Acts 21:33-40. After the mob has been riled up against Paul, Roman soldiers and centurions come to the scene along with the tribune, who arrests Paul and orders that he be bound with two chains. He inquires of the crowd who Paul is and what he has done, but the crowd shouts out conflicting answers and he cannot make sense of it in the uproar. He orders Paul to be taken to the barracks. The crowd is so violent that when they get to the steps, the soldiers pick Paul up to carry him away. As they are about to enter the barracks, Paul asks the tribune if he can say something to him. The tribune is surprised Paul speaks Greek, and asks if he isn't the Egyptian who recently led a revolt. Paul answers that he is a Jew from Tarsus and asks leave to speak to the people. The tribune grants him permission, and Paul stands on the steps and motions to the crowd. A great hush falls over the crowd as he begins speaking to them in Hebrew.

This is one example of the importance of treating valid authority figures with respect and cooperation. Paul is arrested unjustly, but the soldiers, centurions, and the tribune don't know that, they don't know what is going on. They hear of a riot and they come to the scene in order to establish peace. Seeing Paul at the center of things, the tribune arrests him and decides to question him at the barracks when he can't make sense of the crowd. This is all very reasonable behavior someone charged with keeping the peace, so even though Paul is being treated unjustly, he is right to calmly submit to the arrest (which also is actually a rescue, in this case!). Because Paul is cooperative and calm, the tribune actually listens to him when he says who he is and even gives him permission to speak to the crowd!

God is orderly and knows that his people are safer in an orderly environment. Safety and order are some of the practical outcomes from observence of the fourth commandment, which does not just include giving proper respect to one's parents, but also to all lawful authority figures. We cannot have society amidst chaos, and chaos is what results when people stop submitting to authority (we can see that all around us these days!). The fourth commandment is one of God's ways of keeping order. Even if we are personally treated unjustly, if we continue to obey God's rules and remain rightfully obedient to just authority, things will usually play out in a just way eventually (as long as society has not become too corrupt!), but even if they don't, we know that God sees what is happening and will set things right in the long run.