Acts 16:22

The crowd got behind the missionaries’ accusers. The charges against them seemed so clear the magistrates evidently did not even investigate them but proceeded to beat and imprison Paul and Silas (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23; 2 Corinthians 11:25). Lictors (police officers) would have done the beating (caning; cf. Acts 16:35). Acts records only two instances in which Gentiles threatened or harmed Paul (cf. Acts 19:23-41). In both cases people were losing money in vested interests, and in both cases a Roman official vindicated Paul.