17
"After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.
18
I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "`Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'
19
"`Lord,' I replied, `they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;
20
and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'
21
"`Go,' He replied; `I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"
22
Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."
23
And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,
24
the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.
25
But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"
26
On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."
27
So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.