Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

26. And the centurion hearing and coming to the kiliarch, announced to him saying, “What are
you about to do, for this man is a Roman?”
27. And the kiliarch, coming said to him, “Tell me, art thou a Roman?” And he said, “Yea.”
28. And the kiliarch responded, “I obtained the same freedom for a great sum.” But Paul said:
“But, indeed, I have been born.” We see here that Lysias unhesitatingly took Paul’s word for his
Roman citizenship. We need not wonder at this, because it was a penalty of death for any person
falsely to claim Roman citizenship, the fallacy in any case being easily detected and the party
exposed to certain death. Paul’s father before him enjoyed this citizenship, how receiving it we know
not. Consequently Paul was born a participant of this freedom, the grandest boon in the world during
the Roman Empire, Lysias himself having only procured it with a great sum of money. So the
kiliarch takes Paul’s word, demanding no proof, the case being entirely too risky for him to proceed,
as he certainly would have lost his office and probably his head, as it was contrary to law to cowhide
a Roman citizen. Not only did Lysias forbid them to whip him, but he became much alarmed on
learning that he was a Roman citizen, and because he had him in custody, as it was a very delicate
and responsible matter to prosecute a Roman citizen, even though guilty of crime. Lysias is anxious
to do the right thing; consequently the following day he proceeds to present Paul before the high
priest and all the Sanhedrim, and demand of them specifications and charges.