According to those followers of Paul's Jesus, the man was mild mannered and passive ("turn the other cheek").
AND THEN they tell the story of Jesus taking a whip to "the money changers in the Temple."
As with most half-truths, much is not reported.
THERE ARE MANY STORIES about Paul's Jesus that would leave all but the most naïve wondering "Is this man really a god?"
Jesus was supposed to be a Jew. No matter what religio-political party he may have favored (Essenes, Pharisees, and Sadducees) he would have known WHY the money changers were in the Temple COURT - not the Temple proper.
Even Jesus' disciple, Matthew (21:12–13) reports that The shulhanim (money changers) in Jerusalem used to set up their "tables" in the outer court of the Temple for the convenience of the numerous worshipers, especially those from foreign countries
The Torah portion for the 8th day of Passover, when it falls, as it did, on Shabat (for those outside Israel) - דברים 14: 22-דברים 26: 17 - explains, plainly, why there were money changers in the Temple court. (Same reason there are money changers in every air and seaport around the world.)
The subject is tithing (עשר תעשר) and we are told to bring our tithes to the Temple. HOWEVER the Torah goes on to tell us that (V.24) if the way is too long for you (to shelp your tithe, be it animal or from the field), because the place is too far … (V.25) then you shall turn it (the tithe) into money (V.26) and you shall buy what your soul desires and you shall eat there before the Lord, you and your household.
The above, slightly modernized, is adapted from the Hertz/Soncino humash.
That same portion (ראה) in V. 21 has one of the three occasions when - usually out of context -
לא-תהשל גדח בהלב אמו (Don't seethe a kid in its mother's milk) appears, from which the rabbis of the Talmuds determined mixing any meat with any dairy is forbidden.
The Encyclopedia Judaica: Money Changers has a fairly lengthy article on the role of money changers during the time Jesus was said to live. The article cites, among others, Paul (Acts) and Matthew (multiple occurrences).
Beyond the facts - authorized by Torah and admitted to by Matthew (ibid.) - where did Jesus get the authority to take a whip to ANYONE.
There were courts to which he could have turned - both Jewish/religious and Roman government. Rather than "turn the other cheek," he apparently lost his temper and decided he could put an end to something already well established.
Even if, as they do today, many bankers behave badly, Jesus HAD places to complain, but he had no authority - Jewish or Roman - to act as he allegedly did. Perhaps he thought he was above the law.
