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Acts 22:25-29

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26. When the centurion heard [that], he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27. Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was [free] born. 29. Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Acts 22:25-29 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Acts 22:25

Theological / Devotional

Bound him with thongs. The Greek may imply that they stretched him forward with straps, in a posture ready for flogging.

Centurion. Gr. hekatontarchos (see on Acts 10:1; Luke 7:2). This was the officer in charge of the squad of soldiers detailed to administer the scourging.

Is it lawful? Roman law forbade the scourging of a Roman citizen (Livy Roman History x. 9. 4, 5).

A Roman. It would have been a grave offense for Paul to claim to be a Roman citizen if he were not. The centurion realized at once that he had more on his hands than a troublemaking Jew. Roman citizenship was highly prized (see v. 28; p. 94; cf. Vol. V, p. 36), for it ensured to its possessors many privileges. Upon various occasions Roman citizenship proved to be a protection to Paul (see on ch. 16:37-39).

By SdaBc