St. Paul in prison

MOST people, even non-Christians, know the dramatic accounts of Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection, historical events that are central to the Easter season. Fewer are familiar with the similarly dramatic events that occurred after Christ’s Passion and Resurrection. Understanding these events is crucial to understanding how the whole world came to know of this one execution.

The Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament tells of escapes, rescues, imprisonments, angry tribunals, executions and tense crowds that characterized the apostles’ evangelization efforts. The story of St. Paul’s visit to the Jewish temple in Jerusalem makes for especially riveting reading.

Remember, Paul had been a Jew who had been traveling through lands of the Roman Empire to round up other Jews who were joining the new sect of followers of the “Nazarene.” Those he captured were put in prison and sometimes executed. He had stood by as Stephen, also a Jew, was stoned to death by an angry Jewish crowd. Paul did all this until, as we all know, he was traveling to Damascus and was struck by a bolt of light and heard the voice of Christ. He instantly believed in the divinity of Jesus as the Messiah and became the most famous evangelist. He would receive other miraculous messages as well.

In Chapter 21, Paul visits the temple in Jerusalem to make sacrificial offerings. (The first Christians for a time honored what for many was their ancestral religion in this way.) After a few days of his presence, many in the temple come to realize who Paul is and seize him. They bring him before a Roman tribune, demanding that he be put to death.

Paul requests Roman justice: “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?”

Here is the account of his time in the temple of Jerusalem, starting with Chapter 21, verse 26:

Then Paul took the men, and the next day being purified with them, entered into the temple, giving notice of the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an oblation should be offered for every one of them.

But when the seven days were drawing to an end, those Jews that were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands upon him, crying out: Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover hath brought in Gentiles into the temple, and hath violated this holy place. (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

And the whole city was in an uproar: and the people ran together. And taking Paul, they drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

And as they went about to kill him, it was told the tribune of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

Who, forthwith taking with him soldiers and centurions, ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers they left off beating Paul.

Then the tribune coming near, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and demanded who he was, and what he had done.

And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. And when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

And when he was come to the stairs, it fell out that he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the people.

For the multitude of the people followed after, crying: Away with him.

And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith to the tribune: May I speak something to thee? Who said: Canst thou speak Greek?

Art not thou that Egyptian who before these days didst raise a tumult, and didst lead forth into the desert four thousand men that were murderers?

But Paul said to him: I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. And I beseech thee, suffer me to speak to the people.

And when he had given him leave, Paul standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. And a great silence being made, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying

CHAPTER 22

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you.

(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence.)

And he saith: I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the truth of the law of the fathers, zealous for the law, as also all you are this day:

Who persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

As the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the ancients: from whom also receiving letters to the brethren, I went to Damascus, that I might bring them bound from thence to Jerusalem to be punished.

And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light:

And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me.

And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do.

And whereas I did not see for the brightness of that light, being led by the hand by my companions, I came to Damascus.

And one Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony of all the Jews who dwelt there,

Coming to me, and standing by me, said to me: Brother Saul, look up. And I the same hour looked upon him.

But he said: The God of our fathers hath preordained thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see the Just One, and shouldst hear the voice from his mouth.

For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things which thou hast seen and heard.

And now why tarriest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, invoking his name.

And it came to pass, when I was come again to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance,

And saw him saying unto me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

And I said: Lord, they know that I cast into prison, and beat in every synagogue, them that believed in thee.

And when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I stood by and consented, and kept the garments of them that killed him.

And he said to me: Go, for unto the Gentiles afar off, will I send thee.

And they heard him until this word, and then lifted up their voice, saying: Away with such an one from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

And as they cried out and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air, The tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and that he should be scourged and tortured: to know for what cause they did so cry out against him.

And when they had bound him with thongs, Paul saith to the centurion that stood by him: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

Which the centurion hearing, went to the tribune, and told him, saying: What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.

And the tribune coming, said to him: Tell me, art thou a Roman? But he said: Yea.

And the tribune answered: I obtained the being free of this city with a great sum. And Paul said: But I was born so. [29] Immediately therefore they departed from him that were about to torture him. The tribune also was afraid after he understood that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had bound him. [30] But on the next day, meaning to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the priests to come together, and all the council: and bringing forth Paul, he set him before them.

CHAPTER 23

And Paul looking upon the council, said: Men, brethren, I have conversed with all good conscience before God until this present day.

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Then Paul said to him: God shall strike thee, thou whited wall. For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and contrary to the law commandest me to be struck?

And they that stood by said: Dost thou revile the high priest of God?

And Paul said: I knew not, brethren, that he is the high priest. For it is written: Thou shalt not speak evil of the prince of thy people.

Chapter 23 continues; the tribune calls upon the army to give Paul safe passage out of the city to take him to Caesarea, where a Roman governor is awaiting him.

[I have left out the verse numbers for easier reading Find them here.]

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