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Week Nineteen, Day Two

Acts 21: 27-36

To combat the rumors about him, Paul agreed to join four other believers in the rite of purification. Just as the seven days were almost complete, Paul goes to the temple where some folks recognize him and stir up the crowd against him. They accuse Paul of daring to bring Greeks into the temple to defile it. That seems like a blatant lie, but the truth is Paul was bringing Greeks into faith in a way that many Jews believe defiled their traditions and their way of life.

The rumors and accusations were rooted in some truth because they were rooted in people's fear of losing something they valued. They were also afraid that, if what Paul said was true, what they believed was wrong. Few people, especially religious people, seem to have the capacity to believe they are right without having to prove that all who disagree with them are wrong. Fundamentalists, whether liberal or conservative, need to buttress their own insecurity by attacking others.

Paul is physically attacked and dragged out of the temple. Such a commotion ensued that the Romans soon show up to keep the peace. They arrest Paul, since he is obviously the source of the trouble, and try to sort it all out back at the barracks. While this isn't the first time something like this happened to Paul, the fallout from this one changes everything.

After Paul is arrested, he offers his defense to the crowd in Hebrew. It is a long retelling of his own personal testimony. Toward the end, he starts another riot, so the Roman guards decide to scourge him to get the truth. Apparently, their Hebrew wasn't good enough to understand what Paul had said to the crowd. In those barbaric days, people with no faith thought nothing of using physical pain to coerce a prisoner to tell them what they wanted to hear. Of course, WE would never stoop to such barbarism or tolerate it from our elected government …

In the end, Paul stops them by reminding them that he is a Roman citizen who has been convicted of nothing. These soldiers might have been un-churched barbarians, but even they would not use torture to coerce a fellow citizen to confess …

Asserting his Roman citizenship stops the guards from torturing Paul, but it doesn't get him set free. What he gets, though, is a hearing. Even faithless barbarians don't believe in holding people indefinitely without charging them or giving them a trial by which they might prove their innocence. Apparently, only “Christian” nations like the United States do that.

Blessings,

Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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