Claudius Lysias

Biblical Account

Lysias appears in Acts 21–24. His name is first given at the opening of a letter in Acts 23:26; before that he is referred to only as the "chief captain." The term (Greek chiliarchos, "commander of a thousand") denotes a Roman officer in command of a unit of roughly one thousand men.

• Arrest of Paul (Acts 21:27–40): In the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews from Asia stirred up the crowd and sought to kill Paul. The chief captain went down with soldiers and centurions, had Paul bound with two chains, and brought him into the barracks. He had supposed Paul to be "that Egyptian" who had earlier stirred up an uprising, but when Paul addressed him in Greek, he permitted Paul to speak to the crowd.
• Confirmation of Roman citizenship (Acts 22:24–29): He ordered Paul to be examined by scourging. When Paul revealed that he was a Roman citizen, the tribune said, "With a great sum obtained I this freedom." Paul replied that he was a citizen by birth, and the chief captain was afraid because he had bound a Roman citizen.
• Hearing before the council (Acts 22:30–23:10): He summoned the chief priests and the council and set Paul before them. When the dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees intensified, he removed Paul from their midst.
• Transfer to Caesarea (Acts 23:12–30): He learned from Paul's sister's son that more than forty Jews had bound themselves by an oath to kill Paul. He sent Paul by night to the governor Felix at Caesarea with an escort of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, along with a letter.
• Felix deferred the case, saying, "When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter" (Acts 24:22).

Significance Within Scripture

Lysias oversees the first stage of the process by which Paul, arrested in Jerusalem, is eventually brought to Rome. Acts portrays him as a Roman official who preserved Paul's life amid a riot. Between these episodes lies the scene in which the Lord tells Paul that he must also bear witness at Rome (Acts 23:11). His actions are therefore read as part of the process by which the way to Rome was opened for Paul. This section leads into the trials before Felix and Festus.

Interpretation and Issues

• The letter's account: In his letter Lysias wrote that he had rescued Paul, "having understood that he was a Roman" (Acts 23:27). According to the earlier narrative, however, he learned of Paul's citizenship only after rescuing him. Many commentators therefore conclude that he concealed his attempt to have Paul scourged and presented his own conduct in a favorable light.
• Name and citizenship: Many hold that he adopted the name "Claudius" when he purchased his citizenship during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. Because "Lysias" is a Greek name, some also suggest that he was of Greek origin. Both are inferences that the text does not state directly.
• The Egyptian rebel: The Jewish historian Josephus also records the disturbance caused by a false prophet from Egypt, although the numbers he gives differ from those in Acts.
• Manuscript differences: Some manuscripts include, within Acts 24:6–8, additional words by Tertullus stating that Lysias took Paul away by force. Translations differ as to whether they include or omit this passage.
• Records outside the text: No reliable record outside Acts is known to describe his later life. Nor are there clear points of interpretive dispute concerning him among denominations.

In the Korean Church

Sermons devoted specifically to Lysias are rare. He is usually mentioned in sermons or Bible study on Paul's arrest in Jerusalem and his journey to Rome. In such settings he is often presented as someone used to protect Paul in a time of crisis. The scene involving Roman citizenship is also treated as an example of Paul's exercise of his legal rights.