“As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?” Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.” After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:”…

‭‭Acts‬ ‭21‬:‭37‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did Paul really think that this irrational mob would listen to him? They had already pronounced him guilty. They had already determined that he must die. If it were not for military intervention, he would have already been dead at the hands of this “kangaroo court”. For once, thank God for the Romans. 

“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today…”

Paul did the best thing under the circumstances…he told them his story….a detailed account of all that had happened in and after that fateful moment on the way to Damascus when he met Jesus, culminating in what Paul thought would bring reason to this mob in this situation…Jesus’ instruction to him to go to the Gentiles. 

 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

That did it! Mention of the word “Gentiles” was the trigger! The crowd erupted in rage! 

“The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!””

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Once again the commander intervened but…with ruthless Roman tactics…flogging! 

“As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Why did Paul need to be flogged? Why such cruelty to get him to talk? Once again, Paul appealed to his Roman citizenship into which he was born, to save himself from torture. 

“As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭25‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The commander quickly backed down. He was in trouble. He had arrested and chained a Roman citizen…a man who had special privileges because of his citizenship. His next best move was to set Paul before the Jewish counsel that had accused him. Let them determine the reason for his arrest. 

“The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭22‬:‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Bad plan! Why?

 Paul and his opponents operated in two different worlds and functioned under two different authorities. The Jewish leaders were locked into the world of religion…its principle of operation, control. Control was the way they handled every situation except this one. Try as they did, they could not control Paul because Paul was not living under human domination but under divine ownership and voluntary submission to divine authority. He took orders from a higher power and refused to submit to illegitimate authority. 

Slowly, as the situation unfolded, both the Jews and the Romans lost out on their plan to rule Paul. The God in whom he trusted and to whom he gave allegiance, used the very powers they exercised to accomplish His own purposes and fulfil His own promise to His faithful servant.  

To be continued