Acts 22:25 is the sole New Testament instance: “But as they stretched him out to lash him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, ‘Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not been condemned?’” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb describes the physical act of tying or binding a prisoner to receive scourging.

Historical Background

Roman military and civic authorities commonly used scourging to extract information or enforce order. Victims were secured to a stake or post, their back exposed, then beaten with leather thongs (flagella) that could include bone or metal. Roman law technically forbade this punishment for citizens without trial, but such protections were often ignored in provincial settings unless challenged, as Paul does in this passage.

Scene in Acts 22

Paul has just given his defense to a Jewish crowd in Jerusalem when an uproar breaks out (Acts 22:1-23). The commander (tribunus) orders him into the barracks to be examined “by flogging” (Acts 22:24). Verse 25 records the moment Paul is stretched out, highlighting three elements:

1. Imminent physical suffering for the gospel.
2. Paul’s calm invocation of legal rights.
3. God’s providential use of Paul’s Roman citizenship to protect His servant for future ministry (Acts 23:11; Acts 27:24).

Legal and Social Implications

The action behind Strong’s 4385 underscores the vulnerability of believers living under pagan authority. Yet it also shows that legitimate civil rights can be employed without compromising faith. Paul’s appeal is neither cowardice nor rebellion; it is wise stewardship of citizenship to prolong gospel witness (Philippians 1:12-14).

Theological Insights

• Suffering and Sovereignty: God does not always remove the threat (the ropes are already tightened), but He controls the outcome (the scourging never occurs).
• Witness through Weakness: Paul’s chains become a platform to address rulers (Acts 24–26) and, eventually, the church in Rome.
• Integrity and Law: Scripture affirms submission to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-7) while acknowledging lawful means to seek justice (also John 18:23; Acts 16:37-39).

Relation to Other Biblical Narratives

Although Acts 22:25 is unique in vocabulary, the motif of stretching or binding before punishment recalls:
• Jesus bound before scourging by Pilate’s soldiers (Matthew 27:26; John 19:1).
• Peter and the apostles beaten for preaching Christ (Acts 5:40-42).

These parallels accentuate fellowship in Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10) and the triumph of gospel mission despite coercion.

Implications for Ministry Today

1. Expect opposition, yet trust divine oversight.
2. Use legal avenues ethically to preserve life and advance the gospel.
3. Encourage believers under persecution with Paul’s example: steadfast, respectful, and strategic.
4. Teach that God often works through apparent setbacks to open doors otherwise closed, reminding the church that “the word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9).