What does Acts 21:29 mean?

While Paul is at the temple trying to prove he is still faithful to Judaism, Jews from the province of Asia in modern-day Turkey see him. They have two concerns. First, they've heard rumors that while Paul is out teaching about Jesus of Nazareth, he's been telling Jews they should no longer follow the Mosaic law (Acts 21:28). Second, they've seen Paul in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus. Despite no evidence, this leads them to the conclusion that Paul has brought Trophimus into the temple.

Bringing a Gentile into the temple is against Roman law. In 1871, a carved stone sign was found in the wall of a Muslim school in Jerusalem's Old City that reads, "No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue." It is written in Greek and applies to Gentiles and unclean Jews. The Mishna describes the balustrade as a three-foot high wall. Josephus says it surrounded an internal courtyard around the altar and the Holy of Holies. It's unclear where exactly this wall ran or if there was a courtyard around the temple inside the Court of the Gentiles.

All to say, any Jew who defiles the temple could be executed according to both the Mosaic and Roman laws. It's unclear why the Asian Jews would think Paul is that foolish. They do, however, and incite the crowd to assault him until the Roman guards arrive and arrest him (Acts 21:30–36).

We don't know who first spread the story that Paul taught the Mosaic law no longer applied to Jews, but we do know the rumor infiltrated the church in Jerusalem (Acts 21:21), although apparently not in Tyre or Caesarea Maritima. Because Christians believed the lie, it spread to non-Christians, and Paul finds himself arrested by the Romans. Without question, some situations—particularly abuse or when civil law is broken—the church needs to notify proper authorities that a crime has been committed. In other cases, God gives the church the right to judge internally (1 Corinthians 6:1–8). Paul's Christian accusers had no right to publicly spread rumors that he encouraged Jews to break the Mosaic law when he was not there to defend himself.