The Word Made Fresh
1Paul looked the council members in the eye and said, “Brothers, to this day I have lived with a clear conscience before God.”
2Then Ananias, the high priest, told those standing near Paul to strike his mouth. 3Paul said, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there judging me according to the law when you order me to be struck in violation of the law!
4Some who were standing nearby said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
5Paul said, “I didn’t realize he was the high priest, brothers. It is indeed written, ‘You shall not speak ill of any leader of your people.’” 6Then he noticed that there were both Sadducees and Pharisees present, and called out, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and a son of Pharisees. I’m on trial here because we hope for the resurrection of the dead.”
7When he said this the Pharisees and Sadducees began to argue, showing a division in the assembly, 8for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection and no angels and no spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all three. 9Their argument grew louder, and then some of the scribes of the Pharisees declared, “We find there is nothing wrong with this man. What if an angel or a spirit has spoken to him?” 10Their division became violent, and the tribune, fearing for Paul’s safety, told the soldiers to go and forcefully remove him and return him to the barracks. 11That very night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, “Take courage – just as you have testified for me here, you must testify in Rome as well.”
12The next morning the Jews conspired to kill Paul, and took an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13More than forty of them took the oath. 14They approached the chief priests and elders and said, “We are bound by oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15So, you must notify the tribune to bring Paul back to you. Tell him you want to make a more thorough examination of the case against him. We are ready to kill him before he arrives.”
16Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son, heard what they were planning. He went to the barracks and was allowed to enter, and he told Paul about their plot. 17Paul called one of the centurions over and said, “Take this lad to the tribune; he has something to report.”
18The centurion brought him to the tribune and told him, “The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you; he has something important to tell you.”
19The tribune took his hand and drew him aside so they could speak privately and asked him, “What do you have to tell me?”
20He said, “The Jews have agreed that they would ask you to bring Paul to the council tomorrow. They will say they want to examine his case more thoroughly. 21But don’t be fooled by them. More than forty of their men are planning an ambush. They have sworn together not to eat or drink until they kill him. They’re ready, and they’re waiting for you to give the order.”
22The tribune dismissed the young man and told him, “Don’t tell anyone you have informed me of this plan.” 23Then he called two of the centurions and told them, “Gather two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen and tell them to be ready to leave at nine o’clock this evening. 24Be sure to provide a horse for Paul to ride, too, and take him safely to Governor Felix.”
25He wrote a letter for them to present to Felix: 26“Claudias Lysias sends greetings to his Excellency Felix, the governor. 27This man was arrested by the Jews and they have planned to have him killed. When I first learned that he was a Roman Citizen, I went with the guards and took him aside. 28I wanted to know the charges by which they were accusing him, so I brought him to their council. 29I found that he was being charged with something to do with questions about their law, but nothing that would deserve death or even imprisonment. 30When I learned that a plot had been formed to kill the man, I sent him to you right away, and I am ordering his accusers to come to you also and state their case against him.”
31The soldiers followed instructions and took Paul that night to Antipatris. 32The next day they sent the horsemen to go on with him, and they returned to their barracks. 33When the horsemen reached Caesarea they gave the letter to the governor, and presented Paul to him. 34When he read the letter, he asked what province Paul belonged to, and when he was told Paul was from Cilicia, 35he said, “I’ll hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in the praetorium, Herod’s palace.
Commentary
1-5: Paul begins his defense but is interrupted by some old man telling those who were standing beside Paul to strike him, and they strike Paul in the mouth. Paul angrily accuses the old man of violating the law. He is so far removed from his former life now that he does not recognize that the old man is the high priest! He apologizes.
6-10: Then Paul, who has become quite adept at starting riots, seizes on a plan of genius. Seeing the Sanhedrin is made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, he proudly proclaims his heritage as a Pharisee and claims the whole deal is about his belief in the resurrection. This sets off a fierce argument and the tribune sends the soldiers in to grab Paul and bring him back to the barracks.
11: Jesus appears to Paul that night, telling him that he will have the opportunity to testify in Rome. This is the second time Christ has appeared to him – once on the road to Damascus where he planned to go and punish the followers of Jesus, and now under arrest in Jerusalem where he himself is a follower!
12-15: The 40 Jews plot to kill Paul. We wonder if the number 40 is more symbolic than actual; does it symbolize Paul’s time of testing, reflecting the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness, and perhaps also the forty days and nights of rain Noah survived in the ark?
16-22: It turns out that Paul has a nephew in Jerusalem, a nephew who apparently has some connection to the Jewish leadership. He hears of the plot and informs Paul, who informs a centurion, who takes the nephew to the tribune (now, by the way, it is “more than 40” Jews lying in wait!), who listens and tells him to keep their conversation to himself.
23-25: The tribune summons two centurions and gives them orders to take Paul immediately with heavy escort to Felix the governor in Caesarea.
26-30: The tribune sends a letter with the centurions to Felix, outlining the situation and telling him that he will order the Jews to come to him to present their case.
31-35: They travel in the night to the garrison at Antipatris, and the next day the centurions send Paul on to Caesarea with the cavalry. Felix reads the letter, questions Paul briefly and then orders him to be kept under guard until the Jews arrive to formally press their charges.
Takeaway
So, the man who is hugely responsible for Christianity to become a world-wide religion was a Roman citizen! Except for that fact they would certainly have killed him in Jerusalem. The Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways.