Claudius Lysias…have you heard of him? His name comes up in the New Testament only twice (the end of Acts 23 and again in Acts 24). In Acts 21, 22, and 23 he is called simply, “the tribune” until he signs his name to a letter. And he rescues Paul from the Jews four times:

• We’ve looked at the first time: the riot in the Temple in Jerusalem.

And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. (Acts 21.31 – 33, ESV, emphasis mine)

• The second time was the second riot in Jerusalem: this one occurred while Paul was speaking to the crowd:

When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, “Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” And I said, “Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.” And he said to me, “Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks… (Acts 22.17 – 24, ESV, emphasis mine)

• There was a third riot: this one in the council of leaders, and once again, it’s the tribune to the rescue:

Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Acts 23.9, 10, ESV, emphasis)

• Finally, Paul’s nephew overhears a plot that 40 Jews have sworn to fast until they have killed Paul. They intend to ambush him when he is taken again to the council of Jewish leaders.

Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” (Acts 23.16 – 19, ESV)

The Tribune acts quickly and decisively, and we learn his name in the letter he writes to Felix the governor:

Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” And he wrote a letter to this effect: “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings… (Acts 23.23 – 26, ESV)

Kudos to Paul’s nephew and thank God for Claudius Lysias:

• A man of principle who would not let the Jews kill Paul.
• A man of discipline who had trained soldiers to instantly carry out his orders.
• A man of action who got Paul out of Jerusalem in the middle of the night.

God makes his promises come true:

And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (Acts 23.10, 11, ESV, emphasis mine)

And the LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” (Numbers 11.23, ESV)