As Paul is taken by the soldiers, he is questioned whether he speaks Greek and whether he is the Egyptian who led a revolt in circa AD 54. This question implies that the soldiers have simply assumed him to be an uneducated rebel from the outlying regions of the Roman Empire. Paul identifies himself not only as a Jew but also a citizen of Tarsus (21:39; cf. 9:11, 30; 11:25). Being “a citizen of no ordinary city” allows him to defend himself, and being a Jew allows him to address the crowd to clarify the charges launched against him.

In his first defense after his arrest, Paul provides a detailed account of his background, conversion, call, and subsequent vision that brings him to the land of the Gentiles (22:1–22). His addressing the crowd as “brothers and fathers” (22:1) reminds the read…