The context

Let us review the context so far. (1) Paul arrived in Jerusalem and interacted with the elders. (2) Paul delivered the offering from the Gentile churches. (3) The elders in Jerusalem advised Paul as follows: (a) There were negative rumors about Paul, and it was necessary to demonstrate that he did not reject the Law. (b) To clear up misunderstandings, it would be good for Paul to pay for the head-shaving for the four brothers who had taken a Nazirite vow. (4) Paul carried out the advice: “Then Paul took along the men, and the next day, after purifying himself together with them, he went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them” (Acts 21:26).

The Jews from Asia

(1) During the festival, over a million Jews were staying in Jerusalem. Although Pentecost had passed, many pilgrims remained in the city. In this context, Paul spent seven days in the temple for the purification process. The time to present the offerings for purification was drawing near. (2) However, Jews from Asia caused trouble. These were the Jews from Ephesus who had persecuted Paul during his second missionary journey. Seeing Paul in the temple, they incited the crowd and seized him, shouting. (3) The reasons for their uproar were as follows: (a) Paul was accused of teaching false doctrines. This accusation was similar to the criticisms leveled against Stephen (Acts 6:13-14). (b) Paul was accused of bringing Gentiles into the temple and defiling it. They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city. Due to their prejudice, they assumed that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple. In other words, they believed that a Gentile had crossed the “dividing wall” (the barrier) and entered the sacred area of the temple. If Trophimus, a Gentile, had indeed entered the temple, it would have been a capital offense. Even Rome was compelled to recognize and uphold this right of execution in such cases. (4) The entire city was thrown into an uproar. People seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and shut the gates. After closing the gates, they attempted to kill Paul in the Court of the Gentiles, as spilling blood inside the temple was considered an act of desecration. Paul faced persecution from the Jews for unjust reasons. It is a situation in which any believer might ask, “Why?” Yet behind it lay God’s plan, beyond human understanding. Through God’s method, Paul would eventually reach Rome. Let us remember that our lives, too, are guided by God’s hand.