Claudius Lysias figures in the account of Acts because of his dealings with the apostle Paul. He and the soldiers and army officers with him rescued Paul from death at the hands of a rioting mob. Taking hold of Paul, Claudius Lysias directed that the apostle be bound, and when, because of the tumult, he was unable to ascertain through inquiry the nature of the accusation against him, he commanded that the apostle be brought to the soldiers’ quarters located in the Tower of Antonia.​—Ac 21:30-34.

Claudius Lysias mistakenly concluded that Paul was the Egyptian who had previously stirred up sedition and led the 4,000 “dagger men” into the wilderness. But, upon learning otherwise, he granted the apostle’s request to address the crowd from the steps, likely those of the fortress. When violence started anew immediately after Paul’s mentioning his commission to go to the nations, Claudius Lysias ordered that he be brought inside the soldiers’ quarters and closely examined under scourging.​—Ac 21:35-40; 22:21-24.

Still desiring to arrive at the truth concerning the accusation against Paul, Claudius Lysias commanded the Sanhedrin to assemble. On that occasion Paul’s introducing the subject of the resurrection resulted in such dissension among the members of the Sanhedrin that Claudius Lysias, fearing that Paul would be pulled to pieces by them, ordered soldiers to snatch the apostle out of their midst.​—Ac 22:30; 23:6-10.