Acts 22:24

Paul, on being condemned to be scourged, appeals as a Roman CitizenThe Roman Commander summons the Sanhedrim, 24-30.

Acts 22:24. The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and hade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. Claudius Lysias, the Roman officer, of course had understood but little of the Hebrew address just delivered by Paul; but when he saw that the people were moved to frenzy by Paul's words, he began to suspect that there was something more than ordinarily dangerous in the apparently insignificant prisoner, whose presence and words could so painfully excite the Jerusalem people. In those stormy and turbulent days which immediately preceded the final outbreak of the Jews, every Roman official in authority felt the danger and responsibility of his position; so at once he determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious matter, and ordered the prisoner to be tortured in the cruel way then common with the terrible scourge. This scourging was a very usual torture among the Romans in the case of criminals who had to be examined. The punishment was carried out by lictors, and was usually inflicted by rods. ‘Judicial torture for the purpose of eliciting a confession has acquired a euphemistic name, the application of the rack, etc., being known in history as putting men to the question.' It is not unlikely that, besides wishing himself to get at the truth of the matter, the Roman, in ordering Paul to be subjected to this severe and disgraceful punishment, like Pilate in the case of the Lord, wished to please the Jews, and so win himself a cheap popularity.