LIFE SCRIPTS

27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” 29 (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.) 30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”
Acts 21:27‭-‬36 NIV

https://bible.com/bible/111/act.21.27-36.NIV

Reputation follows us wherever we go. And this was true concerning Paul when he landed in Jerusalem. It was passover and as usual people congregated in Jerusalem from far lands. Even Jews from the province of Asia minor were there and they spotted Paul. They recalled the message he carried when he was there…the message of the true gospel. Paul never hid his inclination to redemption through the blood of Christ apart from the law. And this made him a marked man. Our stance for the gospel isolates us in a world which has little or no regard for the truth. We become the laughing stock of many and in some instances face strong resistance. Here, the Jews from Asia minor saw it as an opportunity to finally get rid of Paul. He had escaped several lynching attempts while in the mission field but they were now determined to stop him at all costs. So they marshaled support from other religious Jews. It was passover so many orthodox Jews who were observant of the law were in the area. They would definitely frown on anyone claiming to be a Jew yet suspected of disregarding the law. Infact, the disdain they had for Gentiles would make them view Paul with hostility. He walked with a couple of Greek converts such as Trophimus. So when the opportunity presented itself, they pounced on him like a wild cat and started beating him. But this was not new. Paul had faced a riotous crowd before. Mobsters had waylaid him in other Gentile cities. Surely, he would make it through…maybe he thought. Just when they were about to beat him up to death, Roman soldiers rushed to the scene and arrested him. So great was the uproar that they had to carry him. Such was the impact this man had. A man totally sold out to Christ. Are we sold out in such a way? Can we stand and testify of His goodness, salvation and deliverance irrespective of the contrary vioices all around us? Can we still remain true to Him despite threats from those opposed to the true gospel? No time has the gospel faced such an opposition as now. Standing for the gospel truth renders you a persona non grata in many quarters…even among those claiming to confess Christ. But the life of Paul encourages us to be true to the One that called us. Opposition may come. But the truth of the gospel will remain.