Acts 21:27-40
The Crowd in the Temple
Read the passage
27When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
28crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”
29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
31While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.
32Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.
34Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.
35When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
36For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!”
37As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.
38“Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the Assassins into the wilderness?”
39But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”
40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The seven days of purification are almost over when men from Asia see Paul at the temple. They accuse him of opposing their people, law, and temple, and of bringing Greeks into the holy place. Luke tells us the gap in their evidence: they saw Trophimus with Paul in the city and assumed Paul had brought him into the temple.
That assumption helps set a crowd against Paul. People drag him outside and try to kill him. When Roman troops arrive, the beating stops, but the shouting is so confused that the commander cannot discover the truth. Soldiers have to carry Paul up the steps because of the mob's violence.
The commander also has a mistaken idea about Paul, wondering whether he is an Egyptian rebel. Paul answers by identifying himself as a Jew from Tarsus and asking permission to speak to the people. A hush finally falls as he begins in Hebrew.
This reading ends before his defense, but we can already see the difference between hearing a person and deciding his guilt from an assumption. Paul has been treated as an enemy by people who have not established what he actually did. He nevertheless asks for an opportunity to address them.
Questions
1 What did the men from Asia accuse Paul of doing?
AnswerThey accused him of teaching against the people, the law, and the temple, and of bringing Greeks into the holy place.
2 What had they actually seen regarding Trophimus?
AnswerThey had seen him with Paul in the city. They assumed Paul had also brought him into the temple.
3 Who stopped the beating?
AnswerThe Roman commander arrived with soldiers and centurions, and the crowd stopped beating Paul when they saw the troops.
4 What did Paul ask permission to do?
AnswerHe asked to speak to the people. The commander permitted it, and Paul began addressing the crowd in Hebrew.
What This Means for Us
“I saw them together” is different from “I know what they did.” We can help our family name that difference when a rumor starts. Before repeating an accusation, separate what someone witnessed from what they guessed. And if a person is being threatened, seek help to protect them while the facts are established.
Prayer
God, protect people who are misrepresented. Give us calm words, courage under pressure, and the humility to use our opportunities for truth rather than revenge. Amen.