Acts 21:31-32

The Jews proceeded to beat Paul in the court of the Gentiles. News of this commotion reached the Roman commander of the Fortress of Antonia that connected with the temple area on the northwest. Herod the Great had built this fortress to house the soldiers of the Tenth Legion. The commander’s name was Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26). He was responsible for the 1,000 soldiers stationed there. When he saw the riot, he summoned soldiers and centurions (commanders of 100 soldiers each) and ran down the steps of the fortress and into the court of the Gentiles. Levites constituted the Temple police (cf. Acts 4:1), but these Roman troops were responsible to keep peace in the whole city. [Note: Ibid., pp. 211-12.] The Jews stopped beating Paul when they saw the commander and the other soldiers.

"One thing Rome insisted on-civil order. A riot was an unforgivable sin both for the populace who staged it and the commander who allowed it." [Note: Barclay, p. 172.]

This is the sixth time in Acts that Paul’s ministry had ignited a public disturbance (cf. Acts 14:19; Acts 16:19-22; Acts 17:5-8; Acts 17:13; Acts 19:25-34).