people. And much silence taking place, he spoke in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

And as they shouted and tore their garments, and threw dust into the air, the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the fortress, saying for him to be examined by scourging, so that he might know why they cried out so against him. And as they stretched him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? read more.
And hearing, coming near the centurion reported to the chiliarch, saying, Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman. And coming up the chiliarch said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? And He said, Yes. And the chiliarch answered, With a great sum I bought this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was even born free. Then immediately, those being about to examine him stood away from him. And the chiliarch also was afraid, fully knowing that he was a Roman, and that he had bound him. On the next day, he desiring to know with certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrin to appear. And bringing Paul down, he set him among them.

And dissension arising, the chiliarch, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him from among them by force, and to bring him into the fortress. And the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem, so you also must bear witness at Rome. And when it became day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. read more.
And they who made this conspiracy were more than forty. And they came to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, with the sanhedrin, inform the chiliarch that he bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would inquire something more perfectly regarding him. And we are ready to put him to death before he comes near. And hearing of the ambush, Paul's sister's son, having come near, and entering into the fortress, he reported to Paul. And calling one of the centurions, Paul said, Bring this young man to the chiliarch, for he has a certain thing to tell him. So he took him and brought him to the chiliarch and said, Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you. And laying hold of his hand, and drawing aside privately, the chiliarch asked him, What is it that you have to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they would inquire something more exactly about him. But do not yield to them, for there are more than forty men of them lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, looking for a promise from you. So the chiliarch sent away the young man commanding, Tell no one that you have shown these things to me. And he called two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night. And provide animals, so that they may set Paul on them and bring him to Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter in this way: Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings. This man was taken by the Jews and would have been killed by them. Then I came with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And being minded to know the charge for which they accused him, I brought him down to their sanhedrin; whom I found be accused of questions of their law, and having no charge worthy of death or of bonds. And it being revealed to me that a plot against the man was about to be executed by the Jews, I immediately sent him to you, commanding his accusers also to say before you what they had against him. Farewell. Then, indeed, taking up Paul, as it was commanded them, the soldiers brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the fortress. And when they had come to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul before him also. And when the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, I will hear you when your accusers have also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.