Verse 40
These credentials persuaded the Roman commander to let Paul address the mob.
"Paul had shown respect for the tribune’s authority, spoken an educated man’s Greek, and made considerable honor and status claims. On these grounds the tribune’s action is quite believable. He had no evidence that Paul was not who he claimed to be, and it was always very unwise to refuse or offend someone of equal or higher social status than oneself." [Note: Ibid., p. 664.]
Paul motioned with his hand to the crowd, a gesture designed to quiet them and rivet their attention (cf. Acts 12:17). Paul spoke to the Jews in Aramaic, the vernacular of Palestinian Jews, rather than in Greek. This would have helped his hearers realize that he was one of them.
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