Paul had come to Jerusalem with his team (Acts 21:17). The Lord had already told him, and others, that he would face great difficulties and imprisonment for the sake of the gospel; and that he would take the message of Jesus to kings (Acts 9:15-16). But he did not know how God's plan would be worked out (Acts 20:22-23).
Paul had voluntarily submitted to the Jerusalem elders' request to undergo a purification vow with four local men at the Temple (Acts 21:20-24). It was an attempt to show that he had not abandoned his traditional roots in the Old Testament law, but wanted Jesus to be seen as their fulfilment.
Paul had come to Jerusalem, joining with a multi-national throng of displaced Israelites (Acts 2:5-11) to celebrate the feast of Pentecost (Acts 20:16), knowing that he would encounter hardship for the sake of Jesus, and imprisonment.
Paul's life was possibly minutes away from extinction. The religious mob in Jerusalem were already beating the apostle, but he was saved by the arrival of a troop of soldiers with their commander. Order had to be restored and so he was arrested and put in chains as a demonstration that the Roman authorities were in control and not the angry crowd. Even so it was not an easy job.
Paul was in chains (Acts 21:33). Arrested by the Roman soldiers in order to quell a riot and establish their authority, Paul was carried above the heads of the crowd up the steps of the military barracks (Acts 21:35). But before they entered the building, and the heavy gates slammed shut behind them, Paul spoke respectfully to the commander asking permission to speak to him.
Paul was under arrest, chained to soldiers either side of him (Acts 21:33). They assumed that he was a terrorist inciting rebellion in Jerusalem.
Paul's personal testimony started by explaining what he believed and how he behaved before he met Jesus (Acts 22:3-5). Standing on the steps of the Roman fortress, chained to two soldiers, Paul was allowed to defend himself (Acts 21:40); but really, he was defending the gospel and proclaiming Jesus.
Paul was under Roman guard, but allowed to address the crowd who had falsely accused him, of desecrating the temple in Jerusalem. Having told them how he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, and was blinded by a brilliant light, Paul explained what happened next. He was led by the hand into the city (Acts 9:8) and prayed to God for mercy and help (Acts 9:11).
After Paul met the Lord Jesus on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-5), he was led, blinded, into the city where Ananias was Christ's agent of healing and prophetic messenger of Paul's future ministry (Acts 9:11-18). After that, he spent a brief time in Jerusalem, but the Greek speaking Jews did not want to have anything to do with him.
Paul was given the opportunity to speak to the religious people in Jerusalem, who were trying to kill him (Acts 21:39-40). They were proudly prejudiced, believing that God only loved them and not the Gentiles. Paul said that God had sent him away from Jerusalem, because His people refused to listen to His Word, to preach to the Gentiles in other countries - who would listen (Acts 22:17-21).
