NOTES for Act 21:17-36

Paul readily complies with the apostles' request to observe the rules of purification; indeed, he himself has no objection to observing them, but a misunderstanding occurs. Yet can an entirely predictable expression of hatred really be called a misunderstanding? There was nothing accidental about Paul's being noticed by people hostile not only to him but to the other Christians as well. By then Paul was already widely known, and even if the Jews from Asia had not mistaken his companions in the Temple for pagans, either they or someone else would still have found something to complain about. Those driven by prejudice can see something improper anywhere and at any time. And once a crowd's fury has been aroused, it has no intention of reasoning at all, as long as there is someone to beat to a pulp.

The Romans rescue Paul, and he consequently finds himself in an ambiguous position: he is under the protection of a law brought by the occupiers, so he can no longer escape accusations of betrayal. Indeed, people who tell their compatriots bitter truths are often forced to endure not only abuse but accusations of being unpatriotic; here Paul's path through life in some measure resembles Jeremiah's fate. But time passes, and if not the fellow countrymen who were rebuked themselves, then their children or grandchildren have to acknowledge that those who rebuked them loved their people more than those who praised them.