Paul's Arrest in the Temple

When the seven days were nearly completed, Jews from Asia observed Paul in the temple. They incited the entire crowd and seized him, shouting that Paul was the man who taught all men everywhere against the people, the law, and the temple (Acts 21:27-28). The accusers further claimed he had brought Greeks into the temple and defiled the holy place. The text notes they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with Paul in the city and assumed Paul had brought him into the temple (Acts 21:29).

The entire city was moved, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and the doors were immediately shut. As the crowd sought to kill Paul, news reached the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar (Acts 21:30-31). The commander immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul (Acts 21:32).

The commander approached, took Paul into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who Paul was and what he had done, but the text does not say what specific answer the commander received from Paul. Among the multitude, some cried one thing and some another. Because the commander could not discern the facts due to the tumult, he ordered Paul to be carried into the barracks (Acts 21:33-34). When Paul reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, as the multitude followed, crying out to take him away (Acts 21:35-36).