Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 21:27 - 21:36
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_21:27-36
27When 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, 28crying 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." 29For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30Then 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. 31While they were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32At 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. 33Then 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. 34But 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. 35When he got to the stairs, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; 36for the multitude of the people kept following them, shouting, "Away with him!"
Act_21:27 "Jews from Asia" Paul's old enemies had come to Jerusalem for the feast also. Now Paul was on Judaism's turf.
Act_21:28 "this is the man who preaches" These Asian Jews interpreted Paul's preaching as against Judaism instead of fulfilling the OT promises. These charges are similar to the ones made against Stephen (cf. Act_6:13). Paul himself may have stated this; he surely agreed with this Jewish theological position (cf. Act_22:20) before his Damascus encounter with Christ. The message of Christ undermined the legalism and ritualism of popular first century Judaism! This is seen not only in Paul's universalism—salvation available to "all men"—but also the theological assertion of exclusivistic salvation only in and through faith in Christ.
▣ "he has even brought Greeks into the temple" This supposed incident would have occurred in the Court of Israel, where the Nazarite vows were performed in the southeast corner. It was lawful for the Gentiles to enter the outer court of the Temple only. This was a false charge (cf. Act_21:29).
Act_21:29 "Trophimus the Ephesian" These Jews from Asia (Ephesus) knew both Paul and Trophimus and had earlier planned Paul's death (cf. Act_20:3). Now they saw their opportunity to play on Jewish racial biases and have Paul killed (cf. Act_21:31; Act_21:36).
Act_21:30 "the doors were shut" This was apparently the gate between the Court of Israel and the Court of the Women. The Temple had its own police force of Levites who kept order. This action was to
1. keep the Temple from being defiled
2. keep Paul from trying to return to the Temple for safety
These Jews acted in exactly the same manner as did the mob at Ephesus (cf. Acts 19).
Act_21:31 "the commander of the Roman cohort" This is literally a leader of a thousand. This would be the highest-ranking official in the Roman army (equestrian) who was stationed in Jerusalem during feast days when the population swelled to three times its normal number. His job was to keep order.
▣ "the cohort" They lived in Fortress Antonia, which overlooked the Temple Court. It was built by Herod the Great as a palace, but was used by the Romans as a military headquarters (cf. Josephus, Wars 5.5.8).
Act_21:32 "some soldiers and centurions" A centurion was literally the leader of a hundred. The Fortress Antonia overlooked the Temple area. It was heavily garrisoned, especially during feast days.
Act_21:33 "to be bound with two chains" This could mean (1) hands and feet or (2) between two Roman soldiers. Apparently the soldiers thought he was an insurrectionist (cf. Act_21:38).
Act_21:34-35 This shows the violence and frenzy of the mob (cf. Act_21:30).
Act_21:35 "the stairs" These stairs that ran from the Fortress Antonia into the temple area had been alluded to in Act_21:32, "ran down." There were two sets of these access stairs, each going into a different division of the temple. The Romans wanted to quell any rioting quickly. Feast days were often days of nationalistic unrest.
Act_21:36 "Away with him" These are the same words which were shouted at Jesus (cf. Act_22:22; Luk_23:18; Joh_19:15). There are many parallels between the treatment of Paul and Jesus by the Jews and Romans.