Paul a Prisoner
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told the chief captain, saying, “Take heed what thou doest; for this
man is a Roman.”
On hearing this, Lysias was alarmed for himself. A Roman might
not be punished before he had been legally condemned, nor punished
in this manner at all. The chief captain well knew how stringent were
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the laws protecting the rights of citizenship, and that if the statement
were true he had, in his proceedings against Paul, violated these laws.
He immediately went in person to the prisoner, and questioned
him concerning the truth of the centurion’s report. Paul assured him
that he was indeed a Roman citizen; and when the officer exclaimed,
“With a great sum obtained I this freedom,” Paul declared, “But I
was free born.” The preparation for torture went no farther, and those
commissioned to conduct his examination left him. Paul was, however,
still held in custody, as the nature of his offense had not yet been
inquired into.
On the next day the chief captain summoned a meeting of the
Jewish Sanhedrim, with the high priest, and brought Paul down from
the castle, under the protection of a sufficient force to guard against
any attempt upon his life. The apostle now stood in the presence of
that council of which he himself had been a member,—that council by
which Stephen had been condemned. The memory of that scene, and
of his own efforts to secure the condemnation of the servant of Christ,
came vividly before his mind. As he looked upon those who were to
be his judges, he recognized many who had been his associates in the
school of Gamaliel, and who had also united with him in persecuting
the disciples of Jesus. They were now as eager to put Paul to death as
they had been to destroy Stephen.
The apostle’s bearing was calm and firm. The peace of Christ,
ruling in his heart, was expressed upon his countenance. But his look
of conscious innocence offended his accusers, and when he fearlessly
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addressed them, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience
before God until this day,” their hatred was kindled afresh, and the
high priest ordered him to be smitten upon the mouth. At this inhuman
command, Paul exclaimed, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall,
for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be
smitten contrary to the law?” These words were not an outburst of
passion. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul uttered a prophetic
denunciation similar to that which Christ had uttered in rebuking the