Another Bible scholar has carefully pointed out that the book of Acts records many instances of Paul being scourged and persecuted by the Jews (not Roman
government officials) and he does not resist or make a legal challenge. He was “turning the other cheek”, accepting it as some of the suffering he would do for the Lord's sake, but here in Acts 22 the situation is different. The issue is not about his testimony for the Lord, but about the
legality of an action. Just as the Roman Empire was, for the most part, under the rule of law, our system of government here in America is founded upon a legal code as well. Generally speaking, our Constitution is the legal framework that our government is obligated to rule by, it is the LAW OF THE LAND. And, within the Constitution we are guaranteed precious rights, timeless endorsements of freedom of speech and of religion, as well as of due process. Over the years, challenges to these freedoms have defined what these rights actually allow...and what they don't.
Whether due to ignorance of the law, or outright discrimination against the truth, there may be times when your Constitutional, legal religious rights are violated. It should be clear from this one example of an incident in the life of Paul, that we can hold government accountable to stay within the bounds of the law. Just as in any part of our Christian walk, our attitude and spirit must still be one of meekness and Christ-likeness. We are not here to be leaders of great civil unrest. Making a stand for our religious freedoms may help keep the door open for continued evangelism rights for all U.S. Christians for many years to come.