Paul is Apprehended; Acts 21:27-36 Part 3

Church History: Date: A.D.57 - 59

To confirm their charge against him, as teaching people against this holy place, they claimed that he had himself desecrated it, and by an overt-act showed his contempt of it, and a design to make it common. He has brought Gentiles also into the temple, into the inner court of the temple, which none that were uncircumcised were admitted, under any pretence, to come into; there was written upon the wall that enclosed this inner court, in Greek and Latin, It is a capital crime for strangers to enter. (Josephus Antiquities 15. 417). Paul was himself a Jew, and had right to enter into the court of the Jews. And they, seeing some with him there that joined with him in his devotions, concluded that Titus an Ephesian, who was a Gentile, was one of them. Why? Did they see him there? Truly no; but they had seen him with Paul in the streets of the city, which was no crime at all, and therefore they affirm that he was with Paul in the inner court of the temple, which was a heinous crime. They had seen him with him in the city, and therefore they supposed that Paul had brought him with him into the temple, which was utterly false.

Paul was in danger of being pulled in pieces by the rabble. They did not go to the trouble of having him go before the high priest, or the Sanhedrim; that is a roundabout way: the execution shall be of a piece with the prosecution, all unjust and irregular. They could not prove the charges against him, and therefore dare not give him a fair trial. All the city was in an uproar. The people, who though they had little holiness themselves, yet had a mighty veneration for the holy place, when they heard a hue-and-cry from the temple, were up in arms, being resolved to stand by that with their lives and fortunes.