Addressing the commander

“As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ And he said, ‘Do you know Greek? Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?’” (1) As Paul was about to be taken into the Antonia Fortress, he spoke to the commander. The commander was greatly surprised when Paul addressed him in Greek. (2) The commander, realizing his misunderstanding, asked Paul, “Then you are not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” The Jewish historian Josephus recorded this Egyptian figure, who claimed to be a prophet and deceived the people, inciting them to gather on the Mount of Olives. However, this group of rebels was suppressed by the Roman governor Felix, with 400 killed and 200 captured. The Egyptian leader himself escaped. The commander assumed that this fugitive Egyptian leader had returned.

Paul’s answer

“But Paul said, ‘I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.’ When he had given him permission…” (1) Paul introduced himself to the commander, stating that he was a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a notable city. He emphasized that, as a Roman citizen, he had no connection to any anti-Roman movements. (2) Paul then requested and received permission from the commander to address the crowd. He saw this as an opportunity for evangelism. Standing on the steps leading from the temple to the Antonia Fortress, he gestured to the crowd. Seeing this, the crowd quieted down, and there was a great silence. Paul began to speak to them in Hebrew. It is not easy to remain calm in a situation where panic is natural. Yet Paul maintained his peace even in the midst of a riot. Let us focus on two tools Paul demonstrated for crisis management. (a) Paul approached the commander with respectful manner. The phrase “May I say something to you?” is a courteous expression. This respectful attitude paved the way for Paul to gain an opportunity to explain himself. (b) Paul remained calm throughout the ordeal. His composed demeanor stood in stark contrast to the chaotic shouting of the crowd. We, too, can learn valuable lessons from Paul’s methods of crisis management.