When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”
37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek? 38 Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?” 39 Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”
Those who know me well, know that I am very intuitive. Sometimes people are amazed at how I can put things together (like The NY Times Connections game). Sometimes, however, I’m a source of amazement in the other direction. People can be so amazed that I get it so wrong. I have been known to put the wrong pieces together in the wrong order. It’s not pretty.
Whether or not you are intuitive, you can put things together in the wrong order and come to the wrong conclusions. It’s all a part of being a human being with limited knowledge and nearly unlimited imagination. We all can come to the wrong conclusions about things. That’s how misunderstandings grow into quarrels and fights. We think we know what another person believes or intends, act on what we think we know, and cause pain and discord.
This is what is happening to Paul here in this encounter in Jerusalem. I draw that conclusion based on the word, “supposed,” in verse 29. The zealous Jews supposed that Paul had brought a Gentile into the Temple in Jerusalem. They saw the man there. They saw Paul there. They knew Paul had worked with the Gentiles to bring them into the household of faith. So they figured Paul had done this terrible and offensive thing.
There are at least two problems with this scenario. First is the simple fact that they supposed Paul had done this terrible thing (which we are left to suppose he had not – Luke doesn’t say). For the sake of argument, let’s suppose Paul had not done so. Luke’s report points us to the conclusion that Paul had not done this. But they didn’t check it out. They had not asked Paul or the Gentile in question about it. But they acted as though their supposition was fact, and they were enraged by what they had supposed.
Although it’s not indicated directly, I don’t like the supposition that bringing a Gentile into the temple was such a terrible offense. In Jesus’ day the Temple area included a large open court of the Gentiles – the outermost courtyard of Herod’s temple. It was the only part of the temple that non-Jews, foreigners, and those considered impure were allowed to enter. It was set aside for anyone who wished to be there. But the inner courts of the temple were reserved for faithful Jews. Not just anyone could go into these courts.
Then there was the Holy of Holies, a place where only the high priest would go, and then only once per year. There is little doubt as to whether Paul himself – Jew that he was – would enter that sacred space. But at Jesus’ death, the curtain of the temple which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in two – from top to bottom. It was as if God himself tore it open, opening the way for people to come to him.
We may have gone too far in supposing that we have access to God in such a cavalier and presumptive manner. We give so little thought to the remarkable privilege we have to God’s throne of grace. That’s essentially what was in the Holy of Holies: the Mercy Seat! And we go there by God’s grace, and Christ’s sacrifice. Through faith we all have access to God.
It may have been forbidden for just anyone to go into the inner courts of the temple. But those who were allowed ought to take stock of God’s grace in allowing them to enter those places. Rather than supposing they had a right to be there, they might have supposed that God’s grace extends far beyond them, and to all who call upon him by the power of the Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ name. We would do well to suppose that too!
David Bahn - Reflections 
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