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CLAUDIUS LYSIAS
Commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem who wrote a letter to the Roman procurator Felix concerning the apostle Paul (Acts 23:26). His title in Greek (chiliarch) identifies him as a commander of 1,000 troops. Although Claudius Lysias is unknown outside the NT, some information about him is supplied by the book of Acts. His surname Lysias is Greek. The Roman name Claudius was evidently taken at the time he purchased his Roman citizenship (22:28).
Stationed in the Antonia fortress overlooking the northern sector of the temple area in Jerusalem, he rescued Paul from a Jewish mob that was about to kill him there. He allowed Paul to speak to the Jews from one of the two staircases that led from the Court of the Gentiles in the temple up to the Antonia (Acts 21:40) and prevented Paul from being scourged when he learned of Paul’s Roman citizenship (22:22-29). Claudius Lysias sent Paul secretly to Caesarea under heavy guard when Paul’s nephew informed the tribune of a Jewish plot to murder the apostle in Jerusalem (23:16-35).
How Luke, the writer of Acts, obtained a copy of the official letter about Paul written by Claudius to Felix the governor is not known, but the document provides an important vindication of Paul’s character and conduct in the face of his opponents’ accusations.