^“He (the tribune of the cohort) immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.” Acts 21:32 NLT

Footsteps # 384. Paul had a sister living in Jerusalem (Acts 23:16) but we do not know if she was a Christian or whether Paul lodged with her at any time. V16 tells us he lodged with Mnason. Paul was also the bearer of financial help from the Gentile churches, which was tangible proof of his allegiance to the mother church and the believers whom he saw that evening at the house of Jason gave him a joyous welcome. On the other hand, the Christian elders were a little cold in their reception even of the gifts. These elders demanded a thing of Paul that placed his life in great peril. They told him to go to the synagogue and take the vow of a Nazarite. What a place for the missionary to go, especially during this feast time, since many visitors were in town for the festival of Pentecost and someone might recognize him. 

 While in the synagogue fulfilling the church elder’s instructions to take the vow, the expected happened. While in the outer court a glare of hatred suddenly shot into the eye of one of the visitors – he recognized the marked features of the hated Saul. The news ran in a moment through the passionate, restless, and fanatical crowd. In one minute there arose one of those deadly cries which are the first beginnings of a riot: “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.” Acts21:28 NLT 

Had not the chief captain marched his soldiers into the fray, no doubt Paul’s life would have ended there and then. In the midst of the tumult, Paul was calm and self-possessed. As he was about to be led into the fortress, he asked the chief captain for permission to speak to the crowd. This request was granted. The crowd hushed and Paul gave his history; a testimony of what Jesus had done for him and the changed lives he had witnessed as a result. At the mention of his mission to the gentiles, the crowd resumed its tumult, and Paul was whisked away to safety. At this stage, Paul escaped examination by scourging by appealing to his Roman citizenship.