PAUL ARRESTED IN THE TEMPLE

Acts 21:27-31 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews, which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Looking back at verses 23-26, we know that the seven days noted in the lesson text refer to the days of purification required for the initial administration of the Nazarite vows taken by the four Hebrew men that had become Christians. Like most first-century Jewish Christians of Judea, the continued observation of certain Jewish rites was considered to be a personal decision by some Jewish members of the body of Christ. As long as doing so did not cause a fellow Christian to be offended (1 Cor. 8), it was neither condemned nor condoned by the Christian leaders of the church of Christ in Jerusalem.

However, in this lesson the Jews, which were of Asia had not been converted to Christianity. They were Jewish zealots that lived Asia Minor - those that refused to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and continued to follow Paul and his fellow laborers wherever they went with the intent to stir up the people by refuting the gospel of salvation through Jesus, which was being preached to both Jews and Gentiles alike. We have no assurance that these were the same Jews referred to in Acts 13:50, 14:19, 17:13, and 18:12. But this we know; they possessed the same avid, anti-Christian determination, and were totally consumed with the desire to destroy all success that New Testament preachers were having within both Jewish and Gentile societies.

Having seen Paul, whom they detested for his conversion to Christianity, in the temple, these zealous Jews seized him and convinced the people (unconverted Jews) to sanction and participate in their anarchy. Without consulting either with Jewish leaders or the Roman civil authorities, they proceeded to anger these Jews of Jerusalem into riotous mob action against Paul. They incited the people with this accusation against Paul: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place. They accused Paul of teaching against the Law of Moses, which the Jewish people were required to follow, and also against the sacrifices and other rites that were religiously carried on within the temple. If this weren't enough to condemn him, they accused Paul of defiling the temple by bringing Greeks ...into the temple. Although there is no proof of this being true, the fact that Trophimus, an Ephesian (a Greek) accompanied Paul to Jerusalem, they assumed that he went with him as he entered into the temple, and convinced these riotous Jews that he had brought uncircumcised Gentiles into the temple and polluted its sacred image.

These accusations stirred up all the people into mob action. (T)hey took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. They removed Paul from the temple and shut the doors behind them, which led to its courts. With total disregard for the Roman authorities, and its law under which they were ruled, these which ruled the land; these enraged, fanatical Jews, went about to kill Paul. They would have carried out this mission had not the news of their actions been brought to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Being aware of this riotous action, this Roman official took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul (Vs 32). With the military guard on the scene, the mob of Jewish radicals, realizing they had no right, within the Roman law, to physically abuse Paul, they reluctantly ceased their attempt to mistreat and injure him.

Verses 33 and 34 tell us that, in order to quell the riotous action, the chief captain and his militia had Paul taken into custody and bound with two chains. Without doubt, the Roman commander, being misled in error, supposed Paul to be an extremely dangerous Egyptian criminal that caused terror by leading a murderous, warring band made up of four thousand men (See Vs. 38). The chief captain asked Paul, and seemingly asked all of his accusers that had gathered around them, who he was, and what he had done. Before Paul could answer, the multitude of Jewish zealots yelled out many different accusations. Without a specific charge against Paul, this seemed to raise doubt in the mind of the Roman official, therefore he commanded him (Paul) to be carried into the castle. Further we read in verses 35 and 36 that, because of the violent nature of the mob of Jewish protesters, and because Paul was bound with chains, he was borne of the soldiers up the stairway leading to the castle. And the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him - that is, let him be slain for his defiant actions, teaching against the Jewish people, and blaspheming against the Law of Moses.