Unstoppable! 'The Openness of Gentiles to Listen' — Acts 21:37-39

Clearly, the Roman commander did not know Paul's identity or reputation. He had Paul confused with a violent leader of "the Assassins" — probably a group of Jewish rebels with messianic interests, but not associated with Jesus or his disciples. While the commander's assumptions put Paul in a category those Roman soldiers should hate and exterminate, the commander's willingness to let Paul explain (Acts 21:40) directly contrasts with the Jewish mob (Acts 21:36, 22:22). The people in the mob would not let Paul explain or communicate clearly. They were intent on killing him and then sorting out his identity. Paul's Greek was apparently impeccable and not Judean accented Greek — Paul was born and raised in the non-Jewish city of Tarsus in present-day Turkey. The commander's openness to Paul's explanation is one of Luke's subtle ways to emphasize that good-hearted and God-fearing Gentiles were often open to the message of Jesus.*

* See the first set of our Related Scripture References.