On a visit to Jerusalem — his fifth recorded journey there since his conversion — Paul was seized by a mob when he went to the temple where he was recognized by "Jews which were from Asia." The Asian Jews were among those who had traveled to Jerusalem from many areas for the Feast of Pentecost. (See Acts 21:27.)
Earlier, they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the streets of the city and assumed that Paul had brought a gentile into the temple. Such an offense was subject to the death penalty.
The Asian contingent "stirred up the people, and laid hands on him" as they cried out for others for help to rid the temple of the "pollution." The mob "drew him out of the temple" and "they went about to kill him." (Acts 21:28-31.)
Paul was rescued by a Roman captain, Claudius Lysias, and his soldiers, who arrested him. After Paul told them he was a Roman citizen, a status that prohibited his being bound and scourged without proper trial and condemnation, Paul was "loosed from his bands." (Acts 22:30.)
Lysias ordered the Sanhedrin to allow Paul to speak. After a fierce quarrel arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, Lysias, fearing "Paul should be pulled to pieces," commanded his soldiers to take him to the castle, or barracks. (Acts 23:1-10.)
More than 40 of the Jews met together and took an oath that "they would neither eat nor drink til they had killed Paul." (Acts 23:12-13.) They proposed to the San-hedrin that it request Paul's presence to "enquire something more perfectly concerning him." (Acts 23:15.) They intended to kill Paul when he was brought before them.
Paul's nephew learned of the plot and told Paul, who instructed him to tell Lysias. (Acts 23:16-21.) As a Roman chief captain, Lysias knew he must protect Paul, a Roman citizen. Lysias called centurions to prepare 200 foot soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to escort Paul to Caesarea. That night, the soldiers conducted Paul as far as Antiparis, about 25-30 miles from Jerusalem. The next day, the horsemen accompanied Paul to Caesarea to turn him over to the custody of Felix, the Roman governor of Judea. (Acts 23:19-33.)
In the LDS edition of the King James Version of the Bible is this entry under the heading of Felix: "He investigated the case and heard Paul speak in his own defense (Acts 24), but put off giving any decision, his reason being that he had 'more exact knowledge concerning the Way,' i.e., he knew more about the case and about Christianity than the prosecutors had told him. He hoped Paul would have offered him some bribe; but none being offered on his recall from Palestine, he left the apostle still in prison." (Bible Dictionary, p. 674.)
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