What does Acts 22:27 mean?

It wasn't easy to be the tribune of a Roman military outpost in Jerusalem. The language the locals spoke was obscure. The local politics were mystifying. And the local God is invisible. Fortunately, the assignment was probably only for a year. Unfortunately, this left little time to learn anything useful.

This tribune knows that a crowd on the temple mount was trying to kill a Jewish man who speaks flawless Greek and is definitely not an Egyptian assassin. Attempting to learn more, he allows the man, Paul, to address the crowd. Either because of the mystifying politics or the obscure language, he learns nothing (Acts 21:31–39). He resorts to the Roman way—flogging—but is foiled by the fact that his detainee is a Roman citizen; even the straps used to tie the man to the frame are illegal, not to mention the chains around his wrists (Acts 21:33).

The tribune has one more option: take Paul before the Sanhedrin—the Jewish ruling council—and ask them what the problem is. Unfortunately, Paul is ahead of him there, too, and quickly sets the Pharisees and Sadducees into such a fuss they are no use (Acts 23:1–10). When the tribune learns that a group has now vowed to fast until they have killed Paul, he gives up. He sends Paul to the governor in Caesarea and doesn't even show up for the trial (Acts 23:12–33; 24:22).