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The tribune takes no chances with a threatened Roman citizen (vv.23-24). He sends a formidable armed escort with Paul at midnight, and not without cause. During this period there are instances where bands of Jewish rebels fell upon small contingents of Roman troops and destroyed them.
Lysias’s letter to Felix (vv.26-30) is an epitome of a Hellenistic letter: writer, recipient, greeting (v.26), and body (vv.27-30). Lysias provides Felix with the gist of the situation, hedging somewhat at the point of when he discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen. If he had conveyed the truth, Felix might have rebuked him for interfering in Jewish affairs and creating a situation that would not have existed if the Jews had simply been allowed to kill Paul in the temple.
Antipatris (v.31) was about halfway between Jerusalem and Caesarea. Having brought Paul beyond the dangerous area around Jerusalem, the soldiers and spearmen return, letting the cavalry continue with Paul to Caesarea (v.32). Upon receiving Paul and the letter, Felix (procurator of Judea, c. a.d. 52-59) places Paul under guard awaiting the prosecutors from Jerusalem after first ascertaining Paul’s home, most likely for the purpose of checking on Paul’s citizenship (vv.33-35).