22:22–23 Until now the crowd had remained quiet (cf. v. 2) and prepared to hear what Paul had to say. But at the word “Gentiles” the riot was in danger of erupting again. No doubt what offended them was his claim to a divine commission to offer salvation to all peoples (this could have been read into his words from what they knew of him) without their submitting first to the “yoke” of the law (cf. 15:10). They would hear no more of this (cf. 7:57), and the opportunity was gone for Paul to defend himself, had that been his desire, against the specific charge that he had “brought Greeks into the temple area” (21:28b). But in any case, that charge was only incidental. The Jews’ real objection, that he had taught “against our people and our law and this place” (21:28a), had been sufficiently …