Paul, the citizen of Rome

Paul is always at the centre of some controversy given his temperament and his faith, and when he prays at the temple in Jerusalem there are many Jews keen to cause trouble for him.

Paul claims Roman citizenship to prevent his whipping, by Clive Uptton

They start a small disturbance which grows larger and attracts the attention of the Roman authorities. The Jews accuse him of taking Gentiles into the temple, and to calm things down the Roman commander arrests him and takes him to the barracks where he is about to be routinely whipped as a punishment. Tied to the whipping post Paul suddenly speaks to the soldier in command, and asks him in Greek whether it is legal to beat a man who is Roman and who has not yet been tried and found guilty. This shocks the commander, and when it transpires that Paul is from Tarsus, capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, the order for his release is given, and arrangements are made with the Chief priests for his rightful trial as a Roman citizen.

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