39 If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.
Having a civil society, a society governed by laws, has some advantages. Some places in the world, even today, are ruled by mobs and the whims of a dictator. The citizens never know from day to day what will be accepted and what won’t be accepted. The ruler uses this fear to his advantage. By being arbitrary in his actions he gets to act anyway he wants to. In Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule this was the rule. He did whatever he wanted to, he and his friends. But even his friends knew that they weren’t safe from his attacks. The facts of his corruption were not known to the vast majority of his people. He hid all this wealth and corruption behind walls and guard towers. His 80+ palaces were not open to the public or even known. Saddam would kill the architects and builders following the completion of projects, just to keep safe from his own people. When someone stepped out of line, there was swift injustice. Here in this country, a country and culture ruled by laws thanks to our Christian heritage, we have a set procedure for dealing with violations of the standard. It may be flawed, it may take too long, it may be influenced by wealth and power, but at least there is a procedure. We know what to expect when we are charged. We have TV shows that give a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes. We can read the laws and get acquainted with the procedures. Paul and his companions were in a city where at least one person, a non-Roman member of the government, knew what the procedures and rules were. He knew that he would be held liable for what happened in his city. He knew the rules for trials, and knew that they were being violated by their current mob gathering. He stood up and stopped the crowd from carrying out their form of justice. Sometimes we need the legal system to defend our rights. Paul did not insist on his rights.
The Arnold Journey 