Boldness at the Barracks
October 14, 2021
Commentary
It was the time of Pentecost, and Jews were present in Jerusalem from all over the world. Some Asian Jews saw Paul and his companions in the Temple area. In their mind Paul was a strong opponent of Judaism, the temple, the priesthood, and the law. They had heard him preach against legalism (vv. 27-29). Seeing an opportunity, they accused him of destroying the law, insulting the chosen people, and defiling the temple. They also accused him of bringing Gentiles into the restricted area of the Temple. Paul had done no such thing. His Gentile traveling companions had come with him to Jerusalem, but they had not entered the temple. The crowd seized Paul intending to kill him. They dragged him out, beating him in the process (vv. 30-31). The people would have accomplished their goal if it had not been for the quick action of the commander of the Roman troops who was stationed in Jerusalem and saw a riot developing (32-36). To keep order, Paul was taken and bound, but this action saved his life. Surprisingly, we don’t hear anything about James and the other church leaders after this point.
As Paul was being taken into the barracks, he asked the tribune, in Greek, if he could first say something to him (v. 37). The tribune had mistaken Paul for a notorious Egyptian revolutionary (v. 38). Paul corrected his assumption. He was a Jew, a Roman citizen from Tarsus, an important city within the Roman Empire (v. 39). Paul asked if he might be allowed to speak to the gathered crowd, and the tribune agreed to it (v. 40). Gesturing with his hands to the people, Paul spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect of Aramaic. The familiar language got everyone’s attention.
Application
I want to have the boldness to say what the Lord wants me to say when He wants me to say it.
Acts 21:27– 40 (NET)
27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from the province of Asia who had seen him in the temple area stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this sanctuary! Furthermore he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple and made this holy place ritually unclean!” 29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) 30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, a report was sent up to the commanding officer of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When they saw the commanding officer and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commanding officer came up and arrested him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; he then asked who he was and what he had done. 34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, and when the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth because of the disturbance, he ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks. 35 When he came to the steps, Paul had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, 36 for a crowd of people followed them, screaming, “Away with him!” 37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commanding officer, “May I say something to you?” The officer replied, “Do you know Greek? 38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion and led the 4,000 men of the ‘Assassins’ into the wilderness some time ago?” 39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Please allow me to speak to the people.” 40 When the commanding officer had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and gestured to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, he addressed them in Aramaic,