Speaking of yesterday’s peace-making challenge, riots are nothing new. The Apostle Paul seemed to unintentionally provoke riots wherever he went (see Acts 13 and 14, for example). I was struck with what I think are the last three riots in Acts, found in Acts 21, 22, and 23. Three riots. Three different causes:

• Acts 21: bad information (fake news?) – they assumed he had brought a gentile into the temple

When the seven-day period was almost over, a number of Jews from western Turkey who had seen him in the temple courts stirred up the whole crowd against him. Seizing him, they shouted, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere what is contrary to our nation, our law, and this temple. And not only that, but now he brings these non-Jewish men with him into the inner courts of our temple! They have made this sacred place ritually unclean.” (For Trophimus, an Ephesian, had been seen previously with him, and they assumed that he entered the inner courts with Paul.) 30 This ignited a huge riot in the city as all the people came together to seize Paul and drag him out of the temple courts, closing the gates behind him. (Acts 21.27 – 30, TPT)

• Acts 22: hatred of gentiles – nothing new about racial division! Paul is speaking to the large crowd from Acts 21: they’re not upset about saying he met with Jesus of Nazareth on the Road to Damascus. They’re not upset about his saying that Ananias, a devout Jew and believer in Jesus came to him. But they were upset when he said who his target audience was:

“Then [Jesus] said to me, ‘Go at once, for I am sending you to preach to the non-Jewish nations.’” The crowd listened attentively to Paul up to this point. But when they heard this, all at once they erupted with loud shouts, saying, “Get rid of this man! Kill him! He doesn’t deserve to live!” The crowd was screaming and yelling, removing their outer garments, and throwing handfuls of dust in the air in protest. (Acts 22.21 – 24, TPT)

• Acts 23: theological differences – liberals vs conservatives. Some things don’t change! Paul is speaking to a council of Jesus religious leaders.

“My fellow Jews, I am a separated one, and the son of a separated one. That’s why I’m on trial here. It’s because of the hope I have that the dead will rise to live again.” When he said this, a heated argument started among them, dividing the council between the Sadducees and the separated ones. Paul knew that the Sadducees teach there is no resurrection and do not believe in angels or spirits, but the separated ones believe in them all. This sparked an even greater uproar among them…When the shouting match became intense, the commander, fearing they would tear Paul to pieces, intervened… (Acts 23.6 – 10, TPT)

I don’t know what the takeaway is other than we don’t want to be among the rioters! Again, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” That, and the work goes on:

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23.11, NIV)