Bird's-eye view
Here we see the kingdom of God colliding with the kingdom of man in a most beautiful and chaotic fashion. Paul, having just been rescued by the iron fist of Rome from the religious fury of his own countrymen, now stands at the intersection of these two worlds. The Roman commander sees only political turmoil and mistakes Paul for a terrorist. The Jewish mob sees a traitor to their traditions. But God sees His chosen instrument, perfectly positioned to declare the gospel. This short passage is a masterclass in divine stage management. God uses the confusion of a pagan officer and the rage of an apostate people to provide His apostle with a platform, a microphone, and a captive audience. It is a vivid illustration of how God’s sovereign purpose moves forward not just in spite of chaos, but often through it.
Outline
- 1. A Surprising Request (v. 37)
- a. Paul's Calm Interjection
- b. The Commander's Mistaken Assumption
- 2. A Case of Mistaken Identity (v. 38)
- a. The Worldly Lens of the Commander
- b. The Egyptian Insurrectionist
- 3. Paul's Strategic Self-Identification (v. 39)
- a. A Jew of Tarsus
- b. Citizen of No Insignificant City
- c. A Request for a Pulpit
- 4. The Stage is Set (v. 40)
- a. Permission Granted
- b. Authority Over the Crowd
- c. Speaking in the Vernacular
Clause-by-Clause Commentary
Verse 37
As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I say something to you?” Paul is being hauled off by Roman soldiers, having just been saved from being torn limb from limb. For most men, this would be a time for panicked silence or desperate pleading. Not for Paul. With remarkable composure, he addresses the man in charge. This is not the voice of a victim, but of an ambassador who knows his ultimate authority rests elsewhere. He is about to be taken out of the public square, and he sees his last opportunity to preach. So he makes a simple, polite request. The gospel advances through such moments of Spirit-given courage.
And he said, “Do you know Greek?” The commander is taken aback. He had sized Paul up as just another piece of the riotous human debris he had to clean up off the streets of Jerusalem. He expected grunts, or perhaps Aramaic curses, but what he got was cultured Greek, the lingua franca of the Roman Empire. The question is laced with surprise. This immediately changes the commander's calculus. Paul is not the man he thought he was. God had equipped Paul with a cosmopolitan education, and here we see it deployed not for worldly status, but as a key to open a door for the gospel.
Verse 38
Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago raised a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness? The commander's mind immediately jumps to the only category he has for this kind of trouble: political insurrection. He is a man of the world, and he thinks in terms of power, rebellion, and terrorism. The Sicarii, or Assassins, were notorious Jewish Zealots who would carry daggers under their cloaks to murder Romans and their sympathizers in crowded places. The commander thinks he has captured a high-profile terrorist. The irony is thick. He is utterly blind to the spiritual reality of the situation. He mistakes the apostle of the Prince of Peace for a violent revolutionary. This is always the world's mistake. It cannot comprehend a kingdom that advances not by the sword, but by the preaching of a cross.
Verse 39
But Paul said, “I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city...” Paul's response is brilliant. He doesn't begin with a theological treatise. He begins by correcting the commander's error with facts the commander can understand. He builds a bridge of common reference. First, he identifies as a Jew, which is true, and which explains his presence in the Temple. Second, he names his city, Tarsus, which was no backwater village but a respected university city, a center of learning and Roman influence. He is not some fanatic from the desert wastes. He is a man of substance and standing. He is leveraging his earthly citizenship and his cultural pedigree for a heavenly purpose. Christians should not be shy about doing the same. All our gifts, all our background, all our education, are tools to be used for the kingdom.
“...and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.” Look at the heart of the apostle. He is not begging for his release. He is not demanding a lawyer. He is begging for a pulpit. His primary concern, even in the midst of his own personal crisis, is the proclamation of the gospel to the very people who were just trying to kill him. This is the love of Christ compelling him. He sees the mob not just as a threat, but as a potential congregation. He wants to turn his trial into a testimony.
Verse 40
And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand... The commander, now understanding that Paul is a man of some stature and not the Egyptian terrorist, grants his request. And so Rome, unwittingly, provides the apostle with a stage. The stairs of the Antonia Fortress become Paul's pulpit. Providence is a wonderful thing to watch. The very structure built to impose Roman order on the Jews is now used to proclaim the gospel of the true King.
...and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying, The same crowd that was a raging sea of hatred a moment before now falls into a great silence. This is the authority of a man filled with the Holy Spirit. He commands their attention. And then, the master stroke. Having established his credentials with the Roman in Greek, he now turns to his own people and speaks to them in their heart language, Aramaic. He is saying, "I am one of you. Listen to me." He is a Jew to the Jews, that he might win the Jews. He is about to tell them the story of his conversion, the story of how their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had met him on the road to Damascus. The stage is set, the crowd is silent, and the gospel is about to be preached.
Key Issues
- Mistaken Identity and Divine Purpose: The world consistently misunderstands the nature of the Church and its mission, often viewing it through a political or revolutionary lens. God uses this misunderstanding to create opportunities for the gospel.
- The Christian's Dual Citizenship: Paul expertly navigates his identity as a Jew, a citizen of Tarsus, and (as we see later) a Roman citizen. Believers have an earthly citizenship that can and should be leveraged for the sake of our heavenly citizenship.
- Apostolic Boldness: Paul's immediate instinct in a moment of crisis is not self-preservation but proclamation. He sees every circumstance, no matter how dire, as a platform for preaching Christ.
- Providential Stagecraft: God is the master director of history. He uses a Roman commander, a fortress staircase, and a riotous mob to ensure His word goes forth.
Application
The Christian life is lived at this same intersection of worldly chaos and divine order. Like the commander, the world around us is often blind to spiritual realities. It will misinterpret our motives, misunderstand our message, and mistake our King for just another political figure. Our task is not to despair, but to do as Paul did.
We must be ready to give a defense, using language the world can understand, not by compromising the truth, but by building bridges of communication. We should use every aspect of our identity, our education, our profession, our citizenship, as a tool for the gospel. And above all, our first instinct in every situation ought to be, "How can I speak of Christ here?" Paul saw a mob and asked for a pulpit. We see a hostile culture and should do the same. God has placed us on the stairs, in our own time and place. We must have the courage to motion for silence and then to speak.