Acts 22:27

27 So the commanding officer went to Paul. "Tell me," he asked. "Are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," Paul answered.

Acts 22:27 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 22:27

Then the chief captain came, and said unto him
To Paul:

tell me, art thou a Roman?
he had told him before that he was a Jew of Tarsus, and which was true, and had said nothing of his being a Roman; wherefore the chief captain desires that he would tell him the whole truth of the matter, whether he was a Roman or not:

he said yea;
that he was one.

Acts 22:27 In-Context

25 A commander was standing there as they stretched Paul out to be whipped. Paul said to him, "Does the law allow you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

26 When the commander heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it. "What are you going to do?" the commander asked. "This man is a Roman citizen."

27 So the commanding officer went to Paul. "Tell me," he asked. "Are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," Paul answered.

28 Then the officer said, "I had to pay a lot of money to become a citizen." "But I was born a citizen," Paul replied.

29 Right away those who were about to question him left. Even the officer was alarmed. He realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.