Acts 22:22-25
22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”
The Jewish mob wanted to kill Paul when he claimed God wanted him to go to the nations instead of the Jews, even though they were opposed to the gospel. They wanted God for themselves, even a God whose possible Messiah was Jesus. Judgmental hate ruled and fueled their system of religion, having been blinded to the fact that Jesus fulfilled their Law, not abolished it. The Roman commander only knew the trouble seemed to be Paul, so tied him up to beat him; however, Paul revealed he was a Roman also and it was his right as a citizen to first have sentencing before punishment.
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