Trophimus was an Asian (likely Ephesian) believer who traveled with Paul during his later ministry. His name, meaning "nourishing" or "foster-child" in Greek, was common in the Greco-Roman world. His presence with Paul in Jerusalem sparked a riot when Jews falsely accused Paul of bringing this Gentile into the temple's inner courts, defiling the sacred space (Acts 21:27-29). The accusation, though false, revealed the explosive tensions around Gentile inclusion in the messianic community.