Acts 21:17-36
17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; 21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. 25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication." 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.
27 Paul Seized in the Temple
When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place." 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. 31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of theRoman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done. 34 But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; 36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, " Away with him!"
NASU
Acts 21:17-36 Exposition
17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Her we find Paul, after being told through the Spirit, that he faced certain arrest and persecution, arriving in that city. While he would certainly face persecution, he was initially received well by the "brethren" there. The "brethren" are the Christ following Jews and among them the Apostles and elders who remained in that City. These were those whose leadership in the church had formerly led to the decisions about how gentile Christians were to be received into the church and what would be required of these men and women who were not under the Law. The received Paul well and gladly.
18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
It was fitting for Paul to visit with these elders and with James since he was of the same church and not seeking to work in their city and lead people to a separate communion or present another "gospel'. His visit itself is a show of unity between the Jerusalem church and the converts Paul had won in the surrounding gentile world. This was truly to be one church founded on Jesus Christ alone.
19 After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God;
The success of a minister in one area is no cause for alarm to the true Church, for the true church enjoys nothing more than to see God's Kingdom Grow. Another's success is not our failure but spurs us on to greater worship and greater service ourselves.
and they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;
Paul is then reminded that in the time of his absence from Jerusalem how many Jews also are believers so that he would understand the differences between these Jews who were "zealous for the law" and those people of the Churches Paul had encountered who were less concerned with the law being more like the gentiles in culture if not Gentile themselves.
21 and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
Paul is told that the rumor about him in Jerusalem is that he has been teaching Jews to abandon those customs of the law which set them apart as People of Israel. This rumor had no basis as Paul's mission was to the Gentiles and any contention he had with the law had to do with those who were FORCING Gentiles to adopt the law to be counted as Christians. Yet the misunderstanding was so great that Paul needed ,it was felt, to show that he himself was not abandoning the law.
22 "What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
The goal of these elders was to maintain the peace between Paul and Jewish believers and avoid conflict that would divide the church. This was not to accommodate those Jews outside the church who would have rejected even a law keeping Christian as they rejected even the idea of Jesus as Messiah and God.
23 "Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.
Paul was to show his unity with the other Jewish believers by showing his participation with and provision for these Jewish customs by undergoing purification rites and paying the expenses for others to also join in these customs. This would discredit the idea that Paul opposed the keeping of the law by Jews who trusted in Christ.
25 "But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication."
This line clarifies that Paul and the Jewish Church's keeping of the law was their own practice in identifying with the people of Israel and was by no means to be a command to all non-Jewish believers. The previous decrees of the council would suffice for the Gentiles. There are times when the church will practice one thing at one place and not at another and these practices where they do not oppose Scripture, do not likewise bind the whole church or the church at all times and places.
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.
Paul takes no exception to this suggestion and complies. This however places him in reach of those whose violence toward him is already predetermined and not at all deterred by his keeping of the Law.
27 Paul Seized in the Temple
When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,
It was not the Jerusalem Jews who had been living in relative peace with the Christians at Jerusalem who stirred up the crowd but Jews from the very regions outside of Jerusalem where Paul had been preaching and whose brethren has caused Paul trouble and chased him from city to city.
28 crying out, "Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."
Their grudge against Paul was so great that they set out to draw others into it calling on the Jews at Jerusalem to join them in their attack on Paul. Taking the occasion of the controversy surrounding Pauls teaching which he had just sought to correct.
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
They also added to their slander an assumption that Paul had brought a gentile companion to the temple, even though there was no evidence of this. People are often quick when it suits their anger and grudge to assume that an enemy is doing wrong when the evidence is circumstantial. An unpopular Pastor with a glass of wine at dinner must be a drunk in their eyes. A Christian's firing of an incompetent employee who has a homosexual partner must be motivated by hate. Your neighbor's choice to mow the lawn while you're napping must be an attempt to aggravate you. Etc.
30 Then all the city was provoked, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.
Their rage succeeded in provoking a crowd to violence against a man who they did not know except by reputation and drive them to seek to kill him without investigation or trial. Rage is quick to judge and slow to discern right action.
31 While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
Ironically it is the ungodly Romans, neither Jew nor Christian who must maintain order. God will use the ungodly as tools in His hand when necessary. This is the purpose of civil government.
32 At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
Fear for their own safety and realization that their own actions would not stand justified by the civil law the rioters are stopped in their rage by soldiers where their own reason could not stop them.
33 Then the commander came up and took hold of him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and he began asking who he was and what he had done.
Assuming Paul to be a criminal of at least some sort to justify the crowd's treatment of Him, Paul is arrested.
34 But among the crowd some were shouting one thing and some another, and when he could not find out the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.
Their case against Paul was so unsure as they had no real cause for their hatred that Paul's arrest becomes more for his safety and civil order than for any punishment for any crime of Paul's doing.
35 When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;
36 for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, " Away with him!"
NASU
The mob's anger is not reduced making it necessary for the soldiers to carry him to be able to enter the barracks. The people's violence had not abated with a simple arrest. Rage and hatred is seldom satisfied with anything short of Blood. Christian, realized that we too can be tempted to unconsidered rage against an enemy and to actions that seek an enemy's destruction rather than his redemption. We should always be mindful that While we were yet enemies of God, and sinners, Christ died violently at our hands so that we could be redeemed, even, while he possessed all the power necessary to destroy any and all of us were that His will. God worked for our protection and redemption not for our destruction, such is His Grace. Dare we neglect such a salvation.
In Christ and on the Shepherd's path,
Mark
