Permit Me to Speak

Acts 21:37-39 
37 Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” He replied, “Can you speak Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?”  39 But Paul said, “I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people.”

Paul is finally safe from the mob and is being escorted into the Roman barracks…but then he asks the commander of the army if he can speak to the mob.  The Roman is amazed this Jew can speak Greek, thinking Paul is an Egyptian rebel (like the Jews thought Jesus was another rabble rouser as well).  So Paul identified himself as a citizen and Jew, and begged to be able to address the crowd.  He used his citizenship and rights to make a defense to the accusatory mob with the gospel, using any means to reach them.