In Acts 21:28-29 , The Jews accuse Paul of brining a Gentile into the temple In v. 29, the Bible says that they"supposed" that Paul had brought him into the temple. Was Trophimus in the temple, or was this just a false assumption?
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Did Trophimus enter the temple in Acts 21
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faroukfarouk
Fading curmudgeon
It wasn't necessarily factual, but then Paul seemed to know that he would not fulfill his ostensibly stated desire to make the offering in the Temple.
Which begs the question, what were his deeper motives?
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It does say the "supposed", which is an assumption. So if we take Lukes account as true, it was just an assumption.
Furthermore note their allegation was in the plural, as if a number of Greeks. "brought Greeks into the temple". As it appears Trophimus - a single person - was the one in question, their exaggeration kind of testifies against them with regards to the accuracy of their testimony.
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Pyong Ping
Active Member
Act 21:28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
Act 21:29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
The word "supposed", as seen in Strong's listing, G3543, means to think, to deem as such, not that it necessarily is so. Likewise when Paul had been stoned, the people stoning "supposed" Paul was dead in Acts 14:20 - 2 Corinthians 11:25, but he was not really.
Here are the times that this word is translated throughout
15 times -
(supposed, 4) - Matthew 20:9-10 (2) - Luke 3:23 - Acts 7:25, 21:29
(supposing, 4) - Luke 2:44 - Acts 14:19, 16:27 - 1 Timothy 6:5
(think, 4) - Matthew 5:17, 10:34 - Acts 17:29 - 1 Corinthians 7:36
(suppose, 1) - 1 Corinthians 7:26
(thought, 1) - Acts 8:20
(wont, 1) - Acts 16:13
Claudius Lysias said of Paul in Acts 23
(28) And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:
(29) Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
(30) And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
Yet the Jewish leaders falsely accused Paul in Acts 24
(6) Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
Paul said in his own defense in Acts 24
(12) And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
(13) Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
(14) But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
(18) Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
(19) Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
(20) Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
(21) Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
Again in Acts 25 the Jewish leaders again attempt to falsely accuse Paul but cannot prove their case
(7) And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
Paul again denies their false charges in Acts 25
(8) While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
(10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
(11) For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
The Roman rulers said of Paul and his accusers in Acts 25
(18) Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:
(19) But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
(25) But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
(26) Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
(27) For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.
Paul states before Agrippa in Acts 26 that the real accusation was that he taught that Jesus rose from the dead
(21) For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
King Agrippa declared of Paul in Acts 26, like Pilate did to Jesus
(31) And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
Paul therefore, did not actually bring Trophimus into the Temple, for that would be contrary to his method of winning the Jews to Christ Jesus, to all the evidence of the trials, his own defense, and the utter failure of the Jewish leaders to prove that which they falsely (or assumed) Paul had done. It was a pretext for attacking Paul.
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