21:33-36
The Romans were not, at this point, treating Paul with any deference, for they simply arrested him and then asked questions. He was also bound in chains. The crowd could not give any coherent answer. So Paul was taken to the barracks so that they could try and get to the bottom of the matter. The crowd was in no mood for being calm and sensible, they just wanted blood. We need to be aware how easily a crowd can be stirred up.
21:37,38
The soldiers were about to take Paul to the barracks, but he asked if he could speak to one of the soldiers. The soldiers clearly had no idea who he was or what was going on. They thought he was a normal troublemaker. Paul informed them that he was no such thing, but a Jew from Tarsus and a citizen. Citizen was not just a general term, but an official status, and this gave Paul certain rights, so he was given permission to speak to the crowds. We see from this section that Paul could speak Greek and Aramaic.
No comments:
Post a Comment