 |
Author: Christopher J. E. Johnson Published: July 5, 2018 Updated: Dec 22, 2020 |
 |
|
Contents: Introduction Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 |
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
-Matthew 28:19-20
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
-1 John 2:27
If you would like more information on these topics, I recommend the following resources here at creationliberty.com:
|
The Book of Acts of the Apostles (or Acts for short) was written by Luke as a treatise of eye-witness testimony, and sent to a man who held a station of unknown governmental office. It documents Christ's ascension to heaven, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit to those of the faith as a sign to the Jews, the miracles performed by Christ's disciples, the suffering, persecution, and death of those who preached Christ openly, and some of the operations of the church in the early days.
[v1] And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:
Continuing from the last chapter, Paul had left the Ephesians, telling them he would not see them again in this life, and traveled with his company, including Luke, which is why the author says "we." The word 'launched' is used in the context of a ship departing from the docks.[v2] And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.
They switched ships because not all ships take the same route. Phenicia/Phoenicia (different spellings of the same location) was a region along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea (west side of Israel), and cities like Sidon and Tyre were located in this region. It was well-known as a trade region because they had trade routes that frequently sailed along the coast of Northern Africa to the various island cities in the sea, which is why it was so commonly used by the apostles for travel.[v3] Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden.
Not in the sense that they discovered something that was hidden, but rather, when they had seen the island, they put it on the port (left) side of the ship, which would take them east into Phenicia. The ship's original destination was Tyre, and the sailors unloaded their cargo on arrival at the docks.[v4] And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
Which is not to say that the Holy Spirit of God contradicts Himself, because the Holy Spirit had already told Paul to go to Jerusalem; rather, they, being in the Spirit of God, with His grace and lovingkindness, warned Paul of the danger ahead, and though Paul was meant to be in Jerusalem, the other Christians' concerns for his safety also came from the Holy Spirit.This is also a lesson for the church to understand that there is a difference between passions and commandment concerning the Holy Ghost. There are many churchgoers to equate the Holy Spirit to how they "feel," saying things like, "I felt the Spirit say," instead of looking at the direct commandments of Scripture. Our feelings are NOT the Holy Spirit, and though there is nothing necessarily wrong with passions (2Co 7:11), our passions should not be leading our philosophy (i.e. way of thinking), and that even though the Holy Spirit gave Christians compassion for Paul's safety, the Holy Spirit also gave Paul a commandment and direction unto where he should go; knowing that the Holy Spirit of God should not be disobeyed to appease the feelings of the masses, even when the majority are brethren in Christ.
[v5] And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed.
Once the seven days had passed, and it was time to leave, they all escorted Paul and company to the shore and prayed.[v6] And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned home again.
They said their goodbyes and boarded the ship; the others returned to their homes.[v7] And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.
Ptolemais was another city along the coast in Phenicia; likely named after the Egyptian king Ptolemy.[v8] And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
This is not Caesarea Philippi (Mat 16:13), but rather, the Caesarea mentioned in Acts 8:40 and Acts 9:30. This is also not the same Philip that preached Christ to the Ethiopean (Acts 8:26), but rather, this is another Philip who was one of the seven deacons set over the duty of feeding the widows (Acts 6:5) along with Stephen, before he was stoned to death. (Acts 7:59)[v9] And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.
In this instance, prophecy is not used as in the preaching of the Word, but in the foretelling of future events.[v10] And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.
Agabus, through the Spirit of God, foretold future events in Acts 11:28.[v11] And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
Such demonstrations were commonly made by the prophets of God. (Isa 20:2-3, Jer 13:1-9)[v12] And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
As would anyone who had love for another; warning them of danger is a common reaction.[v13] Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Their pleading was burdensome to Paul; they had not considered that he had already resigned himself to the fate God had laid before him. The tears and pleadings of his friends and family in the Spirit was only making his path harder to walk.[v14] And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
I would pray that all Christians would learn this truth; that the will of the Lord ought to be our utmost desire, and that our personal feelings are not always in line with the will of God. Many had feelings against Jesus going to the cross, but by acting in accordance to God's will, aside from personal feelings, Jesus saved us all.[v15] And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
A carriage in general is any means of conveyance or transporting supplies, which would have been packs or animals.[v16] There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
By "old" disciple, it may have meant that he is elderly, or it may have meant he was a disciple of a long period of time, meaning that he may seen and believed on Christ before His crucifixion. It's also possible that it means both.[v17] And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
As any of us would be excited to see our long-time friends, especially those who are part of the family of God.[v18] And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
This is not James the brother John because he was killed by Herod Agrippa years prior to this point, but it was James the son of Alphaeus (Acts 1:13), who was an elder in the church at Jerusalem.[v19] And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
Paul testified of the past few years of his time in various cities across the Greek isles and Asia.[v20] And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
There were thousands of Jews who believed on Christ, but still believed and taught the ceremonial laws of Moses.[v21] And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
They knew of Paul, as stories of his works would have made it back to Jerusalem, and they made themselves enemies of him because they desired the Levitical law rather than Christ who fulfilled that law. Never did Paul teach that parents should not circumcise their children, or at least, not specifically to that point, but rather, Paul taught that because Christ is risen from the dead, circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, and that we are indifferent towards it because our focus should be the keeping of Christ's commandments and understanding His doctrine. (1Co 7:19)(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Circumcision" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v22] What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
The question is based on the premise of the past couple of verses; or in other words, "Because of these things, what should be done?" As soon as the public comes together, and Paul is seen, word will spread like wildfire.[v23] Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
These were believers on Christ, but they took a Nazarite vow because they were "zealous of the law" as the other hypocrites. Paul had previously taken a short vow in order to preach Christ unto the Jews, but these men were doing it because they did not follow Christ; as Christ had pointed out that there were many who believed on Him, but were not of God. (John 8:31-47)[v24] Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
That Paul would attend to the rules of a Nazarite along with them, and to join in their expenses (i.e. be at charges with them) concerning the fulfillment of the offerings when their days of separation are fulfilled. (Num 6) Jewish custom allowed those who did not have a Nazarite vow to join themselves with those who did have a vow for the express purpose of providing offerings; meaning that the Nazarites were supposed to be sanctified (i.e. set apart), but others could temporarily join in with the duties of their particular sanctification. Thus, if Paul joined with them, it would demonstrate that the rumors about him were false, and that he did not teach a forsaking of Moses, but rather, the fulfillment of the Old Testament through Christ.[v25] As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
This was to reinsure Paul that he would set no stumblingblock against the Gentiles in all these cities, which were his friends, because they were commanded only to keep the ordinances of abstaining from idols, blood (which is part of things strangled), and fornication. It would have been a concern for them, since many followed after the works of Paul, and he didn't want to set a bad example for them to follow, making sure the Gentiles clearly understood the reason why he was joining the Nazarite group.[v26] Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.
The purification was not in the sense of abstaining from wine and shaving, but of the cleansing, to follow through with the plan so to silence the false rumors of the Jews.[v27] And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,
This either meant the seven days of unleavened bread, or seven days of purification of the Nazarites. It may have been that they immediately wanted to take Paul, but they waited so not to taint the purification of those with the Nazarite vow.[v28] Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
In attempt to rally a crowd against Paul, they immediately accused him falsely to stir up emotions, so that Paul would not have a chance to defend himself.[v29] (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
Trophimus is mentioned traveling with Paul in Acts 20:4. He was known to some to be a citizen of Ephesus, and so they used this to convince the people that Paul brought Gentiles into the temple to defile it.[v30] And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
Their plan worked; Paul would not have been given the opportunity to address his accusers. The city was not moved in the sense that it was moving physically, but that it was moved in an emotional sense, that they people were swayed by their feelings instead of by reason.[v31] And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
The crowd sought to kill him, but the Roman soldiers reported to the highest captain that there was trouble.[v32] Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
They were in the process of beating Paul to death when the soldiers showed up, so they stopped immediately to save themselves any punishment by the Roman government.[v33] Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done.
They arrested and bound Paul for everyone's safety, including Paul's. This action would appease the masses, protecting the soldiers and citizens from harming one another in a fight, and it protected Paul, since the crowd wanted to see him punished or killed.[v34] And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.
It is an odd thing that a crowd would come together to execute a man, but none of them know why exactly they were doing it. For any policeman, it would be rather curious, knowing that such a thing usually indicates foul play (i.e. unlawful or dishonest behavior).[v35] And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.
At first, I suspected that Paul may have been beaten so badly, the soldiers had to carry (i.e. borne) him, which appears to be the case on first glance, but Paul goes on to have a casual conversation with the chief captain in the next few verses. More likely, it was that the violence of the people was so great that they were still in an uproar, and masses ran after Paul as they carried him away, trying to rip and tear at him before they could carry him off to prison; it may have even been that Paul sustained some injuries which would make him move slower than they required to escape the clutches of the crowd.[v36] For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.
The people followed them all the way to the castle. They finally gave up, and instead yelled out to take him away, submitting that there was nothing more they could do against Paul at that point.[v37] And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?
Paul asked to speak to the chief captain, and the captain asked him if he spoke Greek, not assuming who he was, nor anything about him, since the situation he was just pulled out of was very confusing.[v38] Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?
I do not know that there is mention of this anywhere else in Scripture, but Josephus does make mention a story in which an Egyptian came to Jerusalem, claiming he was a prophet that would take Jerusalem back from the Romans. Although I do not know if Josephus's account is a reliable source, as many areas of his writing have Biblical contradictions, I will relay this story to readers anyway because I know of no other explanation that can help shed some light on this subject.This false prophet managed to gather a following of up to 30,000 people, which dwindled down to 4,000 by the time he took them out into the wilderness and they were dispersed by the Felix, the Roman governer (who will be mentioned in Chapter 23), when his soldiers led an assault on them for treason. According to the story, they were well known to be murderers because they carried daggers under their clothes and killed men in the daytime in the middle of the city, especially during feasts, when they blended in among the people; the chief captain could think of no other possibility for the insane rage of the people than Paul might be this false prophet, but as he was about to find out, that was not the case.
[v39] But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.
mean (adj): wanting dignity; low in rank or birth
(See 'mean', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Feb 18, 2019, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
[v40] And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,
Lifting up his hand was an indication that he needed them to quiet themselves so he could be heard, and then to their shock, he spoke to them in Hebrew, and God provided the opportunity for Paul to speak to the people through the Holy Spirit of God in the next chapter.[v1] Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.
Paul addresses the males of the society, who were in authority over the families of Israel; not to say the women did not hear, but the women of their day were not as corrupted with feminist philosophy as our world today, and were more well adapted to male authority as God had instructed. Paul defended himself from the false accusations that were being made against him.(Read "Feminism: Satan's Plan to Destroy Your Family" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v2] (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)
The Hebrew language that Paul spoke was very fluent, being that he was raised speaking the language; thus, they could easily recognize that Paul was a Hebrew, and so the crowd was confused, shocked, and curious at that point. Some of those in the crowd may have had little idea why they were so angry, nor why they had persecuted this man so sharply, and knowing that they had done so to one of their own, and possibly to a man who may have been innocent, made them take caution of their own actions and words. Furthermore, rumor may have spread about Paul being an Egyptian cultist, and so his fluent Hebrew tongue also made them give pause to consider the matter.[v3] I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
These people were familiar with Gamaliel, a wise and respected high priest among the Jews, and knowing that this was his student, would have caused them to listen with even more attention. I took notice that Paul said he "WAS zealous toward God," which was past tense instead of present tense, which I believe was his way of indicating that he really did not seek God (Rom 3:11), but only after he had been converted did his eyes see the truth of God's Word. (Mat 13:15) Part of this verse is also a peaceful compliment to them, to soften the hearts of a roudy crowd, in that he is complimenting their great passion for the Living God, and relating himself to their current passions.[v4] And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.
By "this way," Paul is referring to the Christian religion, which was the reason he was first assaulted by the crowd. Paul had, prior to his conversion, arrested men and women of faith in Christ, and led them to their executions.[v5] 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
The high priests and elders can testify that Paul was sent to do these deeds. Paul refers to the letters he received that gave him permission to arrest Christians in Damascus for the context of his testimony of Christ.[v6] And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
At noon, with the sun blazing overhead, it would have to be a very strong light that would distinguish itself apart from the bright light of the sun.[v7] And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
At this point, the Jews would have to consider him a prophet, that the Lord God spoke directly to him concerning the Christians, but this would have been offensive to them as well, because the words being spoken from God were identifying Himself as Christ.[v8] And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
The Jews knew that, if Paul told the truth, which made sense because he was willing to risk his life on it, the only one who could have spoken to him in this way was the Living God, and since He identified Himself as Jesus Christ, it would mean that what Jesus taught was indeed true, and they had crucified God.[v9] And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.
There were eye witnesses, Jewish men accompanying Paul, who backed up his story.[v10] 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.
[v11] 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.
[v12] And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
[v13] Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him.
[v14] And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
God chose Paul for this work, blessing him with the Holy Ghost that he may have a good understanding.[v15] For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
This is indeed to "all men," both Jew and Gentile.[v16] And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
These are more details than were first given to us in chapter 9. Paul was baptized immediately after this event, and called upon the name of the Lord, which is to say that Paul came to repentance (i.e. grief and godly sorrow of wrongdoing), crying out for the mercy of the Lord God.(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details; to "call upon the name of the Lord" is typically thought "to speak" the name of the Lord, but the calling spoken of is a crying out, or bawling in grief/repentance of sin, which is one of the ways new-age church buildings are deceived into believing a false doctrine that simply saying "Jesus is Lord" gains one entrance to heaven.)
[v17] And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
This was three years after the Paul's conversion. Paul went to Arabia for a few years, then returned to Damascus, and proceeded to Jerusalem to meet up with Peter. (Gal 1:17-18)[v18] And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
This is not to say that God was concerned for Paul's safety because the Lord God can shield His elect from all harm if He so chooses, but rather, He told Paul to make haste because there was no sense in Paul wasting his time with people who would not listen. The work He had for Paul to do concerning the Gentiles was vast, and he should use his time wisely. (Col 4:5-6)[v19] And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
Paul was pleading with God, expecting the Jews would hear him because he was fervently yoked together with them at one time.[v20] And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
He had consented unto Stephen's death, just as the rest of the Jews had done, but this was a lack of faithfulness on Paul's part. God had already told him that they would not listen, but Paul argued in disbelief; he thought that if the Jews would listen to any man, they would listen to Paul. This ought to be a lesson for the rest of the church as well, that when it comes to leaven (i.e. false doctrine), and men will not repent, we should not expect that they should hear us, and so we should move on to spend our time wisely on those who will listen.[v21] And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Paul's work among the Gentiles, which we have read in previous chapters.[v22] And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
The Jews outright rejected Paul's testimony, just as God had told him. They even ignored the testimony of which God had told Paul that they would not listen, and I can confirm the same; when God has told me in His Word that certain men would not hear the truth of His Word, and I tried in every way to get them to hear, I discovered that I was wasting my time.[v23] And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air,
They did not take off all their clothes, but the casting off of their clothes was taking off their outer coats which would allow more freedom for physical action. They acted like children in the understanding, and kept malice close to their hearts. (1Co 14:20) This is another lesson to the church that, though we persuade men (2Co 5:11), it is not up to us to convert men, but rather, they must be converted by the Holy Spirit of God. There is no special recipe of words that we can imagine which will grant a hardened heart humility and understanding; thus, we should plant the seed of His Word, and trust in the Lord that, if they can be saved, they will be saved in His time, not our own.[v24] The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
This means that Paul was to be brought in and tortured with pain because they suspected he was lying. The rage of the crowd was so intense, the soldiers were unable to make sense of the situation; not understanding the supernatural reason for these things, their first instinct was that Paul lied about who he was and what he had done.[v25] And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?
In order for a Roman citizen to suffer the punishment of a crime, he had to be condemned, and in order to be condemned, he had to be heard by a magistrate through due process of law. Paul did not ask this question because he needed an answer; rather, he knew the answer, and so he asked them to either remind them of the law, or to inform them that he was a Roman.[v26] When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.
The centurion cautioned the chief captain, so he would not suffer the consequences for the illegal assault of a Roman citizen.[v27] Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
Paul had just given a speech in which he testified that he was a Jew who grew up in Tarsus, so the chief captain wanted to hear the matter first hand.[v28] And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.
It was expensive to purchase the liberty and privilege of Roman citizenship, which the chief captain had done, and so he presumed that Paul had done the same, being born a Jew. However, Tarsus was a free city under Roman authority, given to the city by Marcus Antonius a few years before Paul was born; thus, Paul being born in Tarsus made him a Roman citizen by birth.As a side note, there are many Christians today who have been manipulated by what I refer to as "conspiracy ministries," which are not true ministries of Christ, and do nothing but talk about secret societies and conspiracies. These often tell people that they should have no citizenship records and fear government, but when we look at this example, Paul did not try to get out of his Roman citizenship, he used his rights under the law to his advantage, and with the Holy Spirit guiding him, he was still able to be obedient to the governing authorities (Rom 13:1-5), being wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. (Mat 10:16)
[v29] Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.
Those that were supposed to whip and question Paul departed because they were lawfully bound to do him no harm. The chief captain was afraid that Paul might raise the issue with a local magistrate about his mistreatment in custody of the Roman soldiers, which carried heavy consequences, namely because he was bound without a cause, similar to how it is illegal in the U.S. for a police officer to arrest someone without accusing them of a crime.[v30] On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.
The next day, Paul's hands and legs were freed from their bonds, and he was brought in a civil manner (from the prison to the temple) before the chief priests to understand what all the commotion was about. The captain was unable to know how to preceed with Paul until he knew what it was Paul had done wrong, if anything. The highest authorities among the chief priests and elders would have been available for this hearing because this was the time of Pentecost, a highly revered holiday in Jewish society.[v1] And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
Paul approached the council warmly, with a great desire to address them, confessing that, even in the days of his ignorance in which he persecuted Christ, he had lived in good conscience that he followed the Lord God.[v2] And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
In this instance, Paul was brought before a council of 71 chief rabbis, which was called the "Sanhedrin," which is the highest form of court in Jewish society. The smiting (or striking) of the mouth was a point of contempt, despising Paul, and this was either that Paul addressed all the council, instead of first addressing the high priest specifically, with honorifics of his title and rank and respecting his person, or that Paul professed his good conscience towards God, which the chief priests considered to be a lie after witnessing the great contention of the people the day beforehand. Because of Paul's accusation in verse three, it seems to be the latter, but because of the question Paul was asked in verse four, it seems to be the former, and therefore, I believe it was both.[v3] Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
This was not some railing accusation; the phrase "whited wall" was fitting to the truth of this situation, in which the chief priest wore his fancy, cleaned clothing to denote his rank, but inwardly, he had a heart of stone, stubborn in the sin of his pride. (Mat 23:27) In Jewish society, it was unlawful to punish a man in judgment before he was heard by the court (John 7:51), which was foolish (Pro 18:13), and thus, the chief priest should have been in fear of God that he had judged hypocritically and in willful ignorance, openly disobeying the law of God to satisfy his pride.[v4] And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
Though we submit to the authority of courts of law (Rom 13:1), as Paul did, the Sanhedrin, in the new dispensation of the Gospel of Christ, had no authority from God; therefore, he was not God's high priest at that point. (Although, judging his actions in this matter, it was clear the high priest never really was of God in the first place.) To revile in this context would mean to charge with fault for the evil in his heart; therefore, Paul rebuked the evil in the heart of the high priest, something which most Jews would fear to do, knowing the judgment of the Lord God, but Paul had no fear because he was appointed by the Lord God to speak with both grace and authority to these men.[v5] Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
"I wist not," meaning "I thought not," or "I did not know." (Wist is the present tense form of 'wis', which means "to think" or "to suppose.") Paul submitted himself to the governing authority despite the fact that this man was no priest of God, seeking to abide by the laws of the Torah (Exd 22:28), so they would have no reason to accuse him. However, he wished it was not the case that this man was a high priest, so that no offense would have come from it, but the truth must be spoken despite political complications.[v6] But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
As we will see in verse 8, this was a wise and brilliant move on Paul's part (Mat 10:16), seeing that he was being silenced after a single sentence, because by pointing out his connection to the Pharisee half of the Sanhedrin, it was likely to increase his chances of being heard by all. The Pharisees wanted to hear out one of their own, the Sadducees would have to comply to keep the peace in the council.[v7] And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
Meaning that there was a disagreement between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and they began to debate the matter.[v8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
The Sadducees believed there was no resurrection of the dead (Mat 22:23, Mat 22:29) because one of their core beliefs was that there was no immortal soul or spirit in man, and that man ceased to exist after death; nor did they believe in any spirit, such as an angel. The Pharisees were more founded in Scripture, believing in the souls of men, spirits of angels, and that the dead are raised by the power of God, both in certain instances in our current world, and in the whole resurrection of the saints in the final days with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:9-11) Obviously, this contradiction would cause infighting among the Sanhedrin.[v9] And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
The chief priests among the Pharisees still feared God enough that, knowing the history and the punishments God had brought upon Israel for daring to silence His prophets, they would not raise a hand of silence against Paul, and wanted to hear him out to determine if he was sent of God; whereas the Sadducees, not believing in such spirits, even in the Holy Spirit of God, would have written off Paul before he spoke, and thus, we can see how appealing to the Pharisees in this matter was a wise decision.[v10] And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
That is, there was disagreement far greater than the original, and because the captain of the guard had to get involved to protect his prisoner, it seems the contention was so heated, each side physically attempted to pull Paul over to their side, in some claim of ownership, in a heated and childish battle over religious authority.[v11] And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
It was unlike the Jewish elders to act in such a manner, but the Lord God informed Paul that this was all part of His plan; that He wanted Paul to give this same testimony of Christ in Rome as he did in Jerusalem. Therefore, the Lord God encouraged Paul to be at ease, and cheerful that he had done exactly as the Lord has planned.[v12] And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
These Jews were most likely some of the Sadducees, since it was the Pharisees who wanted Paul to at least be heard. From our perspective, this is a very foolish vow, seeing that Paul is an apostle of Christ, and that no harm would ever come to Paul unless God had planned it; thus, since God had already promised Paul that he would preach to Rome, Paul would not see death until those things were accomplished.Obviously, these men being wicked, would not have allowed themselves to die of thirst or starvation, and the Jews had a particular system set up to relieve certain people from their oaths, especially on holidays like Passover, in which all were to eat or drink in the ceremonies. Thus, when they could not kill Paul, these men would have found a loophole, or rather, they could have argued that it is better to save life than to kill, which was according to the law, as Jesus Himself pointed out (Mark 3:4), so under the context that the high priest would be saving their lives, he would relieve them of their oaths, even though it is still considered a lie before the Holy God. (Mat 5:33-37, Ecc 5:4-6)
(Read "God Does Not Justify Lies" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
[v13] And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
Over forty men took the oath.[v14] And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.
It seems these chief priests and elders would have been the Sadducees, who also would have liked to see Paul killed. Though it is possible they consisted of some Pharisees, it seems more likely that the Pharisees, fearing God, and knowing they had not yet heard Paul's testimony, would have put a stop to the conspiracy if they had known about it.[v15] Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
The phrase "more perfectly" is used for clarification, or that they would claim that they wanted to understand his position more clearly to have full understanding of the matter. That request would have been in accord with the Pharisees, since they wanted him to be heard from the start, so when the Sadducees would call to hear a matter from Paul, the Pharisees would have no disagreement, but it was all a lie.[v16] And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
The Bible does not specify how he heard, but Paul's nephew relayed the information to him.[v17] Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.
If Paul had told the captain, it was less likely to be believed, since it is not uncommon for prisoners to make excuses to get out of certain predicaments. It was wiser to have the eye witness himself tell the captain first hand.[v18] So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.
Paul's nephew was brought to the captain to give his testimony.[v19] Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?
This indicates the boy was young, as a it is not customary for a man to take another man by the hand unless under an emergency situation, or when working together to accomplish a task, but a man would do so with a boy to guide him to a location.[v20] And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
The boy is telling the captain what they would do tomorrow, so that the captain could verify his testimony was sure.[v21] But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.
The captain had the authority of Rome behind him, so he could refuse the request of the council if he chose to do so, but it was not the wisest course of action. It wasn't that the boy was ordering the captain by saying "do not thou yield unto them," but rather, it was more the type of plea you may hear from a very concerning child. The boy then told him that the conspirators would come to him and look for him to give his word to bring Paul to them in the council, which would provide additional evidence that the boy spoke the truth.[v22] So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.
The captain told Paul's nephew to keep the matter to himself, and to tell no other man what he had seen and heard. This was to keep anyone who may be among the conspirators from finding out the captain's next plan, so that no harm would come to Paul or the soldiers.[v23] And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;
The captain, now understanding that Paul was also a Roman, has now heard a conspiracy to kill a Roman citizen, and under such a strange and curious circumstance. Therefore, he took this matter with the utmost seriousness, knowing not that the Lord God is directing everyone to do as they have done so that Paul would be brought before the council of Rome. This plan was to be executed in secret, after nightfall, so they would be hidden from sight, before he received request from the Sanhedrin, which was a wise decision, knowing that refusing their request would cause contention, and so instead, informed them that Paul had already been sent to a Roman court, not only keeping the peace, but also freeing himself from anymore responsibility in this very confusing and contentious matter.[v24] And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.
Beasts such as horses or camels would have been provided to them for speed, whereas they may have traveled on foot under another circumstance, or rather, the soldiers may have used beasts while the prisoners would be forced to travel with them on foot. Paul would be well guarded and hasitly sent on his way to the governor of Judea, Marcus Felix, who was the brother of Marcus Pallas, one of Emperor Claudius's most trusted advisers. As we will see in the next chapter, Felix was married to a Jewish woman, Drusilla, and therefore, would have been very familiar with the traditions and laws of the Jews.[v25] And he wrote a letter after this manner:
The letter was written as documented in the following verses. Likely, Luke eventually obtained a copy of this letter, or the letter itself, after Paul's hearing because it would have been logged as evidence.[v26] Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
Claudius Lysias, the name of the chief captain presiding over this matter, gives a humble greeting, complimenting the excellence, or good moral character, of Marcus Felix. However, as we will see later, this was a greeting of flattery, since Felix was a ruler that accepted bribes. (Pro 29:4)[v27] This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.
This was not a lie, but not the direct truth either. It's true that Paul was rescued, but the "rescue" was actually Paul being arrested on suspicion. It's true that Captain Lysias understood Paul's Roman citizenship, but only after his men had threatened Paul with beatings without properly questioning him first. However, I would be lenient in my judgment on this matter simply because, after Lysias understood who Paul was, he protected Paul with every available resource at his disposal, and he was generally trying to keep the peace.[v28] And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:
Lysias's purpose in bringing Paul to the Jewish council was not in accordance with Jewish custom, but rather, because he wanted to fully hear Paul's testimony, which, as we have already read, Paul was prevented from giving.[v29] Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
Meaning that, in the view of an agent of law enforcement, Paul had broken neither Roman or Jewish laws of any sort.[v30] And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.
The Jewish conspirators threatened the life of Paul, and it should be noted that he needed to take the safety of his own soldiers into account, since they did not know who the conspirators were, or where they would come from. It should also be noted that the captain also did not know how many conspirators there were; Paul's nephew had only given him a number that had taken a vow, and only of those he saw, so his experience in these matters would tell him to be ready for anything. This part of the letter would also account for the timing, of why Paul was sent out in the night, rather than the day, which would be customary under normal circumstances.[v31] Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
It is 42 miles (67.5 km) from Jerusalem to Antipatris. The average horse carrying the average mounted soldier can travel about 50-60 miles per day. The soldiers would have arrived with Paul in the morning, traveling all night to deliver the prisoner safely.[v32] On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
Confident the danger of the conspirators was behind them, the 200 spearmen and the 200 soldiers left the 70 horsemen with Paul and journeyed back to the castle, called Antonia, in Jerusalem. This is not to say that the spearmen and soldiers were not riding horses, as they would have been given beasts, but the horsemen specifically were men who were armed and trained for combat on a horse, not just for travel.[v33] Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
The seventy horsemen presented Paul and the letter to Felix in Caesarea, the city where Paul started his journey to Jerusalem, and the same city where Philip the evangelist and his four prophesying daughters were mentioned in Acts 21:8-9.[v34] And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
Cilicia is the province in which Tarsus resides, and Paul grew up in Tarsus.[v35] I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
As we will see in the next chapter, Paul was not in a prison cell reserved for criminals, and had some liberties, but was under the watch and confinement of the guards. Word would have gotten to the church in Caesarea that Paul was being held there, so they would have come to visit him and care for him as needed. The judgment hall was a place for those to await a court hearing, while the accusers, the Jewish chief priests and elders, were summoned to make their case openly in a Roman court of law.[v1] And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.
The Jewish elders answered the summons, as they were required by law to appear in court by the end of the week. They selected a man named Tertullus to speak on their behalf.[v2] And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
Meaning, Tertullus began his case against Paul, but by first giving words of respect to the governor who was overseeing the hearing; namely the claim that peace was enjoyed by all because of Felix's wisdom and foresight.[v3] We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
These were just vain words designed to gain favor because Felix is later charged and brought to Rome to answer for his crimes against the Jews during his reign over them as governor. Thus, Tertullus likely saw Felix as a man who could be manipulated to favor a man based on flattering words, especially since Tertullus knows their accusations are without merit, which explains his grandiose introduction.[v4] Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
Meaning that he would not tend to drag on the proceedings slowly with tiresome words of flattery, they pleaded that Felix would have clemency, or be merciful, to hear their case.[v5] For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
Pestilent meaning "mischievous" or "troublesome" in this context, the word having the root word 'pest' in it, and a "mover of sedition" meaning that they were accusing Paul of conspiring to raise up a faction that would disturb the peace and oppose the law.It should be noted that Paul was not being accused of being the ringleaders of the Nazar-ites, which were accepted and honored in Jewish society, and who Paul traveled with before he was taken by the Jews, but rather, the Nazar-ines, which at the time denoted those who followed Jesus, who was from Nazareth. Among the Jews, the term "Nazarene" was a label of contempt, mocking those who were disciples of Christ.
[v6] Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
Their accusation is that Paul was seeking to desecrate their holy temple, which was a lie. They have no evidence that Paul did any such thing, or even that he intended to do any such thing.[v7] But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
This is another lie, referring to the incident when Paul stood before the Sanhedrin. The captain had to get Paul away from the Pharisees and Sadducees because they became so violent in their childish uproar. As a personal opinion, this gives me suspicion that evidence was open to the prosecution, in which they were allowed to see the letter that Lysias sent to Felix, knowing that Lysias was not specific to the details (likely because he was in a hurry to send Paul away due to the conspiracy), and so they took advantage of that to deceive the court.[v8] Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
This may have been true, as Lysias would have been requested to bring Paul forth to the Jewish council, but since had already sent Paul to Felix, it was outside of his jurisdiction, and so he told them they would have to travel to Caesarea and be heard by the governor.[v9] And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.
The chief priests and elders all agreed, even though they all knew the lies being told and the false accusations being made.[v10] Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
Paul was pleased to give his account to an experienced judge, as would any man who does that which is right in the sight of God and the laws of the land. A just and experienced judge can more easily detect liars and deceivers, and so righteous men are always pleased when a veteran judge is overseeing their case.[v11] Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
This was concerning his journey to Jerusalem until this day in court. The timing breaks down as follows:
|
[v12] And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
No one had any eye witness account, nor any other evidence they could provide that he committed any such crime. Someone simply recognized him, and stirred up the crowd to assault him.
[v13] Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
They cannot prove he is a pestilent mover of sedition that sought to profane the temple, and thus, under Jewish and Roman law, a man is innocent until proven guilty.[v14] But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Paul was affirming to Felix that he was indeed a Christian, which refers to the accusation that he was "a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes," although he does add that it is only what they claim is "heresy," but still proclaims that he worships the God of the Hebrews, and believes the law and the prophets, which we of Christ do believe, only that the blood of the Lamb of God fulfilled the law and prophets. (Rom 3:21-22)[v15] And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
In this, the Pharisees also believe that there is the resurrection of the dead, only they reject the very Christ who will bring this resurrection.The "just and unjust" is not to be taken in the sense that the unjust, or those who are not justified (i.e. those who are not saved by Christ), will take part with those who are justified, like when the Bible teaches that God causes rain to fall on the just and unjust alike (Mat 5:45), but rather, it is taken to mean that the sect of the Pharisees believed that both the just and unjust would see resurrection, the just to everlasting life, but the unjust would suffer their second death, being thrown into hell, both their resurrected physical body along with their spirit.
[v16] And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
Which Paul did demonstrate, that he sought not to offend the high priest in the last chapter, even though after Christ, he is no longer a high priest of God. (Heb 10:11) He also gave praise to the governor for his position, seeking not to offend him either, but always doing so with the understanding never to offend against the Word of God; God's commandments must be first in every instance.[v17] Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.
Paul brought charity to the poor, as he often did, and offerings unto the temple of God, not that it was a requirement for him as a Christian, but it was the tradition of the Jews, lest they be offended.[v18] Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
The Asian Jews, who were much more familiar with Paul, since he spent a lot of time in the cities of Asia minor. Paul was not found among the crowd causing any trouble; he was operating peacefully away from the crowd with the Nazarites.[v19] Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
Those Asian Jews who first accused him were cowardly, preferring to skulk in the darkness, and would not show themselves to give account for their words and actions. (John 3:20)[v20] Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
Paul is requesting the elders to testify if they saw any wrongdoing in Paul while he was in council with them, because that is the only place they can give an eye witness account, since they saw him at no other time.[v21] Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
By "cried" he means he spoke with a loud voice to the council. There is only one thing the elders have brought up against Paul, and that is when he told them about the question of the resurrection of the dead, meaning, the faith that Christ lives.[v22] And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
Felix now understood more what Paul professed to believe concerning the resurrection, and seeing there was no contradiction with the beliefs of the Jews (namely, the Pharisees among them), he knew there needed to be more eye witnesses to determine the entire truth, so he sent for Lysias to come personally and give testimony.[v23] And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.
Again, Paul returned to the guest hall, and he was free to have any visitors from his family or Christians friends. He would have been bound to the property only, but not in chains, and he would have been provided food and proper lodging.[v24] And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
The Lord God gave Paul the opportunity to present the teachings of Christ to the governor and his Jewish wife, so that he would come to fully understand whether the doctrine presented a threat to Jewish law.[v25] And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
This now shows us that Felix was not a good governor, and was guilty of much injustice towards the people, because at the preaching of God's coming judgment against the wealthy and prestigious people of this world (i.e. temperance, meaning moderation, or a discipline against indulging in appetites and passions), and that He would bring His vengeance on the unrighteous, it caused Felix to tremble in fear because he was guilty of these things. Being disturbed, he sent Paul away, and said he would call to finish hearing his doctrine at a more convenient time in his governing duties.[v26] He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
Felix, showing his wicked heart, wanted to make some money from the release of Paul, requesting a bribe, but Paul refused. The word 'oftener' means to do so frequently, and so he sent for Paul many times, trying to work out a deal of payment to let him go, even though Paul was not guilty of any crime.[v27] But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
For two years, Paul was kept against his will, until the day that Felix lost his position of ruling authority, and Festus was sent to replace him. According to historical records, Felix had to go to Rome and face charges of his crimes of mistreating the Jewish people (which means the words of Tetullus were simply vain flattery), and so in order to try and gain a bit of favor to the pleasure of the Jewish elders, he denied Paul's release, but his plan backfired because this gained him no favor in the eyes of the Jewish elders, and if it had not been for his brother Pallas interceding on his behalf, Felix would have been severely punished.[v1] Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
Three days after Festus arrived to take over, he traveled to Jerusalem.[v2] Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,
After two years, they still had malicious intent in their hearts against Paul, who had done them no wrong.[v3] And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.
The elders requested that Festus bring Paul to Jerusalem so they could ambush and kill him on the way there; similar to the plans they had at the beginning of the conflict.[v4] But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
Festus had not yet personally heard the matter, and so Paul would have to attend a court hearing to give his testimony once again.[v5] Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.
The elders would once again go to Caesarea to give their false accusations against Paul.[v6] And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
Festus spent ten days with the Jews, handling the business necessary of a new governor, then he went back to Caesarea, and on the following day, brought Paul into court.[v7] And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
Again, they presented many false accusations, and no evidence, which is still very common today against those who are of Christ. Even in simple letters I receive, I often get many accusations, but no proof or evidence of what I am accused of saying, doing, or teaching.[v8] While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.
Paul broke no laws, nor made any offense, against Jerusalem, the temple, or Rome.[v9] But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
Festus also wanted favor with the Jews, and his inquiring of Paul's willingness to come to Jerusalem was an indirect way of agreeing to the assassination plan of those Jews who falsely accused Paul. Getting Paul to agree to go to Jerusalem to do it would also help rule out any suspicion that he was involved in the plot; as a direct order to go to Jerusalem would not only be unprecidented, but would arose suspicion and put unwanted attention on Festus himself.[v10] Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
Paul is referring to Festus's seat, which is by extention considered to be the judgment seat of Caesar. Festus already knew of Paul's innocence, since he would have been somewhat informed of Paul's situation, being held two years without being charged of any crime.[v11] For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.
Paul was willing to accept his execution, being submitted to God, and therefore, the government appointed by God, but under Caesar's rules, Festus was not allowed to hand Paul over to the Jews without Paul's own consent. Paul appealed to Caesar in accordance with God's Word, in which the Lord had spoken to Paul and told him that he was to preach Christ in Rome. (Acts 23:11) If a Roman citizen accused of a crime appealed to Caesar (under specific circumstances), no action could be taken against him until he was brought before Caesar to hear the matter.[v12] Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
Festus took a moment to consult his own council, and then approved Paul's request to be brought before Augustus Caesar.[v13] And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.
Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, who killed James (Acts 12:1-2), and Bernice was his sister, who were both siblings of Drusilla, the wife of Felix, so not only is there a bit of intrigue going on here, but also there also Jewish background among the judges.[v14] And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:
The governer was informing the king of the situation, which was necessary, since the matter was to go before the Emporer of Rome.[v15] About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
Of course, he left out the whole truth, that he has indirectly agreed to help them kill Paul.[v16] To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.
This is why he requested the presence of the Jewish elders in Caesarea, to hear their accusations in an official court hearing. Rome would not sentence to death one of their citizens until the accused had his day in court to be heard.[v17] Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.
[v18] Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:
Festus had expected the Jewish elders to have more evidence. To his surprise, they had none.[v19] But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
The accusations were over what Festus referred to as "superstitions," which was concerning the testimony that Christ is alive.[v20] And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
Though Festus might not have fully understood the matter between the Jews and Christians, opening the option of going to Jerusalem was still part of the plan to expose Paul to an assassination attempt.[v21] But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.
[v22] Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
Paul would be brought to court for a third time over a matter of false accusation in which there was no evidence against him, going through three different judges, but this was all according to the plan of the Lord God, that all would come to hear the Gospel of Christ.[v23] And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.
Two governors had heard Paul's testimony, and now a king would hear also. Bernice was brought in with "pomp" meaning that she was decorated and brought in a lavish manner to display her beauty and authority, all which the Bible calls vanity; that women ought to array themselves in good works, rather than pomp. (1Ti 2:9-10)[v24] And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
The Jews who had pleaded with Festus were now pleading to the king for the execution of Paul.[v25] But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
Again, there was no evidence against Paul.[v26] Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
If we stop and consider for a moment: What would Festus write to the Emporer of Rome? Why would the Emporer's time be required to hear a matter in which there was no evidence against the accused? Without something substantial to write to the Augustus, it was best to let the king hear the matter first and judge, and then Festus would feel more justified to send Paul to Caesar with a letter of explanation.[v27] For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.
In order for Caesar to pardon the crimes of a man held prisoner would require a list of his crimes, but there was none. Again, this is all part of God's design to use Paul to preach Christ to the highest levels of authority in Rome.
