Paul wasn’t afraid to preach controversial messages, but he often had to think fast when people turned against him. He was multi-lingual, which came in handy when he got into a tight spot. In today’s reading he had to deal with Greek speaking Roman soldiers and Jewish citizens of Jerusalem who preferred Aramaic, none of whom were kindly disposed toward him at that moment.

As he was being hauled into the army barracks for his own protection, he spoke to the commander who was surprised to hear him use Greek.

“‘Do you speak Greek?. . . Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?’” Acts 21:37-38

This was obviously a case of mistaken identity. The first century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus wrote about the Egyptian revolutionary the commander was thinking of:

“There was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him; these he led round about from the wilderness to the mount which was called the Mount of Olives. He was ready to break into Jerusalem by force from that place; and if he could but once conquer the Roman garrison and the people, he intended to rule them by the assistance of those guards of his that were to break into the city with him.”

Paul didn’t argue with the commander, he simply explained who he was.

“Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city.’” Acts 21:39

He didn’t ask to be released, instead he said, “Please let me speak to the people.” Acts 21:39

Paul Appeals to His People

Switching to Aramaic, Paul got the attention of the crowd and began to give his testimony. It included his life-changing encounter with Jesus, being struck blind, his conversion to Christ, and the miracle of having his sight restored. It also contained the prophecy from Ananias regarding his future.

“The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.” Acts 22:14-15

After Paul confessed his sins and was forgiven, he was baptized in the name of Jesus. Foremost among his sins was the way he had persecuted the church, but now that he was a Jesus follower, he wanted to go to Jerusalem and join the church. The Lord sent him away instead.

“‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’” Acts 22:18-20

Missionary to the Gentiles

Paul thought the Jews would listen to him since he had once been so opposed to the Church, and this crowd was riveted by his story — until he came to the last part of it.

“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ Acts 22:21

Then the mob began to shout , “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!” Acts 22:22

Some of them objected to Paul preaching to the Gentiles, but more of them suspected that Paul was leading Jewish people to forsake the Mosaic Law in the Gentile countries.

Paul Goes to Trial

The Romans had ways of dealing quickly with troublemakers. The commander saw that Paul was the source of this mob’s unrest so he ordered that Paul be flogged and interrogated so they could get to the bottom of this disturbance.

But Paul was a Roman citizen and it was illegal to put him in chains and flog him. When he revealed his citizenship, the commander halted the punishment and released Paul. But he ordered him to go before the Sanhedrin the next day to answer any charges the Jewish leaders had against him.

Tempers flared when Paul stood before the Jewish Ruling Council the next day. He spoke to them as one of their own people, a Pharisee, but the high priest immediately ordered someone to strike Paul in the face as soon as he spoke. Paul flared at this flagrant abuse of power.

“Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!’” Acts 23:3

Paul regretted his words and apologized to the high priest. But now that he saw how the case was stacked against him, he decided to disrupt the hearing.

Pharisees vs. Sadducees

“Knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, [Paul] called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’” Acts 23:6

Paul was thinking of the resurrection of Jesus, but that didn’t matter to his hearers. The Pharisees jumped to Paul’s defense and suggested that a spirit or an angel must have sent him on his mission to the Gentiles. The Sadducees were provoked because they didn’t believe in resurrection, spirits or angels. The ensuing argument nearly caused another riot.

Paul Goes to Caesarea

The Roman commander had an obligation to protect Paul now that he knew Paul was a Roman citizen, so he sent troops to bring him back to the barracks.

“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” Acts 23:11

Testifying about Jesus in Jerusalem hadn’t gone so well for Paul. The next day more than forty Jewish men banded together to kill him. They were so passionate about it that they pledged not to eat or drink anything until they accomplished their mission. They asked the Sanhedrin to call Paul before them again and while he was on his way they planned to ambush him.

Paul’s young nephew overheard the plot and told Paul and the Roman commander about it. The commander put a small army of protection around Paul and smuggled him out of Jerusalem that night. He sent him with a letter to the Judean provincial ruler, Governor Felix in Caesarea.

Felix read the letter and agreed to hear the case against Paul when his Jewish accusers arrived. Meanwhile, he put Paul under guard in Herod’s palace in Caesarea.

Paul was now a Roman prisoner facing false charges brought against him by his countrymen. The Lord had said he would go to Rome, but it was hard to see yet when or how that was going to happen.