Commentary on Acts of the Apostles Chapters 21-25
by Dave Brown
Go to Acts 16-20
Acts 21
[At this point Paul having completed his exhortations to the elders of the church at Ephesus, now continues his journey back to Jerusalem.]
21:1 And when it came to pass that we were parted from them and had set sail, we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
2 and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail.
[Luke is still with Paul as he continues his journey.]
3 And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
4 And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.
[This is a very interesting verse since above we learn that Paul was compelled in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, and his obvious eagerness to get there demonstrates the strength of his intent to do just that. This verse would imply that the Spirit is commanding him not to go to Jerusalem. However, I see this as accommodative language ... this was the conclusion that the Christians at Tyre drew; it was not a direct command of the Holy Spirit. Collectively, this is demonstrating how the Holy Spirit worked at that time. We saw this in a few previous examples, e.g., the Macedonian call and Peter's "Gentile" vision in Acts 10. While being guided and instructed by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was not necessarily commanding their every action. (I say not necessarily because we do have examples where He did -- e.g., the sending of Paul and Barnabas out from Antioch in Acts 13.) But in large part the Holy Spirit was not dictating their every action. Neither did the Holy Spirit over-ride Paul's free will. Paul was compelled by his own spirit to go to Jerusalem because he KNEW that this was the right thing to do. He felt that this was in God's will for him. The Holy Spirit clearly wants Paul to know that this is not going to be a piece of cake. We will see that Jesus himself promised to take care of Paul and to protect him from Jews and Gentiles alike. So, much of what we have seen thus far (e.g., Paul's miraculous recovery from being stoned), and especially the many things that were not miraculous but seem to be very heavily caused by God's providence (e.g., Paul's being warned not to venture into the stadium at Ephesus) are all working together to accomplish God's will through Paul. Yet, not at the expense of making Paul a robot.]
5 And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed, and bade each other farewell;
6 and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again.
[This must have been a very emotional scene.]
7 And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
[It is interesting that Luke here assumes that we would just know that there were churches in all of these cities. Peter had be quite successful in this regard (see the end of Acts 9).]
8 And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea: and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.
[They are kind of bouncing along the sea coast. It must have been frustrating to Paul not to just "get there," but it seems clear that God wanted Paul's influence to be with the brethren at these various churches. This is the only specific record of women prophesying, although there is a heavy inference to this effect in 1 Cor. 11:14 that this was the case in Corinth -- it was not just limited to this one church in Caesarea.]
10 And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
[Was the Holy Spirit further warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem? Well, that is not the nature of prophecy. If Agabus said this was going to happen, then it was going to happen. Again, speaking accommodatively, the implication is that Paul was so intent on going to Jerusalem that there would be no alternative than for this to happen. It would in no way violate Paul's free will in this regard. I see this as a statement to Paul for him not to expect to be welcomed with open arms (as he might have expected because it was hard for Paul to understand why everyone would not embrace Jesus as the Christ). Paul needed to be prepared. He had gotten discouraged in the past (e.g., at Corinth -- Acts 18), so this might well have been necessary. So, when it actually happened, he was ready for it -- he could then prepare just what he would say and how he would respond.]
12 And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
[Luke was one of them trying to persuade him. He is testifying not only to what they said, but what he said, felt and thought. Yes, this WAS the will of the Lord that Paul go to Jerusalem and suffer these things from his own countrymen. It was an essential part of the evangelistic effort given the mindset of the people there. It is very interesting to see such a dichotomy -- there were very few on the fence as we might say -- it seemed that they were either faithful Christians or else ready to support the killing of Paul (if not willing to do it themselves).]
15 And after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.
[Luke still with them.]
16 And there went with us also (certain) of the disciples from Caesarea, bringing (with them) one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
[This is significant in regard to the issues that would face Paul, which we will see right away. The point here is that the faithful Christians in Jerusalem supported Paul's preaching to the gentiles in every way, including their baptism without benefit of circumcision. This had been a stated problem, as you recall, ever since Acts 15; obviously it was festering long before that.]
18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God;
[This further confirms that it was not only the faithful Christians but those who were prominent among them, specifically, James and all the elders. What follows is a warning to Paul.]
20 (continued) and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:
21 and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs.
[This was clearly a schism within the church -- note: "... among the Jews of them that have believed ..." This was not an issue of the church being attacked by unbelieving Jews, although they were surely a part of the problem. They assert that they have been informed (by some group of persons; I suppose by the Jews outside of the church, although it could have been false teachers within the church. It does not matter. They were both teaching and believing lies. Paul never taught that Jews must not or should not circumcise their sons, nor that they should forsake the customs of Moses. In fact, we have already seen several cases of where Paul did just that -- the most recent being his taking a vow at Cenchrea toward the end of Acts 18.]
22 What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;
24 these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.
[Paul readily agreed to this advice -- in accordance with 1 Cor. 9:20 ("... to the Jews I became a Jew ..."), Paul went out of his way to do anything lawful to prevent any actions on his part from becoming a stumbling block to his countrymen, whom he loved deeply (see Rom 9 and 10).]
25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
[As you recall, these were the edicts to the Gentiles from Acts 15. They are reiterated here (in my opinion) to demonstrate that Paul's actions would have no effect whatsoever on the teachings that he had given to the Gentiles, and that this was also understood by the church at Jerusalem.]
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.
[These things were not insignificant and would be well known to those Jewish priest who were keepers of the Temple. The sum of money involved to purchase the sacrifices and the purification rituals were quite overt and significant. There could be no mistake that Paul was in complete fellowship with these Jewish Christians who were observing the Nazarite vow. The next verse indicates further that they had gone through almost the entire seven days of this purification ritual.]
27 And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place.
[Not sure why the Jews from Asia are singled out except that Luke seems to want to indicate that it was not those who would normally be in Jerusalem. It is possible that these Jews had followed Paul from Asia in some way.]
29 For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.
[Luke appears to be awfully kind to them; I believe he is again speaking accomodatively. This was apparently the reasoning that was given by the false teachers. There appears to be not a shred of evidence to support that the people in the temple with Paul were Gentiles, and it would not have mattered since it is very clear that they were not interested in the truth, only in getting something against Paul, in which they were quite successful.]
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors were shut.
[It is hard for us to believe that such a commotion could spring up this fast. However, in all probability the enemies of Paul had been planning this for some time and so were springing a trap that they had set. It is highly questionable at this point that this riot was at all led by Christian Jews. No doubt some might have been involved, but there is certainly no indication that they were the source of the problem. This may have been another reason for Luke identifying the accusers as being Asian Jews. We also know that plots had been laid against Paul in Jerusalem before, so his appearance in the Temple was like a lightning rod, and his enemies were thinking that they could get rid of him for once and for all.]
31 And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
[This was an unlawful mob action and it would have been catastrophic to the chief captain and many others had the enemies of Paul succeeded, given that he was a Roman citizen ... a fact that has not been revealed at this point, and will be held in reserve by Paul for a little while. We will comment on our opinion of just why he did this below.]
32 And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.
[Seeking to kill him by beating him -- putting the last two verses together. Clearly his life was saved by the Roman soldiers under the command of the chief captain.]
33 Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.
[The binding was probably to pacify the crowd, which was the big problem for the chief captain at this point. There was a major guardhouse with very high towers that overlooked the temple complex (called the "castle" in the next verse. This was manned by a very large number of Roman soldiers who resided there to keep the peace. I guess they surmised that if a rebellion was going to start it would probably emanate from the temple complex. This explains why they were able to respond so quickly and save Paul's life.]
34 And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle.
35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the crowd;
36 for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him.
[The idea that by getting rid of Paul they could solve the "Christianity" problem was a bit idiotic, but this seemed to be their motivation. Well, there were probably some of the rabble who were out for the fun of it and wanted to see blood, but I am speaking from the point of view of those Jews who really believed Paul to be evil.]
37 And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?
38 Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?
39 But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people.
[Actually, since Tarsus was a "free city" the chief captain should have inferred that Paul was a Roman citizen. We will see in the next chapter that he did not draw this inference, although Paul's being a Jew (of Tarsus) and not "the Egyptian" was definitely a step up for him. This unnamed "the Egyptian" is referenced by Josephus. Apparently someone who had unsuccessfully practiced insurrection in the past and led many astray. This must have been fairly fresh in the mind of the chief captain as he supposes that these Jews are not taking out their vengeance on this man who had caused them so much trouble in the past. But clearly, Paul was not "the Egyptian." Paul asks to speak to the people, and he will do just that in Chapter 22, which starts five defenses, one per chapter -- 22 before the Jews, 23 before the Jewish council, 24 before Felix, 25 before Festus (both Roman governors), and 26 before Herod the king. These defenses are very interesting and all contain points of doctrine that are not brought out elsewhere.]
[After Paul's conflict with the Asian Jews that led to a riotous situation, he is rescued by the Roman chief captain and his soldiers. He is surprised to find out that Paul is a native Jew (not "the Egyptian"), and Paul requests the opportunity to speak to his countrymen directly. This again seems to be Paul's overconfidence ... "If I can just get them to hear what I experienced, surely they will understand." But it takes more than facts; something is required of the listener.]
40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying, ...
Acts 22
22:1 Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.
2 And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,
[What language were they expecting? This demonstrates how confused they were. Mobs are never reasonable entities.]
3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:
4 and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
[There is little new here that we have not already known from the book of Acts. Gamaliel, as you recall, was the wise man in Acts 5:34 who reasoned with them to leave the disciples alone because if they are all making it up they will just come to naught; but, if not, you will be fighting against God. He was a very well respected man among the Jews, as well he should have been.]
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
[Paul will make a point of the fact that he persecuted Christians in several of his defenses, seemingly to add to the evidence of the validity of what he is saying.]
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,
13 came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
[Very little new here. The word "witness" is reserved to the apostles throughout the book of Acts, having the meaning of an eye witness. Even so here -- Paul would not witness to the resurrection or the ascension -- he would only witness to the things that he saw and heard -- that hearing being from the mouth of Jesus ... from the previous verse.]
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
[This exact statement is not recorded elsewhere; it associates baptism with washing away one's sins. Of course baptism without "calling on his [Jesus'] name would just get one wet, so it all works together. Note that about three years passed between Paul's baptism in Damascus and his "return" to Jerusalem. So the next verse is not instantaneous or even within a few weeks or months.]
17 And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
18 and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
[We know that Paul's primary focus was the Gentiles. Jesus knew that the Jews would not tolerate Paul. Paul here seems to be arguing with Jesus. This is something we saw Ananias do when commanded to interact with Paul ... it was like ... "you want me to do WHAT?" Jesus did not mind being questioned then and similarly here. Paul does not seem to be making excuses. If anything it would be the Christians who would reject Paul because of his early history, and in fact, they did! In Acts 9 (when Paul "returned" to Jerusalem -- that was essentially concurrent with the temple experience being described here ... he was only there for 15 days altogether), when he attempted to associate with the disciples there Barnabas had to testify for him that he had been preaching the gospel and that he was a faithful Christian, no longer a persecutor. So Paul argues with Jesus that since they knew that I persecuted Christians, surely they will listen to me now. Now this was early on in Paul's preaching (about three years in) ... you would think that now, at least 20 years later, that Paul would realize that it was not going to happen. But he still has hope and continues to preach as best he can. At this point, he has said the nasty "G" word and that will trigger the rabble to once again delight in doing their thing. We will pick it up there next time.]
[Paul does his best to appeal to his countrymen, but it seems those bent on mob rule have the last word. The trigger word was the word "Gentiles." Remember, this mob was not made up of Christians, although I do not doubt that some were there, perhaps in support of Paul (e.g., Luke), and others in error may have been joining in with the mob. I am overlapping with a couple verses from last time ...
22 And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
[It is hard for us to believe that they would want to kill Paul just for his position with regard to the Gentiles. Deep-seated racial type of hatred is difficult to overcome. I wonder if things have changed that much in the Middle-East.]
23 And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
24 the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.
[The mob rules when the only thing that the Roman authorities fear is the mob. God's hand is protecting Paul or he might have been sacrificed to that cause. While we might look down on these people as being uncivilized, the actions of mobs today are no more controlled than was this one.]
25 And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.
[This shows the depth of concern that the centurion had for this offense -- he confronts his boss about it. Of course, he was doing him a favor. Perhaps at this point the chief captain recalls that Paul stated that he was born in Tarsus (or was from there if not born there).]
27 And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am (a Roman) born.
[I see this as a type of cross-examination of Paul. Very subtle. The chief captain sort of asks by implications how much it cost for Paul to obtain citizenship, as if to start a conversation. Perhaps the fact that Paul was Roman born would add even more weight to his rights as a Roman citizen.]
29 They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
[We are going to get several lesson on what we call "passing the buck." On the other hand you cannot blame these Roman rulers for using whatever ploys they could come up with to quell the crowd and keep the peace. Rome seemed to care less what or how the Jews worshiped. But it seemed that all mob actions were feared because it would be interpreted by the Roman higher ups to be a potential rebellion, and that would bring serious consequences to them personally. So, he figures that a hearing before the Jewish council might serve to calm things down.]
[It is interesting that while Paul and the Christians of the first century never used any political means to promote the gospel (as some attempt to do today), they had no reservations in using the government for their protection and to obtain the rights that were due them. Romans 13 summarizes the Christians' relationship to their governments. We are to honor our rulers no matter how bad they are, and they probably could not be much worse than those who were in power at this time. Paul proclaims that even they were ordained of God ... God is using them to satisfy a purpose, albeit we may not understand just what that purpose is at the time or just why God is doing it in this way.]
[Paul's first defense was directly to the people who he counted as his countrymen. They seemed to be more inclined to be influenced by the rabble than by the truth, and so would not even let him finish his words to them. Again the chief captain and his soldiers rescue Paul, and he decides that perhaps letting Paul testify before the Jewish council might quell things somewhat, and that is where we pick the story up ...]
Acts 23
23:1 And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.
[This is something that I am sure any of us would love to be able to say, given that it was true. It demonstrates the confidence that Paul had in the decisions that he made. It also shows that we can be totally resolved in our conscience (as Paul was when he persecuted Christians), and yet not be doing the Lord's will.]
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
[Paul does not realize that this is the high priest that he is talking about here, although all that he says is perfectly true. This demonstrates that we should always tell the truth, but we don't always have to say it.]
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people.
[So, in essence Paul is asking for forgiveness for not knowing that the man he was criticizing was the High Priest. We must remember that when you get slapped in the mouth you do not always say and do rational things. Paul was probably still reeling from this assault. It is to his credit that he has presence of mind to quote scripture at this point, and even more so to abide by it.]
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees: touching the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
[Was this right? I think later Paul will admit that this seemingly very clever proclamation might not have been totally kosher. It is the one time when, in fact, Paul stirred up trouble. Even though there is absolutely nothing false in his statement. It might not be the WHOLE truth, but he knew from the treatment that he got to that point that there was not a chance that they were going to hear him out. And remember, he was probably still hurting, as you well know if you have you ever been punched in the mouth.]
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
[Recall early on it was the Sadducees that were the primary persecutors of the early church. There was something about the resurrection that they did not like. Not at all sure why. I sure cannot imagine there being anything wrong with being resurrected. Why would they want to just stay dead for eternity?]
9 And there arose a great clamor: and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.
[So the chief captain and the soldiers come to the rescue once again. Who says the Romans were not a good bunch? For sure God is using them for his purpose, and they are right, good and just to show Paul this kind of respect and service. Contrast the idolatrous Romans here with God's chosen people (not all of them but for sure the leadership). For sure you would have to say that the Romans had a greater sense of justice.]
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
[We will learn quite a bit from these short messages from Jesus. For sure we can know that they are the truth while other conclusions we draw we might have some doubts about. For example, from this we can see that Paul was in fact doing God's will in going to Jerusalem and defending himself as he did. Further, we can begin to get a feel that God's providence is guiding these events ... nothing is being left to chance. Paul is being guarded by the Lord. Jesus gave Paul comfort and encouragement, telling him that he would also bear witness in Rome. But it will be a while and many interesting events before he gets there.]
12 And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty that made this conspiracy.
[You kind of wonder how many of them kept their pact?]
14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore do ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case more exactly: and we, before he comes near, are ready to slay him.
[The implication is that the council is not opposing this sinful conspiracy but are rather ready to be a part of it. This demonstrates further the wisdom of Paul in causing the clamor earlier in this chapter ... but we will have more to say about that in a subsequent defense.]
16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
[Interesting the excellent treatment Paul was being given ... allowing relatives and probably friends to visit with him.]
17 And Paul called unto him one of the centurions, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain; for he hath something to tell him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say to thee.
19 And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul tomorrow unto the council, as though thou wouldest inquire somewhat more exactly concerning him.
21 Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain him: and now are they ready, looking for the promise from thee.
[I do not think that it is a stretch to believe all of this to be providential.]
22 So the chief captain let the young man go, charging him, Tell no man that thou hast signified these things to me.
23 And he called unto him two of the centurions, and said, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night:
24 and (he bade them) provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
[This is definitely overkill. There were only 40 pathetic lightly armed Jews. If I am counting right, there are 480 soldiers protecting Paul. What did Jesus say -- "I could have called for on my Father and he would have sent me 12 legions of angels." Well, not quite 12 legions of angels, but obviously a sufficient force to counter the threat.]
[We saw the Chief Captain, a Roman in command of hundreds of Roman soldiers, come to Paul's direct rescue, I believe three times to this point. Now he is sending him with a massive armed guard to Felix, a Roman governor, who is at Caesarea (on the seacoast "down from Jerusalem," as they say). The rest of Chapter 23 is a very interesting letter that the chief captain (who we learn is named Claudius Lysia) writes to Felix. This kind of puts the forwarding of Paul to Felix in context.]
25 And he wrote a letter after this form:
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix, greeting.
27 This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be slain of them, when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
[Not quite true. As you recall, that was not the reason he rescued him the first time. In fact, he thought he was "the Egyptian." We wonder what he would have lost by telling the truth? This is the sign of a compulsive liar -- they feel that they are doing themselves an injustice if they do not somehow manipulate the "truth" to their advantage.]
28 And desiring to know the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him down unto their council:
29 whom I found to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
[We cannot argue with this part. It is kind of amazing how ignorant the Romans are of the Jews and "their law." Whether there is or is not a resurrection is really not a matter of law -- it is a matter of doctrine. Whether someone is worthy of death for taking the wrong side in this matter, or for involving Gentiles in the evangelistic process, that would be a matter of their law. But for sure, none of this was cause to execute someone over, especially if he is a Roman citizen.]
30 And when it was shown to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to thee forthwith, charging his accusers also to speak against him before thee.
[Quite accurate, as we shall see.]
31 So the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
[This city is about half way there. Once they got this far they figured that there really was no more of a threat.]
32 But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
33 and they, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34 And when he had read it, he asked of what province he was; and when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35 I will hear thee fully, said he, when thine accusers also are come: and he commanded him to be kept in Herod's palace.
[Apparently fine accommodations. Felix was probably a bit leary of stepping on another governor's toes, and thus the question about the province. But he was highly motivated to hear from Paul, as we shall see. While we often do and should view Paul as being personally not rich physically, he was rich in many ways. He had some very influential and rich friends. And it was probably known that he had made several trips collecting money from the (predominately) Gentile churches to bring to Judea to help the needy Christians there during the series of famines that had taken place there. This could not be a trivial amount of money.]
[Paul has had two defenses so far, and he has three to go. All five are: his countrymen, the Jewish Council, Felix (today), Festus, and Herod Agrippa. Paul was rescued and guarded down to Ceasarea where he is now -- getting him away from the dangers to him inherent at Jerusalem.]
Acts 24
24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with certain elders, and (with) an orator, one Tertullus; and they informed the governor against Paul.
[The governor here is Felix. It seems rather amazing that they had to have a special orator ... but it shows how seriously they were taking this matter. Perhaps they felt that their entire careers depended on it.]
2 And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy much peace, and that by the providence evils are corrected for this nation,
3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 But, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
6 who moreover assayed to profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold: (and we would have judged him according to our law.
[Let's evaluate the accusations. "Pestilent" -- this is just name calling and I doubt there was any law against it even if it had been true, and even if they and we could discern just what this accusation was. But OK let's go on. "A mover of insurrections among all the Jews through the whole world" -- this was totally false. Teaching Jesus and the resurrection was obviously not against the law that the Romans allowed for the Jews. Paul was certainly not teaching any type of insurrection of the type that Jesus was accused of (and of which he too was totally innocent). In fact, Romans 12 demonstrates that part of what Paul taught was to support the powers that be. "Ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" -- this one sort of rings of truth if you view Christianity as a sect of Judaism. Early on this would have been a legitimate mistake, but at this point Christianity has established itself as something more than a sect. Of course, we do not really know what Tertullus had in mind here either. "Assayed to profane the temple" -- totally false, and I am sure Felix was shaking his head and saying: "who really cares about your stupid temple. You want me to execute a Roman citizen over this?"]
7 But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
8 commanding his accusers to come before thee.) from whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.
[Clearly Tertullus has admitted something here that is a violation of Roman law. Their mob had seized Paul and they would have killed him had not Lysias intervened. This was clearly against Roman law even if Paul had not been a Roman citizen. But much worse since he was. So, believe it or not, Tertullus has the gall to blame Lysias for standing in the way of justice. With an orator like this you do not really need to mount a defense. Felix must have been thinking -- "is this a joke?"]
9 And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so.
[... making themselves as evil and as stupid as he was.]
10 And when the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, Paul answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I cheerfully make my defense:
11 Seeing that thou canst take knowledge that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem:
12 and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man or stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city.
13 Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me.
[The defense is -- I could never have mounted an insurrection in just 12 days. This would not hold up today, but with their lack of communications back then it was certainly a valid defense. The second prong of it was that they have no witnesses that could verify what they were saying. Would anyone stand up and give details of Paul's insurrection -- who was involved?, what was he trying to accomplish?, how was he going about it? where were the weapons?, on and on-- there would be all kinds of evidence to present if Paul were in fact guilty.]
[It seems strange that Paul did not come right out with an attack on the Jews and talk about the fact that the reason they were so upset was that they thought he was threatening their power (even though, in fact, he was not). Felix could not possibly have had a good understanding of either Judiasm or Christianity, but there is no doubt that he understood power. Felix was a power-hungry man himself that history tells us had many crucified to maintain his power. He would certainly understand why the Jews were jealous of Paul. But Paul did not play that card -- at least we have no record of it. Perhaps it was because Paul himself did not understand power in that he never had a lust for it. Paul continues ...]
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.
16 Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.
[This is Paul's confession of Christ, and it gives us a clear concept of what that "confession" is in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 10:32). It is not confessing our sins to a Priest. We are commanded to confess to one another -- we are to be honest in this regard. But the confession of Christ talked about in Matthew 10 and also in Romans 10 are confessions of Christ, not of our sins. From these chapters it is plain to see that a willingness to confess Jesus as the son of God is a condition of our salvation. Paul surely met this condition -- in fact, his entire motivation to subject himself to all of this abuse seems to be to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as widely and to as many different types of people possible.]
17 Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:
18 amidst which they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor yet with tumult: but (there were) certain Jews from Asia --
19 who ought to have been here before thee, and to make accusation, if they had aught against me.
[Apparently Paul was bringing money with him for this purpose from the Gentile world ... no small sum of money and this would have been well known -- many people would have been helped by these funds, and this was probably appreciated by the Roman rulers there as well, since hungry people are hard to control. The knowledge of this and the potential to hit Paul up for some of it, was what kept him alive in Caesarea and enabled his friends to visit with him and provide him comfort.]
20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrong-doing they found when I stood before the council,
21 except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.
[Paul here admits that his statement before the council in Acts 23 was something that caused somewhat of a stir -- and while it was not insurrection, anything like this was viewed with alarm by the Roman authorities, mainly because they did not have a clue what it was all about, so they viewed it in the worst light.
22 But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will determine your matter.
[First of all ... more exact knowledge than who? Certainly not Paul. So, who else is there? Luke seems to be arguing that if the Jews just had more exact knowledge they would not be behaving so counterproductive to themselves. Felix knew, perhaps with some input from his wife (we will have more to say about her later) that Christianity was not about rebellion. It was not about power. It was a spiritual movement. It is certain (1 Cor. 2) that he did not understand what it WAS -- but he understood what it was not. It was nothing that the Jews were claiming. Felix was smart in recognizing that you can never make good decisions with bad information.. He was not going to sacrifice Paul to the claims of the Jews because he knew they were not valid. He might have sacrificed Paul in a minute if Paul was not a Roman citizen; but in this case he had to have some hard evidence, and the Jews had brought none.]
23 And he gave order to the centurion that he should be kept in charge, and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to minister unto him.
[We have discussed the reason that Paul was given these privileges -- the answer is in verse 26. It has nothing to do with Felix being altruistic. But there was not way that he was going to get any money from Paul unless his friends could bring it. The money was certainly available -- no problem there. Even some of the rich friends of Paul would have been willing to buy his release. So why not? Because this is not how Christians do things! Those who practice extortion in the name of Christ, civil rights or anything else would do well to take notice. Not only do Christians not extort -- they do not even give in to extortion!]
24 But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
[With regard to Druscilla (since Luke brought her name up), we quote: "The fair but loose daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12); sister of Herod Agrippa II; married to Azizus, king of Emesa, on his becoming a Jew; seduced by Felix, procurator of Judea, through Simon the Cyprian sorcerer (Josephus, Ant. 20:7, section 2). Present at Paul's hearing before Felix at Caesarea. (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998, 2003 by Biblesoft).]
[Drucilla was not Felix' legitimate wife in that she was the wife of another man, current laws notwithstanding. Luke uses the word "wife" here accomodatively. It is not our goal to demean anyone, living or dead, but it is good to know just what the moral character is of the people involved here. Felix was was a ruthless ruler and a very immoral person. But did Paul judge him unworthy of hearing the Gospel? Absolutely not! Felix and Drucilla's souls was just as precious as any of ours, and Paul as well as Jesus gave him adequate time to repent.]
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.
[Like John the Baptist, I doubt that Paul held back any truth from Felix. The shear force of Paul's arguments had Felix shaking in his boots. And no doubt this had an impact on Drusilla, who may well have eclipsed her "husband" when it came to manipulation.]
26 He hoped withal that money would be given him of Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
[Seems they got to know each other quite well -- Paul trying to save his soul; Festus trying to add to his obvious wealth. The contrast could not be greater.]
27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
[Essentially stealing his life from him -- which is what we do when we force someone to waste their time -- we only have so much. In this case it did not matter because Paul seemed to be able to server the Lord just as well from in jail (or house arrest) as anywhere else. In fact, even more. Paul seemed to cause commotion wherever he went, and at times this seemed detrimental. We could say that Jesus had the same problem.]
[Two years under not so shabby circumstances being ruled by Felix, and now Festus comes in to take his place, so Festus needs to figure out just what all is going on here ...]
Acts 25
25:1 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
[Apparently surveying his new realm and trying to get the lay of the land.]
2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,
3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
[Not much has changed. Exactly why they would think that the fate of Christianity had to do with Paul being alive is just plain irrational. But we have seen that jealous people are just not rational, so such mis-calculation is to be expected.]
4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart (thither) shortly.
5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.
[A sense of fairness? Well, he is walking a tightrope -- who knows but these Christians might be real troublemakers. There is not sense to offend anyone at this early point in his rule.]
6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;
8 while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.
[This does not seem to be a very orderly trial situation.]
9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
[We have to assume that Festus was ignorant of the plot(s) laid against Paul. Passing the buck seems to be an art with these governors ... or perhaps they did what they had to do to keep the peace.]
10 But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.
[Rather confrontational; but then Paul knew what they had in mind -- he really had not choice in this matter.]
11 If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is (true) whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
[Some use this as evidence of Paul's support of capital punishment; I think better evidence if in Romans 12 where he says that the ruler "beareth not the sword in vain" in indicating that we should support our rulers to the extent that it conforms with God's law. This, of course, is Paul's famous appeal to Caesar.]
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
[Interesting turn of events -- Festus confers with the council. My take on it is that they reasoned -- we are finally going to get rid of him ... he cannot do us any harm at Rome. I have an idea that Festus might have been quite instrumental in this exchange as well. "I have no choice, and if any harm comes to a Roman citizen we will hunt down and crucify those who are responsible." Something like that, after which they say: "fine with us" recognizing their own potential guilt in such a matter. So, while they had differing motives, they could agree on the disposition of Paul.]
[Paul appeals to Caesar, and Festus complies -- an easy way out for him. But before sending him off, how about allowing King Agrippa to investigate? That sure will not hurt the relationship between them. Recall that the Herods were not native Jews, but were brought in and forced to become Jews way back several generations. So, technically, while not being considered as practicing or faithful Jews, by quasi-nationality, and technically as the puppet king, he had a lot at stake in keeping the peace as well, so this would be of interest to him.]
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
13 Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus.
[Before we go on, let us not skim over the effect that women had on these leaders. We will give a comparable review of Bernice as we gave of Druscilla: "Oldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1). Married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis. Suspected after his death of intimacy with her own brother, Agrippa II, with whom she visited Festus, on his appointment as procurator of Judea, and heard Paul's defense (Acts 25:13,23; 26:30). Next, she was married to Polemon, king of Cilicia; but left him for her brother. Subsequently, she was mistress of Vespasian, then of Titus, who, when emperor, cast her off. (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998, 2003 by Biblesoft)]
[Immorality at the highest levels is nothing new -- maintaining ones moral standing and not giving in to this temptation seems to be much harder for those in power to resist -- or perhaps we just hear about it more. There were few secrets back in the first century ... people talked, things leaked out, historians wrote. But again, note how Paul just seemingly ignored this. He knew that the power of the blood of Christ was sufficient to reach out to the lowliest of sinners ... after all, it had reached out to him.]
14 And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;
15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed (me), asking for sentence against him.
16 To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.
17 When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;
19 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
[This is kind of an amazing display of ignorance, but this is exactly what one would expect of the novice governor of Judea. It would be impossible for him to understand Judaism, and even the Jews did not understand Christianity. Recall Paul's words from 1 Cor 2:7-8: "... but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, (even) the (wisdom) that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: ..." Why don't they understand? That is not the subject now -- we will take it up when it becomes the subject at the end of the book. The point is clear -- Festus did not have a clue about what Christianity was all about. Festus goes on ...]
20 And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar.
[He leaves out the fact that he consulted with the Jewish council in this regard. He may not have felt that it was important.]
22 And Agrippa (said) unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.
23 So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.
[Felix came with Drucilla, his "wife." Luke does not go so far as to use anything so accommodating here. "He came with Bernice." Next topic: great pomp. They apparently did not learn the right thing from their father. He was the one in Acts 12 who got eaten up of worms because of his "great pomp." The difference here seems to be that they were not usurping God's role ... at least no one was calling them God.]
24 And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.
27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.
[Seems another reason that Festus wanted this hearing is to perhaps come up with something that he could write down on paper since he had no understanding whatsoever of just why there should be animosity between Paul and the Jews. I guess we cannot blame him for that because in reality, there was no good reason. There never is a good reason for jealousy.]
Go To Acts 26-28
Acts 21
[At this point Paul having completed his exhortations to the elders of the church at Ephesus, now continues his journey back to Jerusalem.]
21:1 And when it came to pass that we were parted from them and had set sail, we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
2 and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail.
[Luke is still with Paul as he continues his journey.]
3 And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
4 And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.
[This is a very interesting verse since above we learn that Paul was compelled in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, and his obvious eagerness to get there demonstrates the strength of his intent to do just that. This verse would imply that the Spirit is commanding him not to go to Jerusalem. However, I see this as accommodative language ... this was the conclusion that the Christians at Tyre drew; it was not a direct command of the Holy Spirit. Collectively, this is demonstrating how the Holy Spirit worked at that time. We saw this in a few previous examples, e.g., the Macedonian call and Peter's "Gentile" vision in Acts 10. While being guided and instructed by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was not necessarily commanding their every action. (I say not necessarily because we do have examples where He did -- e.g., the sending of Paul and Barnabas out from Antioch in Acts 13.) But in large part the Holy Spirit was not dictating their every action. Neither did the Holy Spirit over-ride Paul's free will. Paul was compelled by his own spirit to go to Jerusalem because he KNEW that this was the right thing to do. He felt that this was in God's will for him. The Holy Spirit clearly wants Paul to know that this is not going to be a piece of cake. We will see that Jesus himself promised to take care of Paul and to protect him from Jews and Gentiles alike. So, much of what we have seen thus far (e.g., Paul's miraculous recovery from being stoned), and especially the many things that were not miraculous but seem to be very heavily caused by God's providence (e.g., Paul's being warned not to venture into the stadium at Ephesus) are all working together to accomplish God's will through Paul. Yet, not at the expense of making Paul a robot.]
5 And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed, and bade each other farewell;
6 and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again.
[This must have been a very emotional scene.]
7 And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
[It is interesting that Luke here assumes that we would just know that there were churches in all of these cities. Peter had be quite successful in this regard (see the end of Acts 9).]
8 And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea: and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.
[They are kind of bouncing along the sea coast. It must have been frustrating to Paul not to just "get there," but it seems clear that God wanted Paul's influence to be with the brethren at these various churches. This is the only specific record of women prophesying, although there is a heavy inference to this effect in 1 Cor. 11:14 that this was the case in Corinth -- it was not just limited to this one church in Caesarea.]
10 And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
11 And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
[Was the Holy Spirit further warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem? Well, that is not the nature of prophecy. If Agabus said this was going to happen, then it was going to happen. Again, speaking accommodatively, the implication is that Paul was so intent on going to Jerusalem that there would be no alternative than for this to happen. It would in no way violate Paul's free will in this regard. I see this as a statement to Paul for him not to expect to be welcomed with open arms (as he might have expected because it was hard for Paul to understand why everyone would not embrace Jesus as the Christ). Paul needed to be prepared. He had gotten discouraged in the past (e.g., at Corinth -- Acts 18), so this might well have been necessary. So, when it actually happened, he was ready for it -- he could then prepare just what he would say and how he would respond.]
12 And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
[Luke was one of them trying to persuade him. He is testifying not only to what they said, but what he said, felt and thought. Yes, this WAS the will of the Lord that Paul go to Jerusalem and suffer these things from his own countrymen. It was an essential part of the evangelistic effort given the mindset of the people there. It is very interesting to see such a dichotomy -- there were very few on the fence as we might say -- it seemed that they were either faithful Christians or else ready to support the killing of Paul (if not willing to do it themselves).]
15 And after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.
[Luke still with them.]
16 And there went with us also (certain) of the disciples from Caesarea, bringing (with them) one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
[This is significant in regard to the issues that would face Paul, which we will see right away. The point here is that the faithful Christians in Jerusalem supported Paul's preaching to the gentiles in every way, including their baptism without benefit of circumcision. This had been a stated problem, as you recall, ever since Acts 15; obviously it was festering long before that.]
18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
19 And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God;
[This further confirms that it was not only the faithful Christians but those who were prominent among them, specifically, James and all the elders. What follows is a warning to Paul.]
20 (continued) and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:
21 and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs.
[This was clearly a schism within the church -- note: "... among the Jews of them that have believed ..." This was not an issue of the church being attacked by unbelieving Jews, although they were surely a part of the problem. They assert that they have been informed (by some group of persons; I suppose by the Jews outside of the church, although it could have been false teachers within the church. It does not matter. They were both teaching and believing lies. Paul never taught that Jews must not or should not circumcise their sons, nor that they should forsake the customs of Moses. In fact, we have already seen several cases of where Paul did just that -- the most recent being his taking a vow at Cenchrea toward the end of Acts 18.]
22 What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that thou art come.
23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;
24 these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.
[Paul readily agreed to this advice -- in accordance with 1 Cor. 9:20 ("... to the Jews I became a Jew ..."), Paul went out of his way to do anything lawful to prevent any actions on his part from becoming a stumbling block to his countrymen, whom he loved deeply (see Rom 9 and 10).]
25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.
[As you recall, these were the edicts to the Gentiles from Acts 15. They are reiterated here (in my opinion) to demonstrate that Paul's actions would have no effect whatsoever on the teachings that he had given to the Gentiles, and that this was also understood by the church at Jerusalem.]
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.
[These things were not insignificant and would be well known to those Jewish priest who were keepers of the Temple. The sum of money involved to purchase the sacrifices and the purification rituals were quite overt and significant. There could be no mistake that Paul was in complete fellowship with these Jewish Christians who were observing the Nazarite vow. The next verse indicates further that they had gone through almost the entire seven days of this purification ritual.]
27 And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place.
[Not sure why the Jews from Asia are singled out except that Luke seems to want to indicate that it was not those who would normally be in Jerusalem. It is possible that these Jews had followed Paul from Asia in some way.]
29 For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.
[Luke appears to be awfully kind to them; I believe he is again speaking accomodatively. This was apparently the reasoning that was given by the false teachers. There appears to be not a shred of evidence to support that the people in the temple with Paul were Gentiles, and it would not have mattered since it is very clear that they were not interested in the truth, only in getting something against Paul, in which they were quite successful.]
30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors were shut.
[It is hard for us to believe that such a commotion could spring up this fast. However, in all probability the enemies of Paul had been planning this for some time and so were springing a trap that they had set. It is highly questionable at this point that this riot was at all led by Christian Jews. No doubt some might have been involved, but there is certainly no indication that they were the source of the problem. This may have been another reason for Luke identifying the accusers as being Asian Jews. We also know that plots had been laid against Paul in Jerusalem before, so his appearance in the Temple was like a lightning rod, and his enemies were thinking that they could get rid of him for once and for all.]
31 And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
[This was an unlawful mob action and it would have been catastrophic to the chief captain and many others had the enemies of Paul succeeded, given that he was a Roman citizen ... a fact that has not been revealed at this point, and will be held in reserve by Paul for a little while. We will comment on our opinion of just why he did this below.]
32 And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.
[Seeking to kill him by beating him -- putting the last two verses together. Clearly his life was saved by the Roman soldiers under the command of the chief captain.]
33 Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.
[The binding was probably to pacify the crowd, which was the big problem for the chief captain at this point. There was a major guardhouse with very high towers that overlooked the temple complex (called the "castle" in the next verse. This was manned by a very large number of Roman soldiers who resided there to keep the peace. I guess they surmised that if a rebellion was going to start it would probably emanate from the temple complex. This explains why they were able to respond so quickly and save Paul's life.]
34 And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle.
35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the crowd;
36 for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him.
[The idea that by getting rid of Paul they could solve the "Christianity" problem was a bit idiotic, but this seemed to be their motivation. Well, there were probably some of the rabble who were out for the fun of it and wanted to see blood, but I am speaking from the point of view of those Jews who really believed Paul to be evil.]
37 And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?
38 Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?
39 But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people.
[Actually, since Tarsus was a "free city" the chief captain should have inferred that Paul was a Roman citizen. We will see in the next chapter that he did not draw this inference, although Paul's being a Jew (of Tarsus) and not "the Egyptian" was definitely a step up for him. This unnamed "the Egyptian" is referenced by Josephus. Apparently someone who had unsuccessfully practiced insurrection in the past and led many astray. This must have been fairly fresh in the mind of the chief captain as he supposes that these Jews are not taking out their vengeance on this man who had caused them so much trouble in the past. But clearly, Paul was not "the Egyptian." Paul asks to speak to the people, and he will do just that in Chapter 22, which starts five defenses, one per chapter -- 22 before the Jews, 23 before the Jewish council, 24 before Felix, 25 before Festus (both Roman governors), and 26 before Herod the king. These defenses are very interesting and all contain points of doctrine that are not brought out elsewhere.]
[After Paul's conflict with the Asian Jews that led to a riotous situation, he is rescued by the Roman chief captain and his soldiers. He is surprised to find out that Paul is a native Jew (not "the Egyptian"), and Paul requests the opportunity to speak to his countrymen directly. This again seems to be Paul's overconfidence ... "If I can just get them to hear what I experienced, surely they will understand." But it takes more than facts; something is required of the listener.]
40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying, ...
Acts 22
22:1 Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.
2 And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,
[What language were they expecting? This demonstrates how confused they were. Mobs are never reasonable entities.]
3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:
4 and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
[There is little new here that we have not already known from the book of Acts. Gamaliel, as you recall, was the wise man in Acts 5:34 who reasoned with them to leave the disciples alone because if they are all making it up they will just come to naught; but, if not, you will be fighting against God. He was a very well respected man among the Jews, as well he should have been.]
5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.
[Paul will make a point of the fact that he persecuted Christians in several of his defenses, seemingly to add to the evidence of the validity of what he is saying.]
6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
9 And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.
11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.
12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,
13 came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
[Very little new here. The word "witness" is reserved to the apostles throughout the book of Acts, having the meaning of an eye witness. Even so here -- Paul would not witness to the resurrection or the ascension -- he would only witness to the things that he saw and heard -- that hearing being from the mouth of Jesus ... from the previous verse.]
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
[This exact statement is not recorded elsewhere; it associates baptism with washing away one's sins. Of course baptism without "calling on his [Jesus'] name would just get one wet, so it all works together. Note that about three years passed between Paul's baptism in Damascus and his "return" to Jerusalem. So the next verse is not instantaneous or even within a few weeks or months.]
17 And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
18 and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
20 and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.
21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
[We know that Paul's primary focus was the Gentiles. Jesus knew that the Jews would not tolerate Paul. Paul here seems to be arguing with Jesus. This is something we saw Ananias do when commanded to interact with Paul ... it was like ... "you want me to do WHAT?" Jesus did not mind being questioned then and similarly here. Paul does not seem to be making excuses. If anything it would be the Christians who would reject Paul because of his early history, and in fact, they did! In Acts 9 (when Paul "returned" to Jerusalem -- that was essentially concurrent with the temple experience being described here ... he was only there for 15 days altogether), when he attempted to associate with the disciples there Barnabas had to testify for him that he had been preaching the gospel and that he was a faithful Christian, no longer a persecutor. So Paul argues with Jesus that since they knew that I persecuted Christians, surely they will listen to me now. Now this was early on in Paul's preaching (about three years in) ... you would think that now, at least 20 years later, that Paul would realize that it was not going to happen. But he still has hope and continues to preach as best he can. At this point, he has said the nasty "G" word and that will trigger the rabble to once again delight in doing their thing. We will pick it up there next time.]
[Paul does his best to appeal to his countrymen, but it seems those bent on mob rule have the last word. The trigger word was the word "Gentiles." Remember, this mob was not made up of Christians, although I do not doubt that some were there, perhaps in support of Paul (e.g., Luke), and others in error may have been joining in with the mob. I am overlapping with a couple verses from last time ...
22 And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
[It is hard for us to believe that they would want to kill Paul just for his position with regard to the Gentiles. Deep-seated racial type of hatred is difficult to overcome. I wonder if things have changed that much in the Middle-East.]
23 And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,
24 the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.
[The mob rules when the only thing that the Roman authorities fear is the mob. God's hand is protecting Paul or he might have been sacrificed to that cause. While we might look down on these people as being uncivilized, the actions of mobs today are no more controlled than was this one.]
25 And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
26 And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.
[This shows the depth of concern that the centurion had for this offense -- he confronts his boss about it. Of course, he was doing him a favor. Perhaps at this point the chief captain recalls that Paul stated that he was born in Tarsus (or was from there if not born there).]
27 And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.
28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am (a Roman) born.
[I see this as a type of cross-examination of Paul. Very subtle. The chief captain sort of asks by implications how much it cost for Paul to obtain citizenship, as if to start a conversation. Perhaps the fact that Paul was Roman born would add even more weight to his rights as a Roman citizen.]
29 They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
30 But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
[We are going to get several lesson on what we call "passing the buck." On the other hand you cannot blame these Roman rulers for using whatever ploys they could come up with to quell the crowd and keep the peace. Rome seemed to care less what or how the Jews worshiped. But it seemed that all mob actions were feared because it would be interpreted by the Roman higher ups to be a potential rebellion, and that would bring serious consequences to them personally. So, he figures that a hearing before the Jewish council might serve to calm things down.]
[It is interesting that while Paul and the Christians of the first century never used any political means to promote the gospel (as some attempt to do today), they had no reservations in using the government for their protection and to obtain the rights that were due them. Romans 13 summarizes the Christians' relationship to their governments. We are to honor our rulers no matter how bad they are, and they probably could not be much worse than those who were in power at this time. Paul proclaims that even they were ordained of God ... God is using them to satisfy a purpose, albeit we may not understand just what that purpose is at the time or just why God is doing it in this way.]
[Paul's first defense was directly to the people who he counted as his countrymen. They seemed to be more inclined to be influenced by the rabble than by the truth, and so would not even let him finish his words to them. Again the chief captain and his soldiers rescue Paul, and he decides that perhaps letting Paul testify before the Jewish council might quell things somewhat, and that is where we pick the story up ...]
Acts 23
23:1 And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.
[This is something that I am sure any of us would love to be able to say, given that it was true. It demonstrates the confidence that Paul had in the decisions that he made. It also shows that we can be totally resolved in our conscience (as Paul was when he persecuted Christians), and yet not be doing the Lord's will.]
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
[Paul does not realize that this is the high priest that he is talking about here, although all that he says is perfectly true. This demonstrates that we should always tell the truth, but we don't always have to say it.]
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people.
[So, in essence Paul is asking for forgiveness for not knowing that the man he was criticizing was the High Priest. We must remember that when you get slapped in the mouth you do not always say and do rational things. Paul was probably still reeling from this assault. It is to his credit that he has presence of mind to quote scripture at this point, and even more so to abide by it.]
6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees: touching the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
[Was this right? I think later Paul will admit that this seemingly very clever proclamation might not have been totally kosher. It is the one time when, in fact, Paul stirred up trouble. Even though there is absolutely nothing false in his statement. It might not be the WHOLE truth, but he knew from the treatment that he got to that point that there was not a chance that they were going to hear him out. And remember, he was probably still hurting, as you well know if you have you ever been punched in the mouth.]
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
[Recall early on it was the Sadducees that were the primary persecutors of the early church. There was something about the resurrection that they did not like. Not at all sure why. I sure cannot imagine there being anything wrong with being resurrected. Why would they want to just stay dead for eternity?]
9 And there arose a great clamor: and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?
10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.
[So the chief captain and the soldiers come to the rescue once again. Who says the Romans were not a good bunch? For sure God is using them for his purpose, and they are right, good and just to show Paul this kind of respect and service. Contrast the idolatrous Romans here with God's chosen people (not all of them but for sure the leadership). For sure you would have to say that the Romans had a greater sense of justice.]
11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
[We will learn quite a bit from these short messages from Jesus. For sure we can know that they are the truth while other conclusions we draw we might have some doubts about. For example, from this we can see that Paul was in fact doing God's will in going to Jerusalem and defending himself as he did. Further, we can begin to get a feel that God's providence is guiding these events ... nothing is being left to chance. Paul is being guarded by the Lord. Jesus gave Paul comfort and encouragement, telling him that he would also bear witness in Rome. But it will be a while and many interesting events before he gets there.]
12 And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty that made this conspiracy.
[You kind of wonder how many of them kept their pact?]
14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore do ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case more exactly: and we, before he comes near, are ready to slay him.
[The implication is that the council is not opposing this sinful conspiracy but are rather ready to be a part of it. This demonstrates further the wisdom of Paul in causing the clamor earlier in this chapter ... but we will have more to say about that in a subsequent defense.]
16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the castle and told Paul.
[Interesting the excellent treatment Paul was being given ... allowing relatives and probably friends to visit with him.]
17 And Paul called unto him one of the centurions, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain; for he hath something to tell him.
18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say to thee.
19 And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, What is it that thou hast to tell me?
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul tomorrow unto the council, as though thou wouldest inquire somewhat more exactly concerning him.
21 Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain him: and now are they ready, looking for the promise from thee.
[I do not think that it is a stretch to believe all of this to be providential.]
22 So the chief captain let the young man go, charging him, Tell no man that thou hast signified these things to me.
23 And he called unto him two of the centurions, and said, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night:
24 and (he bade them) provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
[This is definitely overkill. There were only 40 pathetic lightly armed Jews. If I am counting right, there are 480 soldiers protecting Paul. What did Jesus say -- "I could have called for on my Father and he would have sent me 12 legions of angels." Well, not quite 12 legions of angels, but obviously a sufficient force to counter the threat.]
[We saw the Chief Captain, a Roman in command of hundreds of Roman soldiers, come to Paul's direct rescue, I believe three times to this point. Now he is sending him with a massive armed guard to Felix, a Roman governor, who is at Caesarea (on the seacoast "down from Jerusalem," as they say). The rest of Chapter 23 is a very interesting letter that the chief captain (who we learn is named Claudius Lysia) writes to Felix. This kind of puts the forwarding of Paul to Felix in context.]
25 And he wrote a letter after this form:
26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix, greeting.
27 This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be slain of them, when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
[Not quite true. As you recall, that was not the reason he rescued him the first time. In fact, he thought he was "the Egyptian." We wonder what he would have lost by telling the truth? This is the sign of a compulsive liar -- they feel that they are doing themselves an injustice if they do not somehow manipulate the "truth" to their advantage.]
28 And desiring to know the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him down unto their council:
29 whom I found to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
[We cannot argue with this part. It is kind of amazing how ignorant the Romans are of the Jews and "their law." Whether there is or is not a resurrection is really not a matter of law -- it is a matter of doctrine. Whether someone is worthy of death for taking the wrong side in this matter, or for involving Gentiles in the evangelistic process, that would be a matter of their law. But for sure, none of this was cause to execute someone over, especially if he is a Roman citizen.]
30 And when it was shown to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to thee forthwith, charging his accusers also to speak against him before thee.
[Quite accurate, as we shall see.]
31 So the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
[This city is about half way there. Once they got this far they figured that there really was no more of a threat.]
32 But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
33 and they, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34 And when he had read it, he asked of what province he was; and when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35 I will hear thee fully, said he, when thine accusers also are come: and he commanded him to be kept in Herod's palace.
[Apparently fine accommodations. Felix was probably a bit leary of stepping on another governor's toes, and thus the question about the province. But he was highly motivated to hear from Paul, as we shall see. While we often do and should view Paul as being personally not rich physically, he was rich in many ways. He had some very influential and rich friends. And it was probably known that he had made several trips collecting money from the (predominately) Gentile churches to bring to Judea to help the needy Christians there during the series of famines that had taken place there. This could not be a trivial amount of money.]
[Paul has had two defenses so far, and he has three to go. All five are: his countrymen, the Jewish Council, Felix (today), Festus, and Herod Agrippa. Paul was rescued and guarded down to Ceasarea where he is now -- getting him away from the dangers to him inherent at Jerusalem.]
Acts 24
24:1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with certain elders, and (with) an orator, one Tertullus; and they informed the governor against Paul.
[The governor here is Felix. It seems rather amazing that they had to have a special orator ... but it shows how seriously they were taking this matter. Perhaps they felt that their entire careers depended on it.]
2 And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy much peace, and that by the providence evils are corrected for this nation,
3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 But, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
6 who moreover assayed to profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold: (and we would have judged him according to our law.
[Let's evaluate the accusations. "Pestilent" -- this is just name calling and I doubt there was any law against it even if it had been true, and even if they and we could discern just what this accusation was. But OK let's go on. "A mover of insurrections among all the Jews through the whole world" -- this was totally false. Teaching Jesus and the resurrection was obviously not against the law that the Romans allowed for the Jews. Paul was certainly not teaching any type of insurrection of the type that Jesus was accused of (and of which he too was totally innocent). In fact, Romans 12 demonstrates that part of what Paul taught was to support the powers that be. "Ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" -- this one sort of rings of truth if you view Christianity as a sect of Judaism. Early on this would have been a legitimate mistake, but at this point Christianity has established itself as something more than a sect. Of course, we do not really know what Tertullus had in mind here either. "Assayed to profane the temple" -- totally false, and I am sure Felix was shaking his head and saying: "who really cares about your stupid temple. You want me to execute a Roman citizen over this?"]
7 But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
8 commanding his accusers to come before thee.) from whom thou wilt be able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.
[Clearly Tertullus has admitted something here that is a violation of Roman law. Their mob had seized Paul and they would have killed him had not Lysias intervened. This was clearly against Roman law even if Paul had not been a Roman citizen. But much worse since he was. So, believe it or not, Tertullus has the gall to blame Lysias for standing in the way of justice. With an orator like this you do not really need to mount a defense. Felix must have been thinking -- "is this a joke?"]
9 And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so.
[... making themselves as evil and as stupid as he was.]
10 And when the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, Paul answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I cheerfully make my defense:
11 Seeing that thou canst take knowledge that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem:
12 and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man or stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city.
13 Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me.
[The defense is -- I could never have mounted an insurrection in just 12 days. This would not hold up today, but with their lack of communications back then it was certainly a valid defense. The second prong of it was that they have no witnesses that could verify what they were saying. Would anyone stand up and give details of Paul's insurrection -- who was involved?, what was he trying to accomplish?, how was he going about it? where were the weapons?, on and on-- there would be all kinds of evidence to present if Paul were in fact guilty.]
[It seems strange that Paul did not come right out with an attack on the Jews and talk about the fact that the reason they were so upset was that they thought he was threatening their power (even though, in fact, he was not). Felix could not possibly have had a good understanding of either Judiasm or Christianity, but there is no doubt that he understood power. Felix was a power-hungry man himself that history tells us had many crucified to maintain his power. He would certainly understand why the Jews were jealous of Paul. But Paul did not play that card -- at least we have no record of it. Perhaps it was because Paul himself did not understand power in that he never had a lust for it. Paul continues ...]
14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.
16 Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.
[This is Paul's confession of Christ, and it gives us a clear concept of what that "confession" is in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 10:32). It is not confessing our sins to a Priest. We are commanded to confess to one another -- we are to be honest in this regard. But the confession of Christ talked about in Matthew 10 and also in Romans 10 are confessions of Christ, not of our sins. From these chapters it is plain to see that a willingness to confess Jesus as the son of God is a condition of our salvation. Paul surely met this condition -- in fact, his entire motivation to subject himself to all of this abuse seems to be to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ as widely and to as many different types of people possible.]
17 Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:
18 amidst which they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor yet with tumult: but (there were) certain Jews from Asia --
19 who ought to have been here before thee, and to make accusation, if they had aught against me.
[Apparently Paul was bringing money with him for this purpose from the Gentile world ... no small sum of money and this would have been well known -- many people would have been helped by these funds, and this was probably appreciated by the Roman rulers there as well, since hungry people are hard to control. The knowledge of this and the potential to hit Paul up for some of it, was what kept him alive in Caesarea and enabled his friends to visit with him and provide him comfort.]
20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrong-doing they found when I stood before the council,
21 except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.
[Paul here admits that his statement before the council in Acts 23 was something that caused somewhat of a stir -- and while it was not insurrection, anything like this was viewed with alarm by the Roman authorities, mainly because they did not have a clue what it was all about, so they viewed it in the worst light.
22 But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will determine your matter.
[First of all ... more exact knowledge than who? Certainly not Paul. So, who else is there? Luke seems to be arguing that if the Jews just had more exact knowledge they would not be behaving so counterproductive to themselves. Felix knew, perhaps with some input from his wife (we will have more to say about her later) that Christianity was not about rebellion. It was not about power. It was a spiritual movement. It is certain (1 Cor. 2) that he did not understand what it WAS -- but he understood what it was not. It was nothing that the Jews were claiming. Felix was smart in recognizing that you can never make good decisions with bad information.. He was not going to sacrifice Paul to the claims of the Jews because he knew they were not valid. He might have sacrificed Paul in a minute if Paul was not a Roman citizen; but in this case he had to have some hard evidence, and the Jews had brought none.]
23 And he gave order to the centurion that he should be kept in charge, and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to minister unto him.
[We have discussed the reason that Paul was given these privileges -- the answer is in verse 26. It has nothing to do with Felix being altruistic. But there was not way that he was going to get any money from Paul unless his friends could bring it. The money was certainly available -- no problem there. Even some of the rich friends of Paul would have been willing to buy his release. So why not? Because this is not how Christians do things! Those who practice extortion in the name of Christ, civil rights or anything else would do well to take notice. Not only do Christians not extort -- they do not even give in to extortion!]
24 But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.
[With regard to Druscilla (since Luke brought her name up), we quote: "The fair but loose daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12); sister of Herod Agrippa II; married to Azizus, king of Emesa, on his becoming a Jew; seduced by Felix, procurator of Judea, through Simon the Cyprian sorcerer (Josephus, Ant. 20:7, section 2). Present at Paul's hearing before Felix at Caesarea. (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998, 2003 by Biblesoft).]
[Drucilla was not Felix' legitimate wife in that she was the wife of another man, current laws notwithstanding. Luke uses the word "wife" here accomodatively. It is not our goal to demean anyone, living or dead, but it is good to know just what the moral character is of the people involved here. Felix was was a ruthless ruler and a very immoral person. But did Paul judge him unworthy of hearing the Gospel? Absolutely not! Felix and Drucilla's souls was just as precious as any of ours, and Paul as well as Jesus gave him adequate time to repent.]
25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.
[Like John the Baptist, I doubt that Paul held back any truth from Felix. The shear force of Paul's arguments had Felix shaking in his boots. And no doubt this had an impact on Drusilla, who may well have eclipsed her "husband" when it came to manipulation.]
26 He hoped withal that money would be given him of Paul: wherefore also he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
[Seems they got to know each other quite well -- Paul trying to save his soul; Festus trying to add to his obvious wealth. The contrast could not be greater.]
27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.
[Essentially stealing his life from him -- which is what we do when we force someone to waste their time -- we only have so much. In this case it did not matter because Paul seemed to be able to server the Lord just as well from in jail (or house arrest) as anywhere else. In fact, even more. Paul seemed to cause commotion wherever he went, and at times this seemed detrimental. We could say that Jesus had the same problem.]
[Two years under not so shabby circumstances being ruled by Felix, and now Festus comes in to take his place, so Festus needs to figure out just what all is going on here ...]
Acts 25
25:1 Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
[Apparently surveying his new realm and trying to get the lay of the land.]
2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they besought him,
3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way.
[Not much has changed. Exactly why they would think that the fate of Christianity had to do with Paul being alive is just plain irrational. But we have seen that jealous people are just not rational, so such mis-calculation is to be expected.]
4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart (thither) shortly.
5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.
[A sense of fairness? Well, he is walking a tightrope -- who knows but these Christians might be real troublemakers. There is not sense to offend anyone at this early point in his rule.]
6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;
8 while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.
[This does not seem to be a very orderly trial situation.]
9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
[We have to assume that Festus was ignorant of the plot(s) laid against Paul. Passing the buck seems to be an art with these governors ... or perhaps they did what they had to do to keep the peace.]
10 But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very well knowest.
[Rather confrontational; but then Paul knew what they had in mind -- he really had not choice in this matter.]
11 If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is (true) whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
[Some use this as evidence of Paul's support of capital punishment; I think better evidence if in Romans 12 where he says that the ruler "beareth not the sword in vain" in indicating that we should support our rulers to the extent that it conforms with God's law. This, of course, is Paul's famous appeal to Caesar.]
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
[Interesting turn of events -- Festus confers with the council. My take on it is that they reasoned -- we are finally going to get rid of him ... he cannot do us any harm at Rome. I have an idea that Festus might have been quite instrumental in this exchange as well. "I have no choice, and if any harm comes to a Roman citizen we will hunt down and crucify those who are responsible." Something like that, after which they say: "fine with us" recognizing their own potential guilt in such a matter. So, while they had differing motives, they could agree on the disposition of Paul.]
[Paul appeals to Caesar, and Festus complies -- an easy way out for him. But before sending him off, how about allowing King Agrippa to investigate? That sure will not hurt the relationship between them. Recall that the Herods were not native Jews, but were brought in and forced to become Jews way back several generations. So, technically, while not being considered as practicing or faithful Jews, by quasi-nationality, and technically as the puppet king, he had a lot at stake in keeping the peace as well, so this would be of interest to him.]
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.
13 Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus.
[Before we go on, let us not skim over the effect that women had on these leaders. We will give a comparable review of Bernice as we gave of Druscilla: "Oldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1). Married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis. Suspected after his death of intimacy with her own brother, Agrippa II, with whom she visited Festus, on his appointment as procurator of Judea, and heard Paul's defense (Acts 25:13,23; 26:30). Next, she was married to Polemon, king of Cilicia; but left him for her brother. Subsequently, she was mistress of Vespasian, then of Titus, who, when emperor, cast her off. (from Fausset's Bible Dictionary, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1998, 2003 by Biblesoft)]
[Immorality at the highest levels is nothing new -- maintaining ones moral standing and not giving in to this temptation seems to be much harder for those in power to resist -- or perhaps we just hear about it more. There were few secrets back in the first century ... people talked, things leaked out, historians wrote. But again, note how Paul just seemingly ignored this. He knew that the power of the blood of Christ was sufficient to reach out to the lowliest of sinners ... after all, it had reached out to him.]
14 And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;
15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed (me), asking for sentence against him.
16 To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.
17 When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.
18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed;
19 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
[This is kind of an amazing display of ignorance, but this is exactly what one would expect of the novice governor of Judea. It would be impossible for him to understand Judaism, and even the Jews did not understand Christianity. Recall Paul's words from 1 Cor 2:7-8: "... but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, (even) the (wisdom) that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory: which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory: ..." Why don't they understand? That is not the subject now -- we will take it up when it becomes the subject at the end of the book. The point is clear -- Festus did not have a clue about what Christianity was all about. Festus goes on ...]
20 And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar.
[He leaves out the fact that he consulted with the Jewish council in this regard. He may not have felt that it was important.]
22 And Agrippa (said) unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.
23 So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.
[Felix came with Drucilla, his "wife." Luke does not go so far as to use anything so accommodating here. "He came with Bernice." Next topic: great pomp. They apparently did not learn the right thing from their father. He was the one in Acts 12 who got eaten up of worms because of his "great pomp." The difference here seems to be that they were not usurping God's role ... at least no one was calling them God.]
24 And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.
26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.
27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him.
[Seems another reason that Festus wanted this hearing is to perhaps come up with something that he could write down on paper since he had no understanding whatsoever of just why there should be animosity between Paul and the Jews. I guess we cannot blame him for that because in reality, there was no good reason. There never is a good reason for jealousy.]
Go To Acts 26-28