Adjacent to the temple area, at the juncture of the western and northern porticoes that formed the outer boundary of the court of the Gentiles, was the Antonia fortress. It was headquarters of the Roman garrison stationed at Jerusalem. Herod the Great reinforced it for the safety and protection of the temple and named it for Antony. This spacious sixty-foot-high building had the general appearance of a tower; turrets stood at its four corners, the one on the southeast being 105 feet high. From it Roman soldiers commanded a view of the whole temple area. Stairways into the northern and western porticoes gave direct access to the court of the Gentiles (see Josephus Jewish Wars 5.192, 238-247; Jewish Antiquities 15.409). A cohort stationed in Jerusalem had, at least on paper, 760 infantry with 240 cavalry (Lake and Cadbury 1979:275). During festival times they would be on guard at the porticoes of the outer court, alert to any signs of insurrection (Josephus Jewish Wars 5.244). The decade and a half before the outbreak of the Jewish war against Rome was marked by constant disturbances against the Roman political order (Josephus Jewish Antiquities 20.160-72; Jewish Wars 2.254-65).

It is not surprising, then, that when the commander of the garrison heard that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar, he himself, with some centurions and soldiers, ran down the steps of the fortress into the court of the Gentiles to restore order. The commander's arrest (which was a rescue), his interrogation of the crowd (though unsuccessful) and his removal of Paul to the barracks, away from the crowd's murderous intent, all model what Luke sees as the state's proper role toward the Christian. The state's order must protect Christians against anarchic persecution. State justice must be exercised based on getting at the truth based on the facts (22:24, 30). By affirming these values through his positive portrayal of Roman military officials, Luke certainly gained a hearing among his Roman audience, whom he would encourage to follow the same example by getting at the facts of the gospel (Lk 1:4).

By contrast, the Jews are thoroughly discredited, for all they want is to do away with the gospel messenger (Lk 23:18; Acts 21:36; 22:22). When ethnic survival in this life is the highest priority, one is bound to miss salvation for eternity (9:23-26).