Paul continued testifying to the angry mob at the temple fortress steps. He had already shared how Jesus had transformed his heart. Sometime after that, Paul returned to Jerusalem. As he was praying in the temple, Paul fell into a trance. In his trancelike state, Jesus told Paul to quickly and urgently flee from Jerusalem because the Jews would not accept Paul’s testimony about Jesus. Paul affirmed such an awareness of this reality that he possessed, recounting how the Jews were well aware of how viciously he had persecuted Christians and how he had enthusiastically consented to Stephen’s death by stoning. The Lord spoke once again, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (cf. Acts 22:21).
At this statement from Paul, the crowd of Jews stopped their ears, refusing to listen to another word from Paul. They screamed out, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live” (cf. Acts 22:22). They shouted, threw their cloaks, and flung dust into the air to display their severance from Paul. As this violent reaction occurred, the tribune ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks, intending to have Paul flogged. He was so perplexed by the crowd’s violent reaction that he assumed a flogging of Paul would bring additional context to light.
As Paul was stretched out to be whipped, he asked the centurion about the lawfulness of whipping an uncondemned Roman citizen. The centurion immediately informed the tribune that Paul was a Roman citizen and that they were violating his Roman rights. The tribune asked Paul to confirm his citizenship. The tribune had purchased his Roman citizenship, but Paul had received it as a Roman-born citizen, placing him in a greater standing than even the tribune. The men preparing to whip Paul instantly withdrew from their intended purpose, and the tribune’s heart was filled with fear because of the realization of what he had done to Paul, a bona fide Roman citizen.
You can listen to this teaching on Acts 22:17-29 by clicking on the following link: Away With Such A Fellow
