25
As they spread-eagled him with thongs, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair trial?"
26
When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain. "Do you realize what you've done? This man is a Roman citizen!"
27
The captain came back and took charge. "Is what I hear right? You're a Roman citizen?" Paul said, "I certainly am."
28
The captain was impressed. "I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost you?" "Nothing," said Paul. "It cost me nothing. I was free from the day of my birth."
29
That put a stop to the interrogation. And it put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and come within a whisker of putting him under torture!