"(For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)"
This account (above) is in reference to the fact that some Jews from Asia who were very angry with Paul had seen him (Paul) with this
gentile man, in Jerusalem. They then *assumed* that Paul had brought (the gentile) into the temple--when, in fact, he had not done so. Then, on the basis of this errant notion, they created a riot in the city, and almost tore Paul into pieces.
But such is the nature of religious irrationality. Regrettably, it hap-
pens more often than we would like to think. Someone's innocent
association with someone else is construed to be heresy, blasphemy, or bad policy. As gracious churchmen, let us seek to think the best of other people, and not the worst. After all, what would folks think of Jesus, if they saw us with Him, before our conversions?
[Puritan quote of the day: "A godly man's comforts and grievances are hid from the world; natural men are strangers to them." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Conflict with Itself"]
