Acts 23:12 – 24:9 Bible Teaching

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If you haven’t been with us we have deconstructed these gatherings down to the essentials:

We begin with prayer
Sing the Word of God set to music (as a means to get it into our heads) and then we sit for a moment in silence here at the Church/Studio.

When we come back we pick up where we left off last week in our verse by verse study.

And that takes us to Acts chapter 23 verse 12.

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Acts 23.12-24.9
July 30th 2017
Milk
Alright, again we are going to plow through some verses together today.

So last week Paul, being brought before the Sanhedrim by the Chief Captain of the guard at the Tower of Antonia, had to be removed from their presence for fear that he would have been torn apart by them and their religious zeal.

Let’s read through to the end of the chapter beginning at verse 12. Most of the information is self-explanatory and so we will move through it rapidly.

Acts 23:12 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.
13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
14 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.
15 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.
16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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?”
20 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.
21 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.”
22 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.”
23 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;
24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.”
25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:

26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27 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.
28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:
29 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.
30 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.

31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:
33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.
34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
35 “I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come.” And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

Alright back to verse 12 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.

The Greek for what they did is, “they anathematized themselves,” which means they devoted themselves to an oath of personal destruction – of becoming anathema, forbidden to live – if they did not complete the oath they took.

Bible scholar Lightfoot says that they could, however, have gone to a Rabbi, if they failed and he could have absolved them from the curse.

In any case, their oath was that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

If a rabbi wouldn’t absolve them then they would have died within days as the human body cannot go without water for very long.

Apparently this was a common form of an oath, or curse, among the Jews. Often times they would only make a vow of abstinence from meat or wine but in this case, to make the oath more earnest and binding, they vowed abstinence from all kinds of food and drink till they had killed him.

We don’t know who they were – but many experts suggest they were of the class of people called, Sicarii, who were cut-throats that were plentiful in Judea.

Obviously we are dealing with an immoral group, operating way outside of the established Law. (verse 13)

13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

Why they would make the oath is also unknown but perhaps it was for reward. They may have learned that this dastardly fellow Paul was roaming the city freely and they took it upon themselves to rid the city of him hoping that the ruling class would reward them for their vigilantism. (verse 14)

14 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. (And then this group of forty cut throats said)
15 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.

We have made an oath and this is what you need to do for us to bring it about: send word to the Chief Captain and tell him you need to speak with Paul again so as to clear a matter or question up and when he is brought forward to you we will be there to kill him. (verse 16)

16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

This is the only scriptural information we have on the family of Paul.

This is all we know of the family of Paul.
Who his sister or this nephew was, or why he was in Jerusalem is up to speculation.

Since it has been established that Paul was a free-born Roman citizen he was probably free to receive guests openly while in the tower under guard. So his nephew went in an told Paul the plan that had been laid out to kill him.

17 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.”
18 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.”
19 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?”
20 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.

Then Paul’s nephew says to the Chief captain

21 “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 (meaning waiting to hear that you will comply with their wishes to bring Paul to the counsel.)
(Verse 22)

22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him (saying), “See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.”
23 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;”

And he called unto him two centurions, who as we know were over a hundred soldiers each, and in addition to these soldiers, arranged for three score and ten horsemen, (as the soldiers were foot soldiers) and two hundred spearmen (which comes from a totally unique Greek word not found ANYWHERE in the writings of Greek antiquity or scripture.

The term means someone who takes others by the right hand, and is believed to mean men who bear arms – swords or spears in that hand as a means to engage in taking or capturing lives.

He then tells them to move Paul at the third hour of the night – or at nine PM.

This of course was all done to allude the band of desperadoes that had resolved to murder Paul. Now, these numbers seem like overkill, as we are talking over 500 men on foot, horse and bearing spears to escort Paul to safety. But remember . . .

the number of those who had conspired against him was large too and since the tendency for mass hysteria existed among the people it was better to be prepared for victory then set up for defeat.

Further orders were given as the Chief also said:

24 And provide them beasts (horses, camels), that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

Felix was the governor of Judea at this time. He lived in Caesarea, about sixty miles from Jerusalem.

His name was Antonius Felix, and he was a freedman of Antonia, the mother of the emperor Claudius therefore he was favored of Emporer Claudius and was made a governor of Judea by his hand.

Josephus calls him Claudius Felix. He had married three wives in succession that were of royal families, one of whom was Drusilla, afterwards mentioned in Ac 23:24, who was sister to king Agrippa.

Tacitus (Hist. v. 9) says, that he governed with all the authority of a king, and the baseness and insolence of a slave. He added that . . .

“He was an unrighteous governor, a base, mercenary, and bad man.” (verse 25)

25 And he wrote a letter after this manner:

26 Claudius Lysias (which was the name of the Chief Priest) unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27 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.
(Obviously the letter sort of implies that the Chief Captain was somewhat of a hero, having saved a Roman from death as he fails to mention that he bound Paul with cords in preparation of scourging him.

28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:
29 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.
30 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.

Verse 31

31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

This town was anciently called Cafar-Saba and Josephus says (Antiq. xiii. 23,) that it was about seventeen miles from Joppa.

It was about twenty-six miles from Caesarea, and so thene about thirty-five from Jerusalem.

It was Herod the Great who changed the name of the city to Antipatris, in honor of his father Antipater.

It was situated in a fine plain, and watered with many springs and fountains.

32 On the morrow they (apparently the foot soldiers) left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle:

Again, apparently, the horsemen were enough to protect Paul as the dangers in Jerusalem subsided as the distance from it increased.

And the horsemen (verse 33)

33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;
35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

Felix knew from the letter that Paul was a Roman citizen but had to ascertain which province he came from to ensure that he was appealing to the proper jurisdiction.

When he heard that Paul came from Cilicia, he took the case and person of Paul into protective custody, which was in the hall named after Herod, who probably had it build when he renamed the city. And this brings us to chapter 24 folks!

Acts 24:1 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.
2 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,
3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
5 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:
6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

Okay back to verse 1:

Acts 24:1 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.

Thus far it has been twelve days since Paul has come to Jerusalem and look at all the trouble!

In any case, it took five more days for Ananais to “descend down from Jerusalem to the location of Paul and Felix. In his company was one Tertullis, a Roman name so in all probability a Roman attorney type who understood the laws and ways of the Roman government/

What did he do? He “informed the governor Felix against Paul.”

Now, the King James calls this Tertullis an Orator – from the Greek he was an expert in talk – probably a lawyer.

Oration is a funny topic in scripture – in fact the tongue and the gift of speech is a double edged sword, having the ability to sooth or hurt, to inform or beguile, to calm and bring peace or to rouse and bring division.

If you have never had an opportunity to be confronted by a true orator in an argument consider yourselves fortunate.

They can make the day really appear to be night and a dog a cat.

This may have been the case with Tertullis as I’m sure he was known for his ability to spin.

2 And when he was called forth, (this seems to mean when Paul was called forth not Tertullis) Tertullus began to accuse Paul, saying,
Now, the better way to understand this is that Tertullis opened his arguments against Paul with the following words which were full of flattery for Felix.

Understanding this Tertullis says:

“Seeing that by thee we (citizens of Judea) enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,”

“You have just done great things for the nation, Felix.”

While certainly flattering to Felix these comments were not untrue – Felix had, according to Josephus, done a number of things that kept the peace in Judea, including:

He had a band of robbers, headed by one Eleazar, arrested who he sent to Rome for punishment.
He had arrested the Egyptian false prophet we have discussed in the past who had led out four thousand men into the wilderness and threatened the peace of Judea
and he had repressed a sedition which arose between the inhabitants of Caesarea and of Syria.

Having done this he infers that before him in Paul was another case of an insurrectionist trying to disturb the peace of the Nation.

So having complimented Felix he adds in verse 3

“We accept it” (all these things you have done for us) “always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.”

It is important to remember that Felix was also a cruel governor, a charge lays directly at his feet and which is supported by other historians including Tacitus and Suetonius.

Like any true orator, Tertullis continues and says:

4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. (But lets set all of these wonderful works that you have done aside, an ask that you, Felix, would grant us the favor to speak a few words (verse 5)
FOR . . .

And now we get to the brass tacks – attacking Paul.

If you ever meet a skilled orator, a true craftsman of the spoken word, that is not honest, take a deep breath, sit back and let them speak. Relax in the Spirit within you and really listen to their many, many words.

Let the compliments pass you by, let the refuse in their long preambles float on, and wait – they will reveal themselves, their ambitions, their intent in time.

Anyways, just an observation I’ve garnered that works for me. So after the flattery Tertullis says:

5 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:

Did you hear it? Speaking to Felix, great honor, the bestowal of all virtue, and the moment Paul is brought up, three key phrases

Pestilent fellow (loy-mos – a plague)
Mover of sedition (a stirrer of standing or stability – a kineo stasis)
Ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes (a protos-tace of hareisis – the leader of hereses established by Jesus of Nazareth and His followers known as Nazarenes).

That’s loaded language – all delivered up in one summarizing breath.

As a pestilent fellow, a plague Paul has corrupted the healthy faith and morals of others. Here Tertullis did not say that Paul was a pestilent person, he said he was the pestilence itself!

That he was “a stirrer of established traditions, moving around things that have been agreed upon and established for thousands of years.” For emphasis he added that Paul was doing this “throughout the world.”

We note that though the King James translates this as if Tertullis said the “World,” all Tertullis said was that Paul was a stirrer of the establishment among the oikonomene – the Roman empire (at best).

Had he said kosmos Felix would have detected hyperbole and exaggeration in his speech. The best orators use facts so effectively that they can speak the truth but be entirely deceptive.

He concludes that Paul is the ringleader – a Greek term that is not used anywhere else in the New Testament.

In ancient Greece it described a military leader who stood first in the armed forced.

Here, Paul was being called the leader of a haresis or of a heretical sect of Nazarenes.

Having painted the character of Paul in living color, Tertullis now gets specific and says:

6 Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
7 But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

It seems this charge refers back to the false idea that Paul had taken a Greek into the temple and we will see next week how Paul defends himself against this charge.

We take note that Tertullis indirectly places the blame for Felix having to deal with this by saying that the Chief Captain interrupted their attempts to judge Paul by Jewish law by stepping in an removing him from their trial of him according to the Law.

This was not true but it could have been the perception. Nevertheless, from the get go Paul was never going to receive a fair trial by the Law which was obvious by the fact that his trial before them began with him being slapped across the mouth.

In any case, Tertullis says that the Chief Commander violently took Paul from their control (verse 8) and

8 Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: (Felix) by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

In other words, the Captain made us, Paul’s accusers, come all the way out to you to have you assume this case which we could have tried ourselves.

And then in verse 9 we read

9 “And the Jews also assented” (those who had traveled to Caesaria that day to testify against Paul), “say that these things were so.”

Remember, scripture is a truncated or abbreviated version of everything that happened so it is unlikely that this was all that Tertullis said.

It is also unlikely that the witnesses against Paul that came to speak against him were not heard.

So we know that their testimonies are not included here but are essentially reported as concurring with what Tertullis has said.

Let’s read what Paul says in response, which we will cover next week:

10 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:
11 Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
12 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:
13 Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
14 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:
15 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.
16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.
18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
19 Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while 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 by you this day.

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